Stephen Brock
Just got back from a brown bear hunt with Peter. Got my bear on the first day and Peter and his staff were top notch. I wanted a black bear, but I had a bum foot. Peter spent time with me helping me cross rivers and making sure I was comfortable. Saw lots of browns but, just missed getting a shot at a black bear. (I could not walk fast enough, not Pete's fault. Two other hunters came into camp and got their goat on the first day. What impressed me most about Peter was his sincere desire to make sure you enjoyed your trip and got your animal. Best guide by far I have ever had, and I have dealt with quite a few over my years.
Thomas Satterlee
Just wanted to drop you a note to say the hunting trip was great. Was a tough start with the fog keeping us on the ground for two days but once airborne the views were great. Camp was nicely laid out tucked back it the trees to shelter from winds. Had all the comforts of home. Seeing wolves, moose, black bears and brown bears made the hunt. Everyday we saw animals especially the huge black bears. Blake and Jeremy were great guides that always had a positive attitude. Shooting the brown bear was just the icing on the cake! Meals were good and plenty. Especially enjoyed the flight out seeing goats, bears, moose and spectacular views. Great memories!
​Mike Haines
In the fall of 2017, I hunted archery with Barela’s Alaskan Outfitters. We hunted brown bears, black bears, and mountain goats. It was a very successful hunt. The camp was great. The guide service was excellent, the knowledge of animals was excellent, and the location of the animals was excellent. I harvested a brown bear, and a mountain goat. I also had an opportunity to harvest a black bear. It was the hunt of a lifetime. I would definitely recommend this hunt to anyone in good physical condition.
Dirk Dieterich's Testimonial ~ Alaska 2024 Brown Bear Hunt
I have been a longbow fanatic since my college days in the late 1970’s and for the past few years I have also wanted to up my game and book a spot & stalk type Brown Bear hunt in Alaska! I finally took the plunge this past spring when I booked a hunt with old friend Peter Barela to his new camp out of Yakutat, Alaska. A 12-day hunt based out of the only permitted camp in the Tongass National Forest accessible via a fascinating boat journey through the glacial calving waters surrounding the world’s largest tidewater glacier. Needless to say, with the limitations of a longbow the odds of success were limited at best. Most days we would spot 5-10 boars, on day 6 we spotted a large sow working her way along the shoreline. Peter felt sure that a boar would catch her scent and knew of a ridge on the cliff above the shore that would provide a good ambush point. After about an hour a large boar appeared on the shore a half mile down from us and started slowly working our way along the sow’s path. Our vantage point was about 20 feet above the shoreline and about 25 yards from the water’s edge. We had to keep a low profile so the boar wouldn’t spot us which presented a unique challenge with the lower limb on a 66-inch longbow. As the boar approached, at about 20 yards, I released and immediately felt the lower limb strike the ground and the arrow hit him in the front left elbow and bounced back several feet. I nocked another arrow as we watched the bear climb the hill and got above us in the timber, then Peter said that bear will be back on the trail, that we were standing on, for the sow. Peter was correct, the bear was obviously trying to figure out how to get his fat ass around the trees and back after the sow, he was looking directly at us but didn’t see us, at this point we estimated him to be at 7 yards. I was zoned and waiting for him to look to his right or left and expose his carotid artery. Moments later the bear looked to his left, I came to full draw and hit him where I aimed. The bear let out a loud roar and did a back flip over the rock and was gone. I was concerned about the shot, in my 40+ years of bowhunting I had never taken a head-on shot and certainly not the largest carnivore on this continent. I looked at Peter and I with a big smile and said, “dead bear”! I can’t even explain the sense of relief that I felt. The bear hadn’t gone more than 30 yards before he died. The bear measured a little over 9 feet. The hunt was a true Alaskan adventure, the kind you read about in books from decades past and spending time with Peter and his crew culminating with harvest made for a lifetime hunt! Story by Dirk Dieterich
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Lee Treichak ~ 2023 Brown Bear
As an adventure bow hunter, I can say hunting with Peter Barela and Barela's Alaskan Outfitters is the ultimate Alaskan adventure.
In the spring of 2023, I hunted with Peter and his crew near Yakutat AK, for coastal Brown Bear. It is a primitive, remote camp. No electricity, no running water and no cell phone service. Conditions are as tough and as real as Alaska has to offer. Barela outfitters provide exquisite hunting opportunities, not lodging excursions. As a former biologist with the Colorado division of wildlife, I can assure you that Peter is targeting the most game rich environments that Alaska has to offer. The astonishing number of bears that we encountered on a daily basis was staggering. Numerous stalks and ample opportunities are what bow hunters dream of, Peter provides. I was fortunate enough to punch my tag and stamp the record books with a bruiser bruin on day 5 of 12. At a distance of 12 feet, my arrow struck its mark, and we celebrated the bow hunting accomplishment of my life, harvesting a 26 8/16" Alaskan Brown Bear. Peter, and Barela outfitters, for this I thank you immensely. Cheers, Lee Treichak
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Mo Morris ~ 2025 Record Size Brown Bear and Black Bear
Testimonial Monster: 9'8" with a 28 1/8" skull, One of only Nine bears Ever Recorded over 28 inches in Southeast Alaska!​​​​​​​
From the moment you step onto the boat at the Yakutat harbor, the adventure with Barela Alaskan Outfitter begins in unforgettable fashion. Heading north through a three-hour scenic masterpiece, the journey alone is worth the trip. Roughly halfway in, you reach the incredible Hubbard Glacier. Dodging floating ice while scooping up crystal-clear glacier pieces to take back to camp is just the beginning. Watching massive sections of the glacier crash into the sea while cruising past awe-struck cruise ship passengers — who clearly envy your rugged adventure — is a memory I’ll never forget. About an hour and a half later, you arrive at camp — two cozy cabins and a small outhouse that become home for the next twelve days. After settling in, it’s off to the island to start glassing for bear. The weather is no joke — rain is a near-daily companion — but that doesn’t take away from the experience. You prepare for it and you own it and it doesn’t even phase you it’s just part of the wonderful experience. Setting up under a rain fly and scanning the wild coastlines is an experience in itself. You start seeing bears, slowly at first, then in growing numbers. The anticipation builds. After several stalks that didn’t pan out, our luck turned.
My highly motivated and passionate guide, Hunter, spotted a true giant known as “The Beach Boss.” After a painstaking stalk along the beachline, we thought we lost him but using a predator call Hunter was able to draw him out of the brush and we got him at just 30 yards. He was a monster: 9'8" with a 28 1/8" skull — one of only nine bears ever recorded over 28 inches Southeast Alaska!
Beyond the hunt, the camp life is nothing short of exceptional. Hot meals, warm bunks, fresh-caught shrimp and mussels — we truly ate like kings. I was fortunate enough to also hold a black bear tag and was able to take a beautiful black bear on another thrilling outing.
The entire experience is the definition of wild, remote, and real. An extraordinary team of experienced guides, untouched Alaskan wilderness, and a hunt you’ll remember for a lifetime. As Pete says, “Come with a positive mindset and adventure in your heart” — and you’ll leave with stories that few in the world can match. Thanks Pete, Mo Morris!
Matt Serwa ~ 2025 Record Size Brown Bear
Thank you to the legendary Pete Barela and Barela's Alaskan Outfitters and his incredible team for a memory of a lifetime. thank you for your hard work. I can't wait to come back! Flying around glaciers, sleeping in the bush, chasing big bears. What an adventure. Alaska never disappoints. Even though I she can be brutal, I love it very much! God Bless!