Location: Saint Paul Island, Alaska
*St. Paul opened to hunting at the last minute in 2022-23 and it was one of our best seasons, ever. We have only a couple openings for this season and are now booking for 2025-26.
2025-26 Dates: Dec.20-27 (8 spots); Dec.27-Jan.1 (3 spots); Jan.1-6 (10 spots); Jan.6-11 (10 spots); Jan.11-16 (9 spots); Jan.16-22 (6 spots).
•We take 10 hunters per week. All flights are chartered from Anchorage, and priced accordingly.
Species
King Eider, Harlequin, Longtail Duck (oldsquaw), Scoters with the occasional Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Aleutian Greenwing Teal
Cost
$6,500 per hunter (5 day hunt)
$3,500 non-hunting observer
We are taking deposits for the 2026-27 season, $7,000 per hunter
Overview
The king eider hunting this past season was very good, with 100% success. It’s a 4 king eider possession limit and you may take all in one day. We hunt strictly by decoying from a boat or pass shooting from points of land that we can drive and hike to on stormy days when we can’t get out on a boat. We do not chase ducks under the power of motors or pass shoot them from boats, as other outfitters in the area are doing. We have 10 hunters in camp each week, hunt 2-4 people in a boat and each hunter shoots their own bird. It is not a free-for-all shoot as we want hunters to be 100% certain the birds they shoot are theirs.
The harlequin and long tail duck number have been down the past two seasons and we cannot guarantee shot opportunities at these like we used to. Maybe next season will be different. White-winged scoter populations have been booming. The weather can be brutal, so don’t expect to make it out on a boat every day of the hunt. Safety is our top priority. If you can get out on a boat 1-2 days during the time of your hunt, that’s good. On these days, most hunters shoot all their king eiders in one day. If we can’t get out on a boat due to rough oceans, we’ll hunt from land.
King Eider Hunting On Saint Paul, Island
The Holy Grail of the waterfowl world, the king eider, is only hunted in a few places in the world, and Alaska’s Saint Paul Island is the best of the best. This outfitter has been operating here for over a decade, and teamed with a top-rate guide most of those years, this duo has this hunt dialed in.
This is one of the most remote waterfowl hunts in the world, and the conditions can be harsh and challenging. Safety and comfort is a top priority with this outfitter, ensuring your time on the water is enjoyable and productive.
King eider decoys are strung behind the sturdy boat, which free-floats outside the bay of Saint Paul, within sight of the remote village. Flagging is done to add more visual appeal to king eiders as they move from roosting to feeding areas. When king eiders commit to the decoys, there’s nothing stopping them.
King eiders, as well as white-winged scoter, are tough to bring down, so have confidence in your gun and loads. This is not a hunt to learn how to hunt waterfowl; it’s a collector’s hunt, meaning the more accurate your shots, the more likely you’ll be to fill bag limits. A payload of tight patterning #4s moving at least 1,300 fps is an ideal shotgun load. Be sure and pattern your gun prior to the hunt so you know exactly what it can do at 30, 40 and 50 yards. While king eiders are big, they are tough, and accurate shooting is key to success.
The king eider is usually one of the last birds avid waterfowl hunters have left to take to complete their North American collection. It’s not a cheap hunt, and with only a four bird limit on king eiders for nonresident hunters, it’s not for everyone. The guides will work hard to select mature birds for the hunters. Expect shot opportunities at long-tail ducks as well as prized harlequins during your hunt.
If time permits, expect a little tour of historic Saint Paul Island, a place that’s rich in Alaskan history. Taking time to see the village, a local museum, and commercial crab boats coming in to port, greatly adds to this premium sea duck hunting experience.
Your prized birds will be well taken care of, wrapped, frozen and properly labeled for shipment home.
King Eider hunts on Saint Paul Island run from late December through most of January. Allow 7 days for your eider hunting adventure, which includes a day of travel at the start and finish, and 5 days of hunting. This time of year there’s about six hours of daylight, with action starting before sunup, around 10:00 a.m. The outfitter currently has 3 quality, safe boats, and qualified, very safe, captains who are are also waterfowl hunters. When the weather is bad, you won’t go king eider hunting in the bay, rather stick to land. When the weather breaks, expect to spend as much time on the water as is necessary to get your king eiders. Most commonly, when you can make it into the bay, hunts last a little over two hours.
Bring warm clothes and a waterproof, warm rain jacket. The outfitters has a selection of insulated chest waders, so you will not need to bring these; this will help save room when you’re packing. Temperatures are not overly cold here, but winds and storms can keep you from hunting every day in the bay. This is one of the most isolated, desolate places in Alaska, and risks are not taken to secure king eiders. Safety and ethical hunting practices are of utmost concern and priority with this outfitter.
Accommodations in king eider camp on St. Paul Island are spacious and very comfortable, and the food is excellent. If your timing is right and commercial crab boats are in, the outfitter can help you secure boxes of king crab and snow crab at a great price to take home as additional baggage.
Tag & License Costs
•$60.00 nonresident annual small game hunting license
•$10.00 Alaska duck stamp
•$25.00 Federal duck stamp
Travel Planning
All of our hunters take a charter flight from Anchorage to and from St. Paul. The cost of this charter flight last season was $2,300 per person, round trip. This was only $200 more than going on Ravn Air’s commercial flight, and they will be raising their rates again next season. Several hunters from other outfitters were stranded a week or more, some for two weeks, because Ravn would not fly. We only had one group stuck for one extra day the entire season due to bad weather where the charter couldn’t make it in, but they did get out the following day. We will arrange the charter flights.