Don’t miss your chance to win a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt for one of Russia’s legendary Kamchatka brown bears. For just $20 you can buy a chance to win an all-expense paid hunt worth more than $15,000. The deadline to purchase tickets is June 30, 2020. The hunt is valid through 2021. Spring hunting season for Kamchatka brown bears runs from late April through late May with the fall season-opening at the beginning of September and running through October.
Proceeds from this sweepstakes will benefit the Safari Club International Foundation’s mission to ensure the future of wildlife through conservation, education, and hunting.
This bucket list rifle hunt is outfitted through Link’s Wild Safaris, and meals, guide services, license, tag, & trophy fees, CITES permit, transportation to and from the airport are all included.
The Kamchatka brown bear, also known as the “Far Eastern brown bear,” is native to the Kamchatka Peninsula, coastal region, and island chains of Far East Russia. They are one of the largest bear species in the world as evident by the almost 500 entries of the species in the SCI record book. They are also believed to be an ancestor of the Kodiak brown bears found in Alaska.
Roughly the size of California, the Kamchatka Peninsula is one of the world’s last great truly wild places. The entire expanse of the peninsula was once populated with brown bears, and more remote protected areas are still home to the highest density of brown bears anywhere on the planet with between 10,000 – 14,000 thriving on the peninsula.
Kamchatka’s streams are also a world-class fishery. It’s been estimated that a quarter of the world’s salmon flow through them each year, and the surrounding the berry tundras and dense pine forests provide some of the best bear habitat on Earth.
Kamchatka brown bears are one of the most sought after species in all of Russia. The economic impact of the associated hunting industry is significant; however, expanded research and strengthened conservation efforts need to be applied to ensure their long-term sustainability. Populations are thought to be stable, but more scientific methods are needed to assess the status of their populations more accurately. Revenue generated through hunts like this one has the potential to increase funding for management of the species and the hunting community could play a pivotal role in improving on the ground anti-poaching measures.
An average, about 300 bears, are harvested by hunters each year. Commercial fishing and illegal over-fishing of salmon, the bear’s main food source, pose a threat to the bears’ long term viability. Increased energy development may also be giving poachers more access to bear habitat in the wilderness, another potential threat to the population.
Despite these conservation issues, brown bears are thriving on the Kamchatka peninsula. Couple that with majestic scenery and a first-class outfitting experience, this hunt would genuinely be the adventure of a lifetime – and it could be possible for just $20. Buy your chance today before it’s too late!
