Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Spring Bear Kodiak

Watching the Governors conference and he said spring Kodiak Brown Bear hunts cancelled. Does this include residents?

I suspect all spring seasons closed period. Since basically no human flights from spot to spot is what I've heard. Only cargo.

That said it would suck for a resident to be sitting there and able to get out and not have to fly... but only way to know is to call fish and game. Or wait for them to post.

Kodiak has not had any cases so far and they probably want to keep it that way...

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/webintra/wcnews/2020/releases/04-01-2020b.pdf

It’s in that link. I could not copy the text. 🤷‍♀️

Suffice to say, it’s all spring bear hunting (black and brown) until May 31.
eta: statewide

-5526
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner
PO Box 115526 Juneau, AK 99811-5526 www.adfg.alaska.gov
Advisory Announcement
For immediate release: April 1, 2020
CONTACT: Ryan Scott: 907- 465-4191 Email: ryan.scottalaska.gov Asst. Director, Div. of Wildlife Conservation
Alaska announces closure of bear hunts statewide
(JUNEAU) — For the safety of Alaska’s communities, and especially individuals most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Doug Vincent-Lang has directed the Division of Wildlife Conservation to close all black and brown bear hunts statewide for both resident and nonresident hunters, effective now through May 31. This decision will be reevaluated as necessary. All subsistence bear hunts will remain open as a way for residents to have an opportunity to fill freezers and provide for families.
The Department of Fish and Game will work with the Board of Game to identify future options for hunters who are planning to come to Alaska this spring, or for residents who have already made arrangements, but will be unable to hunt as planned. Expect to hear more from the department in the near future, and please be patient with the department as they identify ways to minimize the impacts of this decision.
Alaska’s wild resources are of vital importance to many throughout the state, and we will make sure opportunities to safely, responsibly and sustainably harvest these resources continue.

Failing to see how a spring black bear resident hunt affects " individuals most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus,".

I read that as being both black and brownbears statewide until may 31st. Say it aint so! Between guys loosing their jobs and poaching and bear closures I wonder how the moose population will be effected?

What a crock of schit! You can bet the brown shirts are shaking in anticipation of fishing season. They shut that down and it’s gonna be rough for them. They’d be best to just step back and let folks do what they do I think.

Fishing is next, brace for it.

As I understand it bear is still open to subsistence. If fishing closes it better stay open to subsistence. I wonder if they would focus on freshwater or salt also?

Small chance in hell you’ll stop a few hundred thousand Alaskans hell bent on putting fish in their freezer. The state would have to put up roadblocks and use the national guard! Like I said, I wouldn’t want to be a brown shirt and try to enforce it. They’re heavily outnumbered on a good day.

Ain't gonna stop me. If I am out in a boat by myself how is that not social distancing. They are going to find out real soon how far they can push people.

Beaches here are already closed because of complaints from other people that the social distancing recommendation isn't being followed. Read that carefully and realize no evidence was used in determining this decision.

The state agencies shut it down and open it up constantly. Commercially and for private use. The regulations seem to be observed pretty strictly in my neck of the woods. Guys get pissed but still stop fishing.

"Beaches here"? Where in Alaska are beaches closed?

That’s a bit different than saying no fishing for Alaskans for the month of June, or July, for example. There’s no damn way that Alaskans will just not go fish. It’s just not possible.

Wow, I understand playgrounds. But beaches?

I know. My understanding is the city beaches are now closed because some people complained because of what they saw. The city closed them to cover their asses, even if there was no proof.

So they already had laws in effect stating it was illegal to travel between communities... so why shut down the entire industry? How about picking hunters up in Anchorage and flying them straight to the hunt area and bypass all cities? Two week quarantine in bear camp sounds good to me... I have hunted with hunters I wished had the virus!

There is a rule saying you have to get your tag from the AGF&G office, but why not change that and let the guide pick it up? Worried about sealing the hide? Let them find storage for them in a freezer until they can "safely" deal with them?

Why screw residents of Kodiak and elsewhere out of a spring season? Most of the places where bears are killed are already doing a fantastic job of self-distancing! There have been no cases of Covid-19 in Kodiak and making guided hunters find a work-around seems like a great way to keep the virus out and still let hunters do their thing. The bear population on Kodiak by every metric shows an expanding population and it would seem allowing extra tags for several years might be a great way to make it happen...

There was a petition circulated this evening that picked up 500 signatures per hour in the first four hours suggesting Mike take his head out of his ass. With everything going on he might rethink the huge blanket. He should....