A Letter from George Siavelis

Thank you very much for your interest in my Alaska guide service. I will try my best to familiarize you with my operation and cover some of the most commonly asked  questions.

I operate a very, very personalized business. I believe it is very difficult to find another Alaskan outfit that takes fewer hunters or puts more into each hunt than we do. There have been several articles and write-ups in major hunting publications about my guide service. I've been personally guiding hunters in the field for many years now. References from my past clients I believe illustrate my experience and professionalism. Fair chase, honest hunts, and 110% effort on my part are guaranteed.

I lived in my hunting/guiding area for many years. I learned the big animals habits and movements by living with them all winter and throughout the year. We really know these areas of Alaska. For example, one year we took the largest moose taken on record that year, in all Alaska. The next year we were 4 for 4, for opportunities on 60+ inch moose. The next fall, both brown bear hunters shot very nice bears. In the following fall, no one went home with an unfilled Tag!

I think it should be very important to hunters, exactly who's gonna be guiding them in the field on the hunt. I guide some of my clients myself, or at least try and spend some time hunting with as many clients as possible (I truly enjoy this stuff). I  schedule some hunts to be guided by a select few guides that I’m sure are qualified either because I’ve hunted with them myself (how many outfits can say that) or they have an extensive performance record with these animals in Alaska. I can usually tell you who’ll be guiding you at time of booking. Of course I can't guarantee this, because of possible illness or mishap just prior to the hunt. I make sure my guides have the experience they need and that they enjoy what they do. I can do this and be picky on my guides because I only use a few , if any. As I said, I usually know who'll be guiding for me well in advance of the season, rather than scrambling for guides just months or weeks before the hunts take place, as I've seen done so often by other outfits over the years. I've been in this industry for virtually all of my adult life. Call me to see if I can guide you myself on a particular hunt (575)538-1038.

Usually I have only one to three clients in the field at a time and with the many different camp location possibilities that I utilize, we have choices of where to hunt. Very few outfits can say that. Because of my small volume business and large areas we don't even have to hunt the same places from year to year.

  You will hunt fair chase on foot, truly taste the real Alaska, and learn a great deal on my hunts!  Following the hunts most of my clients tell me, in addition to experiencing a rugged corner of the world and seeing abundant game, they truly Had Fun!     

I can sometimes, but not always, stay a few extra days and hunt in the unlikely event that my client doesn't have his trophy at the end of the scheduled hunt because of weather or whatever. I do not charge for this. There may be an additional air charter expense if we stay longer. Just depends how it works out.

Staying mobile is often the key to success when hunting Alaska's big game. The highest quality lightweight spike camps are used. These medium to small nylon tents and equipment are designed for Alaska's sometimes high winds and adverse weather conditions. I do not scrimp on gear quality, period. With these type camps, we can change hunting areas from time to time.

Hunters fly commercially into Cordova or Aniak via Anchorage. Hunters need to arrive in Aniak or Cordova before noon on the day before the beginning hunt date, so we can get out to camp the same day. This way clients get the actual full amount of hunting days specified on the price list. Of course this is Alaska and sometimes ol' Mother Nature has something to say about it, changing our itinerary significantly! Air charter costs for the hunter vary greatly and depends on the exact location of camp, the air taxi service used, and the air taxis' prices on that particular season. Check with me each season to see what it's currently running. Air taxis prefer cash from out of state folks.                                                                                                                    

Capes and hides are professionally expedited by an expert in Anchorage in an effort to go that extra mile and help assure safe and sound delivery of your hard-earned trophies. The cost for this usually runs between $175.00 and $350.00 per cape or hide, and includes shipping to your home or taxidermist of choice. Since the 9/11 attacks on America, major air carriers now require antlers/horns be crated. Therefore all antlers are now expedited and crated in Anchorage by our Anchorage expeditor as well. This usually has been running around $200 for each set. For more updated pricing I suggest contacting our Anchorage expeditor directly. A hyper-link to their website is available on our "Links" page which you can access below. Meat shipment from Aniak for example, to Anchorage runs approximately 55 cents a pound. You'll need to check with your airline of choice for cost of shipping beyond Anchorage. Of course, you can leave any part of, or all of your meat in the village with me if you choose and thereby save on meat transport costs. Keep in mind, once an animal is down at least some hunting time, and depending on circumstances, sometimes a significant amount of time during the hunt is used to pack and salvage meat completely out of the field for human consumption. Some of your guide's time may also be required to properly flesh and preserve your capes to help assure they are delivered in good shape. Meat salvage logistics and cost is not an issue for brown bears of course.

I am certified for Alaska Game Management Units 6, 17, 18, 19, 25, and 26. We currently are specializing and focusing exclusively on big brown bear hunts due to the increase in their numbers and the reduction of the ungulate populations across Alaska. These areas have some very dense populations of bears of exceptional size. All five pacific salmon species are found in our streams and in heavy numbers. The salmon runs have been steadily increasing every year recently. Bear populations are up and hunting pressure in these remote areas is relatively low and so unlimited licenses and tags can be gotten through the mail or on-line at will. 

Hunters booking 2 on 1 hunts should keep in mind that all guided hunters in Alaska are required to stay with their guide during the entire hunt. This means that hunters sharing a guide should be of similar physical condition, temperament, and at least somewhat be looking for the same type of things (both tangible & intangible) from the adventure. In addition, every hunter should have Alaska Fish & Game send them a copy of Alaska Game regulations and they should read them and understand them thoroughly to see if an Alaska hunt is right for them. If you ever have any questions about anything, give me a call.

Remember, large outfits depend on the numbers game for success. They know that if they run enough hunters through their camp, they're gonna get some good references to sell their hunts. I put much more attention into each hunt and must at least try to do everything possible to make sure every client is happy.

Hunting camps are accessed by aircraft, but that is where our use of aircraft ends. We hunt strictly fair chase. More and more outfits all around me are relying on aircraft and/or high tech snow-machines to "get their bear". When you harvest your outstanding trophy with me you will have done it not only completely legal, but by an ethical standard that is higher than even the law requires, and that's a worthwhile endeavor.

I truly love hunting big bears and this awesome country called Alaska. So please don't hesitate to give me a call right now to chat.   (575) 539-2600   cell (575)538-1038        

               THANKS AGAIN 

                                                                                                                               Sincerely,

George Siavelis  Master Guide L.L.C.
PO Box 24  Glenwood, NM. 88039
(575) 539-2600    cell (575)538-1038

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