RE: Alaskans, little help please.
Man, what a miserable excuse for a representative of a guiding service for the Prince of Wales/Craig area! He actually SAID he wasn't a hunter and his plan was to just drop you off on the beach and leave you to make the best of the situation if you saw a bear?
I guess if nothing else we can give him points for honesty! But what makes my hair stand up is that he may even acquire some customers with this lame excuse for a chance at a bear on the beach. I know the Spring black bear hunting drill on islands pretty well and this scenario doesn't sound very familiar, very safe [or professional] to me IMHO.
There are many very successful and reputable guides here in Southeast Alaska. This operation doesn't appear to be among that group. I have some very good black and brown bear guiding friends that work out of Sitka that I will put you in contact with. The whales and the fishing are all integral parts of their operations - you design your hunt and let them know your wishes and they will try their best to satisfy you. Drop me an email and I would be glad to pass along phone numbers and email addresses.
Your encounter is embarassing to someone who knows how hard the guiding professionals in Alaska work to help and satisfy their hunting (and fishing) clients. Image isn't "always" a good recommendation, but I've found the operations that are most successful and have the most repeat customers work hard on appearance and clear, concise information for the prospective customer.