Many Undersubscribed Hunt Permits Still Available

For the 2011-2012 regulatory year, there were many draw permit hunts that were undersubscribed, and Fish & Game is now offering these hunts again on a first come-first served fax application basis.

Hunts still available include many Unit 20 antlerless moose hunts for residents, some guided and unguided nonresident-only hunts in Unit 21, resident and nonresident disabled veteran only antlerless moose hunts in the Fairbanks Management Area, Unit 22 East nonresident-only moose hunts, and nonresident only grizzly bear hunts in Units 22 and 23.

For more information on these undersubscribed hunts, visit this link:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=huntlicense.undersubscribed

The application period began on April 11 and goes until June 10, 2011.

Summary of changes recently adopted by Board of Game

This is a summary of changes adopted by the Alaska Board of Game for regulatory year 2011-2012. This is not a comprehensive list of all the detailed changes. It is your responsibility to read the Alaska Hunting Regulations carefully for complete information.

These regulations do not become effective until July 1, 2011 so do not affect hunting or trapping seasons that are currently open or that open prior to July 1, 2011. (such as spring bear seasons and bear baiting)

HUNTING

BISON

BROWN BEAR

Units 9A, B, C, D and E, and Unit 10, convert general season hunts to registration permit hunts. Establish new resident registration hunts with a one bear a year bag limit within a specific distance of communities in the area, and eliminate the tag and tag fee requirement in these hunts.

Units 16A and 16B, extend season year round, July 1 – June 30 (retains the shorter season around Wolverine Creek).

Unit 17, increase bag limit to 2 bears per year, extend season Aug. 20 – May 31, and eliminate tag and tag fee requirement.

Most of Unit 26B, eliminated the drawing hunt and established a registration hunt with no closed season, open to both residents and nonresidents. Also changed the season dates in the remainder of Unit 26B to Sept 1-May 31.

BLACK BEAR

Units 1 – 5, require the GPS location of black bear bait stations before a site can be established. The change will be effective for the spring bear seasons in 2011.

Units 1 – 3, beginning in fall 2012, all nonresidents not hiring a guide to hunt black bear will be required to have a drawing permit. The first application period for these black bear permits will be Nov. and Dec. 2011.

Unit 2 controlled use area was modified to continue to restrict motorized access until Oct. 31, 2012.

Unit 3 controlled use area was modified to only apply to Kupreanof, Mitkof and Wrangell Islands.

Units 7 and 15, increase the black bear bag limit for both residents and nonresidents to 3 bears per year, except nonresident bag limit remains one bear in the coastal areas south of Kachemak Bay and south of the city limits of Seward.

Units 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14(A), 14(B), 15, 16, and 17, allow guides to establish up to 10 bait stations in total combined with assistant guides.

Units 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14(A), 14(B), 15, 16, and 17, allow hunters that have been airborne to take black bears at a bait station the same day, as long as they are at least 300 feet from the airplane at the time of taking. Not in effect until next spring, 2012.

Units 11, 13, 14(B), eliminate sealing requirement.

Unit 14B, increase bag limit to 3 bears per year.

Unit 17, eliminate harvest ticket requirement.

Unit 25D, legal animal is any black bear.

CARIBOU

Unit 13, modify bag limit to one caribou per household allowed to be retained under the community harvest hunt. No more than 1 (one) Unit 13 Tier I subsistence permit may be issued per household per year. Trophy destruction is no longer required. Established several drawing hunts for residents.

DEER

Unit 1(A), shorten season by closing the month of December. New season dates, Aug. 1 – Nov. 30.

Units 1 – 6, and 8 replace deer survey with harvest report. Harvest tickets for the 2011-12 hunting seasons will have the harvest report attached.

Unit 8, create archery and muzzleloader deer hunt for hunters 17 and younger, hunter education and weapons specific certification required, Nov. 16 – Dec. 31.

ELK

Unit 8, clarify that a wounded elk counts as the bag limit.

MOOSE

Unit 7, eliminated the Resurrection Creek Closed Area. The area has been closed to moose hunting since the early 80’s and will now be open for moose hunting.

Units 9A, B, C, D and E, convert general season hunts to registration permit hunts.

Unit 9(C), extend moose season by 5 days to end Sept. 20.

Unit 9(E), extend moose season by 5 days to end Sept. 25.

Unit 11, decrease any bull moose quota for the community harvest hunt from 100 to 70.

Unit 14A, establishes a winter antlerless moose hunt from Jan. 1 – Feb. 25.

Unit 14A, establish new type of permit hunt, hot-spot hunt. This type of hunt will allow hunters to sign up similar to a registration hunt, but there will be a deadline for sign up. The list will then be used if winter conditions are such that nuisance moose need to be taken. There will be a lottery drawing and hunters will be on short notice to respond to specific areas.

Unit 14C, create a new archery drawing hunt for any bull moose in the Edmonds Park/Mirror Lake area open to residents only.

Units 7 and 15, Kenai Peninsula, eliminate the spike-fork portion of all general season hunts and change legal number of brow tines. In all general season moose hunts, the legal animal is now a 50”, 4 brow tine bull. In addition, all moose taken in general season must be sealed by the department.

Units 15A and 15C, close nonresident hunting for general season bull hunts.

Unit 15C, shift dates for hunt for the Tier II hunt (TM549) from Aug. 10 – Sept. 10 to Aug. 25 – Sept. 30.

Unit 16A, extend general season to end Sept. 25.

Unit 16B, extend general season to end Sept. 25, open nonresident season of Aug 25-Sept 15. Also changed the dates of the winter Tier II hunts to Dec. 15-Mar 31 (this does not take effect until winter of 2012.

Unit 20A, extend antlerless drawing permit hunts Aug. 15 – Nov. 15, and extend antlerless registration permit season to Oct. 1 - Feb. 28.

Unit 20B, drainage of the Middle Fork of the Chena River, and that portion of the Salcha River drainage upstream from and including Goose Creek, establish new registration hunt for antlerless moose Oct. 1 - Feb. 28.

Unit 20B, remainder, extend bull season by 5 days, Sept. 1 – Sept. 20, and establish new registration hunt for antlerless moose Oct. 1 - Feb. 28.

MOUNTAIN GOAT

Unit 1(D), that portion between Taiya Inlet and River and the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, align archery season with rifle season, Sept. 15 – Nov. 30.

Unit 8, allow goat registration permits to be obtained throughout the season.

Unit 14A, establish Oct. registration hunt for both residents and nonresidents.

Units 13D, 14A, 14C, require guided nonresidents to have a guide-client agreement prior to applying for a drawing hunt.

Unit 14C, change nonresident drawing hunt in Twentymile/Lake George area to registration hunt. Not effective until 2012.

Unit 15C, registration goat hunt RG365, open hunt to limited nonresident participation.

SHEEP

Unit 11, convert bag limit for residents to full-curl rams only.

Statewide-prohibit the feeding of dall sheep, including the use of mineral supplements (salt licks).

Statewide-prohibit the alteration of ram horns prior to sealing.

WOLF

Unit 1(A), Unit 1(B), that portion south of Bradfield Canal and the east fork of the Bradfield River, and Unit 3, extend wolf hunting season to May 31. The change will be effective for May 2011.

Units 9 and 10, extend season to end June 30, new season dates Aug. 10 – June 30.

Units 7 and 15, Kenai Peninsula, align bag limit for hunting wolves to 5 wolves per season both inside and outside the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

Unit 16A, modify bag limit to10 per season, only up to 5 per day.

COYOTE

Units 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 1415, 16, and 17, increase hunting bag limit to no bag limit.

WATERFOWL

MISCELLANEOUS

Unit 1A, the Margaret Creek drainage within one-quarter mile of Margaret Creek downstream from the mouth of Margaret Lake to the mouth of the creek, is closed to the taking of black bears and brown bears;

Unit 1C, Juneau area, redefine boundary of area closed to hunting near Glacier Highway. New closed area boundary is now the northern bank of Peterson Creek, instead of mile 23.3.

Statewide-prohibit the falsifying of information on harvest reports.

If a nonresident hunter is using a resident second-degree-kindred relative as a guide, the resident second-degree-kindred relative must have in possession a valid Alaska big game hunting license and must personally accompany the nonresident hunter.

“personally accompany” means staying within 100 yards of the person being accompanied at the point where an attempt to take game is made.

TRAPPING

BEAVER

Units 1 – 5, align and lengthen trapping season for region, Nov. 10 – April 30.

Units 9 and 17, lengthen trapping season to Oct. 10 – May 31.

Unit 16, eliminate sealing requirement.

LYNX

Unit 9B, lengthen trapping season by one month, Nov. 10 – March 31.

MINK AND WEASEL

MUSKRAT

WOLF

Unit 1C, that portion west of Excursion Inlet and north of Icy Passage, allow the use of snares larger than 1/32 set out of water if they are constructed with ADF&G style noose stop/breakaway and a diverter wire;

Unit 2, wolves taken by trapping must be sealed within 14 days.

Unit 9, extend season to end June 30, new season dates Aug. 10 – June 30.

Unit 10, extend season to end June 30, new season dates Nov. 10 – June 30.

WOLVERINE

Unit 9B, lengthen trapping season by one month, Nov. 10 – March 31.

MISCELLANEOUS

Unit 1C, add the Treadwell ditch Trail to the list of trails with trapping restrictions.

Unit 5(A), the Yakutat area, trapping is prohibited by using snares or Conibear traps larger than 280, in the following areas:

(A) within 500 yards of permanent residences in Yakutat city limits;

(B) 500 yards inland from the mean high tide line between the intersection of Coast Guard Beach Road and the coast, and a point 1/2 mile south of the intersection of Cannon Beach Road and the coast, locally known as "the barge";

(C) 150 yards on either side of Cannon Beach Road; and

(D) 50 yards on either side of the Train Trail

STATEWIDE TRAPPING CHANGES

Define “ADF&G style noose stop/breakaway” to mean specifically that the cable is severed at a point that is 10.0 inches to 10.5 inches from the cable end stop and then reattached with a double ferrule, and “diverter wire” means a wire designed to divert non-target species that is attached to a snare so that the diverter wire extends at least 28 inches from the snare loop and is perpendicular to the loop.

PREDATOR CONTROL CHANGES

Unit 16B, update existing control plan and add brown bear control to the area. Taking of brown bears over bait and with bucket snares will be allowed under a control permit. In effect in late May at the earliest. Check with Palmer ADF&G for more details.

Unit 17, adopt new control plan for wolves.

Moose Management Workshop in Fairbanks Jan 13

From an ADFG News Release:

The Fairbanks Fish & Game Advisory Committee and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are jointly hosting a moose management workshop on January 13 from 9 to 3 at the Binkley Room at Pike's Waterfront Lodge.

Biologists and other ADFG staff will be presenting current information about moose habitat, intensive management, fire ecology, movements, counting procedures, and management strategies for GMUs 20A and 20B.

All are welcome to attend; there is no charge. People with questions about the event can call Mike Kramer at 458-7968 or Rita St. Louis at 459-7263.

Game Board Meets in Bethel November 9-12

The Alaska Board of Game is meeting November 9-12, 2007 at the Yup’iit Piciryarait Cultural Center in Bethel. The Board will be looking at more than 50 proposals dealing with hunting and trapping regulations in the Arctic and Western regions of the Alaska.

The deadline for written comments on the regulation proposals was October 26. Oral testimony will be taken beginning Friday, November 9.

See the ADF&G press release for complete details.

Winter Draw Hunt Application Period Nov 1 - Dec 6

The Alaska winter drawing hunt period is November 1 - December 6. The drawing permit hunt supplement is now available on the ADF&G website, and should be available from license vendors in late October.

Deer Closure in SE Alaska Not Planned, But Heavy Snows Could Change Plans

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game in a recent news release said that it has no plans no to close the deer hunting season in SE Alaska Game Management Units 1 and 4, as some have asked. Deer numbers are down from the heavy snows of the winter of 2006/2007, but the hunt has not been changed.

The news release pointed out that early and heavy snowfalls in October and November could force a re-evaluation of the hunting regulations. If that is the case, the state will make hunters aware through the news media.

Mountain Goat Registration Permit Hunts Close Near Anchorage

Mountain goat registration permit hunts RG868 and RG878 in the Twentymile drainage of GMU14(C) closed October 18 by emergency order.

The 6 "goat units" harvest objective has been reached with a harvest of 6 billies.

Read the ADFG emergency order >>>

Canada Goose Hunting Closed on Portion of Kodiak

An ADF&G emergency order has closed the NE portion of Kodiak Island in GMU 8 (the Kodiak archipelago) to hunting for Canada geese.

The Cananda goose population translocated there in 1987 has grown enough for a limited hunt, but the EO says that additional harvest at this point could result in reduced future hunting opportunity.

Read the entire ADFG emergency order >>>

Afognak Registration Elk Hunt to Partially Open 23 October

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has announced that elk hunting will open on most of Kodiak Island on October 23, 2007 for hunters who have registration permits. In addition to Afognak, Kodiak, Shuyak and Ban islands are included in the opening. The SE portion of Afognak will be closed.

Raspberry Island elk hunting is drawing permit only.

Read the entire ADFG news release >>>

Goat Hunting Partially Closed Near Haines

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed mountain goat hunting in a portion of GMU 1D near the city of Haines effective October 16, 2007.

The area closed is a portion of the Takshanuk Mountains from the NW saddle between Mt. Tukgahgo to the city of Haines.

The harvest objective has been reached, the emergency order indicated.

Read the ADFG Emergency Order >>>

ADFG Weighs In on Katmai Bear Hunts Question

The Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation has produced online information about the brown bear hunts in Katmai National Preserve as a result of substantial attention to this in the media in recent weeks.

The ADFG information points out that bear populations in the area are carefully monitored and are healthy. The agency says a conservative harvest strategy in the area has resulted in high numbers of bears that area used by both viewers and hunters.

The agency information page also discussed fair chase and whether these human habituated bears have been taken in an ethical manner.

Unakwik Inlet Goat Hunt in GMU 6D Now Closed

Cordova area mountain goat registration hunt RG252 closed at the end of the day October 16, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The area affected includes only a portion of GMU 6D west of Columbia Glacier and east of Unakwik Inlet.

The allowable harvest in the area was set at 13 goats. At the time of the closure announcement, the harvest was at 11 goats, including 1 nanny. Nannies count as 2 goats.

Read the entire ADFG News Release >>>

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 >>>

Valdez Goat Hunt RG249 Closed 13 October

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced that Valdez Area mountain goat registration permit hunt RG249 closed at the end of the day on October 13.

The harvest quota has been met according to ADFG staff.

Read the ADFG News Release here >>>

Mt. Goat Hunt RG868 Closed

Mountain goat hunting in the Twentymile area (registration hunt RG868) closed on October 12, 2007. ADFG staff reported that 6 "mountain goat units" had been taken; in this case 6 billies.

Read the news release from ADFG >>>

Channel 2 Says It Is Not Guilty In Hunter Harassment Charge

Anchorage Channel 2 TV has responded with a "not guilty" to charges that it interfered with a lawful hunt in the Katmai Preserve. Charges of hunter harassment have been filed with the Alaska Wildlife Troopers against a Channel 2 news team as a result of a filmed news story of a bear hunt now being shown on YouTube.

Channel 2 News says it "took no editorial stance in its coverage and presented opinions from the hunting guide, Alaska Fish and Game, the National Park Service, and a group of people opposed to the hunt, whom we accompanied to the Preserve."

The organization also responded to the criticism that accompanying those who opposed the hunt was an editorial decision in itself, by writing "we have never been provided the opportunity to witness such a hunting trip with a guide, and once in the area, we provided every opportunity for the hunters and their guides to explain their perspective."

Channel 2 also said that the hunters involved were very aggressive, threatening, armed and intimidating to their crew.

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 >>>

SE Alaska Deer Hunt Underway Despite Reduced Deer Numbers

Cold weather and deep snow took a serious toll on SE Alaska deer during the 2006/2007 winter, but the deer season is proceeding, but Alaska Wildlife News says state biologists are keeping a wary eye on the population.

The effect on deer was not as severe in southern SE Alaska, a companion article reported.

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. >>>

Katmai Area Bear Hunt Youtubed

In a front page story, the Anchorage Daily News reports a legal bear hunt in Katmai National Park Preserve has been filmed by a Homer videographer and then uploaded to the popular video website YouTube. The paper predicts the apparent ease of taking the bear in an area where substantial bear watching occurs will again inflame anti hunting sentiments.

The video is being discussed in the Katmai Grizz thread on the Alaska Hunting Forum.