Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Caribou?

Actually Bear, Walt's post was right. (I think that makes twice, now...... :)) Especially the precedent part. I don't think deluging the Subsistence board with messages will make any difference, but it might be worth a shot.

The closure for NRs is on the Federal lands (which is virtually all of it). And this "subsistence" decision was made by out of area (DC based) Agency b-crats, at the behest of the "subsistence" locals. It has nothing to do with biology, everything to do with PC and politics.

las:

Your post makes it sound like it's a done deal. Walt's post said it was a recommendation. Which is it?

I looked at the on-line regulations and I can't find any emergency orders that make it official.

KC

Don't the regs come out first in June or July? they may not have made their mind up yet?

I NEVER buy tickets for the fall moose hunt until I know the dates have not changed at the last minute....

rost:

But all the bush pilots are already full. We nonresidents have to send in deposits before the end of January if we want to hunt with a bush pilot this year.

KC

I get that, just that I won't book a plane RE commercial flight to AK until after the regs are out.

Obviously I"d have paid a bush pilot and we can dicker with reg changes and their schedules or refunds later.

Its why my plan is hopefully to own a plane by the time we move there.

It won't be in the state regs because it only applies to federal(everyone's!) land. The Feds are choosing with no biological reason to let only a few select people hunt caribou on your land. I'd call your Congressman and state your displeasure. The Subsistance board isn't going to change [bleep]. The board is made up of the "select few" and fed bureaucrats.

We residents have to have deposits in early as well. The air taxis don't discriminate between res and non res money. One more reason to really research your air taxi and be able to trust that they will work with on a refund in these types of situations.

I predict that a lot of folks planning to go hunt unit 23 are all going to be stacked on the Squrriel River. It's mostly state land so the closure won't apply and the air taxis won't have to give a refund! Of course they've stacked people on the Squrriel for years....

Oh, I get it now. Walt gets the boot because of those he supports.

Thomas told him this would happen, but walt is very daft. All I can do at this point is laugh at walt.

KC

As of right now we are into a comment period and the decision is not final. There is a huge push among the users of the resource to bomb the board with concerned letters. Theses need to be mailed the old-fashioned way..US Mail We have lots of hunters on the Fire who are concerned about Fed Over Reach and this one has huge ramifications for every GMU in Alaska. Now that Unit 23 has bet hit with a purely political decision which was rammed through with strong support from the local population we should expect to see more of this in other units as well.


Unit 13 is next! Ahtna-Regional Native Corporation for the Nelchina Caribou herd has made it know for many years that non Athna members are not welcome on their lands and they go as far as placing ads welcoming hunters to unit 13 and follow with STAY OUT warnings. Now this is private land and we should respect it period but 2 years ago Athna floated a proposal that got some traction to turn over ALL game management for all of Unit 13 to them. Needless to say those of us who live in 13 abut crapped ourselves. Now that The WACH Caribou herd has been all but turned over to the local population in NW Alaska (less than 8,000 people) and they account for almost 15,000 caribou harvested every year and you guys account for less than 800. Do the math....

You guys living in Anchorage, the Valley and most of the rest of the population centers are about to loose your hunting in unit 13...This will happen because Athna now have a tool to make it happen thanks to NW Alaska.


Now we have guys like Watch4BEER who knows nothing about hunting or cares nothing about hunting saying Walt is just protecting his business interest and he is 100% right. I make part of my living outfitting guys like KC and many others on the Fire with hunts but I will still have the ability to hunt anywhere in the state because I qualify as a "Subsistence User" so I am protected, I am shifting my focus to fly fishing for Dollies and doing very well along with my operation on the Gulkana River in the summer. The real fight is not for me or my business but to make sure the rest of us/you keep your right to hunt on federal lands.

The Nelchina Caribou herd is next and now is the time to stand up to a huge Native/Local overreach.


By the way: This morning the ADN ran a story about a big group of cows that were shot and left to rot just out side of Kotzebue and my bet is there were no non-Federally Qualified Subsistence users involved. And the story goes on.

Bear....Time to grow up man! Are you a 9 year old on the Playground in real life or just on line?

Trapper:

The Squirrel is almost void of caribou and has been for almost 5+ years. I have not put any hunters in there science 2009. The herd shifted way to the east and that is a waste land so do not get talked into hunting there guys!!!

As far as Air Taxis and refunds. I work with 2 local guys and they will be issuing refunds later in the summer if this stands. There are 3 flight services who will most likely tell you to pound salt. All 3 have no interest in the Unit other than treating it like a piggy bank and all 3 have really bad reps. Many oyou know who I am talking about, and they book the most hunters as well. I have issued 2 refunds already and I have shifted 3 groups over to unit 26A as I have a good working relationship with a pilot out of Fairbanks.

This is a mess so get your pens out fells!

Bear-You are a sad old man!

26A... now 26 will get pounded worse... what a shame. 26 used to be pretty good for some animals.... I was told a couple of years ago though to quit putting in for moose as the population was shot up way to bad to expect good hunting anymore. At least for some time.

A shame that is too.

It's official. I talked to Chris KcKee. He's the senior biologist for the subsistence board. He said there is no biological reason for the closure and his department recommend against the recommendation and voted against it. But the measure passed on a 5 to 3 vote.

It's just plain mean on the part of the people that voted for the closure and just plain selfish for the local eskimo subsistence hunters who see that resource as their birthright and they resent anyone else being allowed to harvest any animals which belong to all Americans. They're selfish SOBs.

I'm screwed. I drew a moose tag in unit 23 and found a couple of guys who wanted hunt caribou in the unit and were willing to help me haul out a moose if I got one. Now I don't think they will want to help if they can't harvest a caribou.

I suppose that I can try to get a refund on the moose tag and maybe we can try to hunt caribou somewhere else.

KC

Your are 100% right. This is a moving target and these types of BS games makes it possible.

Dang KC...Did you pull a Selawik Tag? Don't pass up on that tag..its GOLD!!

I just talked to our bush pilot and she said that meetings regarding this issue will be held on May 4 and May 5. So maybe there's still hope.

KC

I just received a message/update from one of the pilots I wiofk with and his list-serve is currently over 250 people. Lets just do the math here. 250+ add all of you and lets assume each of you pass this along to 5 others. That is a mountain of influence (not counting BEAR-Non hunter) and lets assume all of write a letter and send it to each on that list I provided yesterday. They may not change their minds but this many concerned hunters will have an impact!!

Follow up guys! Send those letters!!! Let Freedom Ring!

Walt:

DM872; south and east of the Sigoalik River drainage. Looks to include the Noatak River drainage and a lot more. Yep Looks like that includes the Selawik River too. But that's still part of unit 23 isn't it?

KC

KC 872 is the upper Noatak and does produce nice moose. With out the Caribou hunters you will have the country to your self. Most likely you will be on the Anasic River and you need a raft! Guess what? I have some thanks to the bou season getting dumped!

Let me know.

I talked to Brandon Saito. He's the regional biologist in Kotzebue. He said the meeting on May 4 is of the advisory council. It has no authority to change the decision.

KC

Naw, even if they can't shoot, they'll be happy to pack your moose out