Sitka Blacktail Deer Hunting
Sitka Blacktail Deer Hunting
The most memorable hunting trips are about far more than harvesting wild game. People from all over the world come to Alaska to enjoy some of the best hunting on the planet, and because it’s one of the few places that is still truly wild.
If you’re planning a Sitka blacktail deer hunting trip, there is no destination more productive and picturesque than the Kodiak, Alaska region. This is the place where trophies are earned and lifetime memories are made on every excursion into the bush.
At Alaska Hunting Pros, we go out of our way to ensure your hunting trip exceeds all expectations. Our Sitka blacktail deer hunting trips are some of our most popular, and during one of Alaska’s least visited times of the year.
Our self-guided Sitka blacktail deer hunting trips allow you to take center stage on your own wilderness hunt. We provide all transportation on our custom catamarans, fully equipped with warm bunks for a good night’s rest. When you return to your boat-based cabin, hearty hot meals await – the perfect complement to a day spent in the bush in search of whatever game you choose to target.
Semi-guided hunts for Sitka blacktail deer are also available. If you’re interested in this option, kindly inquire with us directly. Your Alaska hunting guide will help you along every step of the way. You will be well fed with delicious local food, with plenty of energy for your blacktail deer hunt. If you have special needs, we will go out of our way to make sure you’re accommodated.
A hunting adventure like no other awaits. Contact us today to book your hunting trip.
What to expect
On your Sitka blacktail deer hunt
First, expect the hunting trip you’ve always dreamed of. Alaska never disappoints. The sights and sounds of the Last Frontier have inspired dreamers and outdoorsmen for millennia and the landscape has barely changed during that time.
Your total immersion in the Alaskan wilderness is made possible because we provide you with access to remote hunting grounds teeming with wild game. Your boat-based hunting camp will be anchored in a bay close to the hunting grounds. You can access the shore via boat to ground transport.
On self-guided hunts, you customize your trip in whatever way you see fit. You decide where to hunt, what to hunt, and when to hunt. You may spend your day hiking through the woods or glassing the hillsides. It’s also possible to cruise the beaches by boat or access them from the woods and drop in unexpectedly.
The boats are equipped with four bunks each, and have heated cabins. Everyone gets their own bunk. We have a five-person minimum and six maximum for all of our Sitka blacktail deer hunts.
You can choose a semi-guided trip for an additional charge.
You will spend your downtime on our U.S. Coast Guard inspected catamarans, which also include a camp shower, food preparation area, dining room, and a large covered deck. There is plenty of space for your game processing and storage, including a freezer. Our vessels are equipped with the best electronics so you can be confident you’re always safe.
Imagine it now – after a productive spent hunting in the pristine Alaskan wilderness, you return to the boat to a mouth-watering hot cooked meal. You hang up your boots to dry and let the boat rock you to sleep by the lapping waves in a remote and protected Alaskan bay.
The next morning you wake to some hot coffee, breakfast, and conversation with friends before heading out for another fantastic day of hunting in the bush.
Does it get any better?
Information about
Kodiak
Kodiak Island is populated by fewer than 6,000 people, which is just one of the many reasons the hunting remains world-class. For more than 7,000 years, the Island was inhabited by Alutiiq Natives. Russian Settlers arrived in the 18th Century but Russia sold Alaska to the United States in 1867.
Kodiak was incorporated as a city in 1941, primarily because the United States fears the island could be attacked during World War II. During that time, the island became a veritable fortress with defensive armaments and fun fortifications offering protection from the threat of Japanese invasion.
The great Alaskan earthquake of 1964 led to a 30-foot-high tsunami that hit Kodiak hours after the quake. Residents said that the earthquake made the land seem like water and each “wave” would toss them into the air. The earthquake also caused the city to burn. While fifteen people were killed in the quake and the resulting aftereffects, it’s a miracle more people didn’t meet their doom.
Today Kodiak is home to hearty Alaskans, many of whom follow the subsistence lifestyle. Most residents spend their free time stocking up the freezer with summertime runs of salmon and halibut in preparation for the winter.
Hunting in Kodiak is legendary. The largest coastal brown bears in the world reside on Kodiak, which is one reason why Kodiak brown bears are designated as a unique subspecies. Scientists estimate that Kodiak bears have been isolated from mainland bears for around 12,000 years. The size of Kodiak’s brown bears is a living testament to the incredible variety and amount of wild game on the island.
There are many other varieties of wildlife in and around Kodiak Island. Common sea life includes whales, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, and porpoises. Land mammals include bears, deer, elk, marten, beaver, and fox, among others. Birding on the island is also spectacular, with over 240 species having been identified, some quite rare.
Information about
Afognak
Afognak is located on Afognak Island and is within the Borough of Kodiak. Native Alutiiq people inhabited Afognak for more than 7,000 years, during which time they hunted and fished. It was common for these natives to trade with other indigenous groups in Southeast Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
Sea otters were one of the most popular marine mammals to hunt, but Russian demand for sea otter pelts caused their extinction in the late 1800s. In 1868, the United States purchased Russia. During this time it was common for locals to speak Alutiiq, Russian, and English.
The village of Afognak was completely destroyed by the Good Friday Earthquake in 1964. The quake caused a massive tsunami, which abruptly changed the landscape in dramatic ways. After the earthquake, the Lions Club and the U.S. government constructed a new community on the northeast coast of Kodiak Island, which was named Port Lions. The village was relocated to this area.
Today, Afognak offers some of the best hunting in Alaska. Sitka blacktail deer were transplanted to Afognak in the 1930s. Today, deer hunting is consistent and productive because the island remains virtually unspoiled wilderness. It’s common to see other land mammals including Kodiak brown bear, beaver, marten, fox, and Roosevelt elk.
While on the boat, keep an eye out for sea life including humpback whales, gray whales, sea otters (which were reintroduced after extinction), seals, and sea lions.
There is a lot to do on the island including hiking, fishing, beachcombing, birding, and hunting (duh). The island is also the premier spawning habitat for salmon, which means brown bears are never far away.
Information about
Sitka blacktail deer
Sitka blacktail deer are one of the most popular wild game targets of Alaskan hunters and with good reason. They are plentiful and found over a wide range in the state of Alaska because of transplants from Southeast Alaska to other parts of the state, including Kodiak.
Many hunters are surprised to learn that Sitka blacktail deer are related to mule deer. The average size of a Sitka blacktail deer is 120 pounds for bucks and 80 pounds for does. Dressed weight is around 60% of the animals’ live weight. On occasion, bucks up to 200 pounds have been harvested.
In Alaska, deer populations rise and fall depending on the severity of the winters. Severe winters can cause Sitka deer populations to dramatically decline. However, the reproductive capacity of Sitka blacktails allows populations to swiftly rebound. Predation may also play a role in deep population declines and may even slow the rebound process after a harsh winter.
The most popular game animal in Southeast Alaska is the Sitka blacktail deer. During the animal’s rut which is usually in November, both does and bucks will respond to a fawn’s bleating. This makes it possible for hunters to concentrate their efforts.
Snowfall may also concentrate deer at lower elevations, which allows for a less difficult harvest when the weather cooperates.
Sitka blacktail deer can be found all over Southeast Alaska, Kodiak Island, Shuyak Island, and around Anchorage, including the upper Kenai Peninsula.
We offer the following blacktail deer hunts:
- September 1 – October 21
South end of Kodiak Island for Sitka blacktail deer and caribou (reindeer).
- $4,500 per person – 5 person minimum, 6 person maximum.
- October 23 – December 15
North Kodiak Island/South Afognak for Sitka blacktail deer, Roosevelt elk, Kodiak brown bear, and guided sea duck hunts.
- $3,500 per person – 5 person minimum, 6 person maximum.
- October 23 – December 7
Guided Sitka blacktail deer hunting.
- $7,500 per person, 2 person minimum – 1 guide with 2 clients.
Other Kodiak hunting options
We also offer hunting excursions for waterfowl, Roosevelt elk, caribou, and Kodiak brown bears. You can check out other pages on our website for more detailed descriptions of these hunts. It may be possible to target multiple species of game on your trip.
Kodiak brown bear hunting is often on hunting enthusiasts’ bucket lists. If you’ve seen photos from these hunts you can understand why. In fact, the world record Alaska brown bear came from Kodiak and measured 30 12/16. The skull of this bear measured nearly 18 inches long and 12 13/16 inches wide.
Large brown bear boars on Kodiak Island may weigh 1,500 pounds in the fall after getting their fill of salmon. A bear of this size will stand over nine feet tall!
NOTE: Alaskan brown bear hunts require a permit drawing, which can be done with our affiliate, Burr Henriksen.
Inquire with us for more details on this process.
Sea duck hunting trips target a variety of colorful species that include goldeneye, bufflehead, two species of scoter, red breasted merganser, mallards, pintails, and old squaw.
If you’re interested in any of these hunting trips, let us know!
Why choose us?
If you’re going to travel all the way to Alaska for the hunting trip of a lifetime, it makes sense to hire the best in the business. There is a reason most of our business is return business – because we offer a premier hunting adventure to discerning sportsmen who understand quality and top-tier customer service.
Safety is always our number one priority, and by keeping you safe, we make it easy for you and your group to enjoy every minute of your Alaskan hunting adventure.
About the owner of Alaska Hunting Pros
Gabe Linegar grew up fishing and hunting in Alaska. He started his fishing guide business in 2004 and is proud to provide hunters from all over the world access to the place he loves to call home.
Gabe also acts as a hunting guide, working with renowned Kodiak guide Burr Henriksen. Gabe also loves to fish and offers incredible Alaska fishing opportunities through his business Alaska Ocean Pros. If you ever want to fish for salmon and halibut in the world’s most productive fishing grounds, you know who to call.
Contact us today to book your Sitka blacktail hunting trip
You’ve always dreamed about an Alaskan hunt, so why wait any longer? Book your trip today and experience the real wilderness on your own terms. What we offer at Alaska Hunting Pros is total immersion in the raw untamed wilderness far away from roads, crowds, and just about every other part of civilization.
Contact us today and let us help you make your ultimate hunting trip a reality.