Nelchina WinterTier II Caribou Hunt Nixed

The winter Tier II hunt for Nelchina caribou has been closed according to a report published by the Fairbanks Daily News Miner.

The paper reported ADFG staff in Glennallen had decided to close the hunt at the end of the fall season because approximately 1,000 caribou had been harvested, and the herd was still somewhat below the population objective.

Read the entire article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner >>>

Board Maintains Nelchina Subsistence Hunt

The Alaska Joint Board of Fisheries and Game has derailed a Mat-Su Advisory Committee proposal that would have created a GMU 13 non-subsistence area, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The proposal, if enacted into regulation would have allowed all Alaska hunters to have equal access to the caribou in a substantial portion of the Nelchina basin.

The paper reported that the proposal was the subject of great concern in rural communities.

Read the entire story in the Anchorage Daily News >>>

Board to Tackle Nelchina NonSubsistence Area Proposal

The Alaska Board of Game will consider today eliminating or sending forward a proposal by the Mat-Su Fish & Game Advisory Committee. The proposal will not be decided today, but the Board can decide to keep it or eliminate it from consideration at a 2008 meeting.

The proposal would designate a substantial portion of the Nelchina Basin as a non-subsistence area, which would allow all Alaskans an equal opportunity to participate in hunting caribou in the desirable area.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that "The proposal has many Alaska Natives and residents of a few Copper River basin communities in an uproar over their subsistence privileges."

Read the entire article in the Anchorage Daily News. >>>

Revised Tier II Results Available

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has produced revised Tier II permit hunt results after this month's court decision that forced a new scoring system. The revised results can be found on the ADFG website, and more information about the reasons behind the re-scoring can be found in the Anchorage Daily News.

ADFG explained the change in a news release.

GMU13 Tier II Caribou Season to Close

The State GMU 13 Tier II caribou hunt closes at the end of the day February 4, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The harvest objective of 2000 bulls and 1000 cows is expected to be reached by the time of the closure.

According to the news release, the Nelchina herd has increased to the target range of 35,000 - 40,000 caribou since wolf control was implemented in the area.

Read the entire ADFG news release (PDF) >>>