“I had a great brown bear hunt with Mark Schwantes as my guide in April of 2024. The first day we covered every well known bear area covering over 110 miles. Late that afternoon as we were returning from the hunt Mark spotted some fresh bear tracks on a distant mountain in one of the only  places he had never been before. Day 2 we went straight to the fresh tracks where Mark methodically read and followed the previous days sign until we found new, fresh tracks ascending the hill towards the bears den. I made a quick long shot as the bear was trying to escape knocking the bear down but the bear made it out of sight and through some very harsh terrain. Mark professionally and safely navigated our way down steep descents, through dense alders, across the creek, and even through the clouds over the next mountain. That is where I was most impressed with Marks professional ability to get both himself and his hunter safely through the grueling environment Alaska can offer. We were able to catch up to the bear and I got a final clean shot dispatching my first ever Brown bear, a 8’10” boar. Im already planning my next hunt for moose with Mark and recommending him to all my clients and friends that are interested in hunting Alaska.”