Yacht-based Tongass hunts for goat, blacktail and bear from the M/V Denali, guided by lifelong Sitkans Bae Widmier and Katrese Melville.
Baranof Backcountry Outfitters is run by two lifelong Sitkans: Bae Widmier, an Alaska registered guide since 2014, and Katrese Melville, an Alaska Native and third-generation Sitkan who grew up in a guiding family, has guided since 2020 and commercial-fishes black cod in the off-season. Both have more than a decade exploring, hunting and guiding Southeast and Interior Alaska.
The outfit hunts Sitka blacktail deer, mountain goat, brown bear and coastal black bear in the Tongass National Forest under special use permit, working from the M/V Denali. Their pitch is that backcountry hunting doesn't have to mean bare bones — warm berths, showers and prepared meals aboard.
Background as described by the operator on their own website.
Alaska hunting seasons vary significantly by Game Management Unit and species. Confirm current seasons with ADF&G and book well in advance — quality outfitters fill 6–18 months ahead for peak species. Non-residents must be accompanied by a licensed guide or qualifying Alaska resident for most big game species.
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sitka, Alaska
Guided black bear and brown bear hunts on Baranof Island near Sitka, with experienced guides who know the Tongass terrain and run both spring and fall seasons.
sitka, Alaska
Sitka-based big-game outfit guiding 40+ years — brown bear, glacier bear, and goats in the Tongass; sheep, moose, and grizzly in the Alaska Range.
sitka, AK
$8,500–$14,000
sitka, Alaska
Baranof Backcountry Outfitters