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....

I feel bad for the people with their bucket list Kodiak Bear hunt booked and now cancelled.

There is no excuse for shutting down hunting or fishing (excluding the combat zones). Just like during the government shutdown when they shut down national forests, BLM land, etc. The outdoors exist in spite of the government, not because of it.

Keep all the government employees at home and just let people play. Worst thing that's gonna happen is that outlaws are gonna be outlaws and they don't catch them anyway. I don't blame anybody for not wanting to seal bears while this [bleep]'s going around, but I am 99% sure we can figure out a phone/picture/video solution to that. And worst case, if a whole bunch of bears don't get sealed... so what? Like I told the 10th person who called me today about bear hunts shutting down - I'm pretty sure they don't want a whole bunch of Alaskans developing a serious case of cabin fever.

Its tuff to argue with that.

Spot on. Screw sealing. If they are that concerned just have a drop off area and let them seal without any interaction.

Well I suppose I have a different take on it. Most bear clients are older. They would die on you before you could get them out once you realized it I suspect. I"m sure I'm wrong though....

I don't want the stuff. Even though I'm younger, I don't want a bad case of the flu or similar. I've had 2 or 3 times in my life the flu. It was at least a week that I don't recall followed by 2 weeks to get up again.

That said what we need and would solve this very likely is an instant type test and I hear they are out there or almost...

I would not want to chance a client flying out remote to meet me and then us both having it. YMMV.

I'm just of the camp no need to take chances when you can live again to fight the next time.

Like one guy says a lifetime hunt canceled. I'd bet not cancelled. More like simply postponed.

What do you do when fires or such other types of natural disasters hit.

And the hunters, well I'm just out on a limb but spending in the ballpark of 25K and being sick the whole hunt... I dunno, I'd pass if I was the hunter.

Again I'm probably wrong in all of this. But it is what it is.

News right now is he meant only to close the NONRESIDENT SPRING BEAR HUNT! EO will be coming out in minutes reversing the closing of the resident hunts. With the lock down on traveling between communities the residents can only hunt close to home or fly directly there.

The Kodiak hunt will not be open for any nonresidents, even those hunting with kin... most of the state is open to nonresidents hunting with kin...

You can count on any one or any group that makes a living off of Alaska's resources putting all the pressure they can on what ever agency controls their fate. How is any one going to social distance on a guided brown bear or sheep hunt? How are you going to social distance on a guided charter or drift boat. Gonna be ugly and I am sure before it is over the cry will be for the state to bail out some of these special interest groups with Alaskan money. It's a coming.

Friends in the business are currently applying for Fed money.

It is a brutal year for them and I hope they come out swinging in the end...

Right. Bear hunting and guiding is an essential business that we need to bail out...

Of course, it is rather important to the folks that do it for a living, but in the larger picture, I thnk the nation will survive a year without it.

I have a buddy in Kodiak that is a guide. He guides out of Kodiak city for ocean charters and Old Harbor for hunts. He also owns several vacation rentals. 3 years ago he quit longlining halibut and got into guiding full time. I talk to him last night and the guy is freaking out. He had to talk to me outside so his wife couldnt hear him or she would break down crying again. Hard times...

Its great that we are so removed from hard times that were much more common years ago.

BUT its left us unstable, unprepared and mentally weak for these things.

We dealt with storms on the coast every few years, folks there knew for the most part to be ready, to expect being out of work for 6 months or more depending on the storm. Having to rebuild from scratch and so on.

Maybe this 19 thing will make folks pay more attention to being prepared for hard times rather than having all the toys they want and payments out the wazoo.

I do feel for folks, but not being ready for this can spell the disaster that it is. And I'm about tired of MY taxes being used to bail folks out, when they should have been prepared. We prepare and then when the handouts come, they consider us to have to much, make to much etc... hell of a way to repay those that did what they should have done.

Going to be some tough sledding here in our state. I wasn’t here in the mid 80s but I’ve heard nothing that makes me yearn for them (from the economy standpoint). Probably be some good deals on toys coming up ...

There was a joke back then.

What do herpes and a condo in Anchorage have in common?



Ya can’t get rid of either.

Yeah, this will have long lasting effects in the guide industry. I am expecting the state to close down sportfishing to non-residents next. I might get July and August in, but we will see. Might be a comm fish summer.

I read Idaho has just closed all hunting to non-residents now also

What about the canneries?

This is correct, but only for spring. Nonresidents are still able to purchase big game tags for the fall seasons, as of now. As a nonresident, glad you guys got things figured out. It basically seemed like a miscommunication on ADF&G's part, and I'm glad they clarified to allow you guys to hunt. I'd call their decision one tick mark in the column of sanity.

I'm callous, probably, but if he is making a living working 6-8 months of the year, I have a hard time feeling he needs "relief" for a recreational business. Guides are basically pimps. Not that most of them don't produce value for money received. No offense intended.

Wife and I just booked a halibut fishing charter for June 1......

It's a little early, likely, so we are looking at it as basically a boat trip. If it comes off, and the guide is trying, we can't be disappointed.

Meanwhile, I gotta get this remodel out of the way so I can work on my 30hp Everscrewed. I have plans later for the Rubber Ducky out of Deep Creek, weather and waves permitting.

Remember that Farside cartoon - 2 guys in a boat with the mushroom clouds in the background?

What rost said was spot on, 86, yeah it was slow, i was a working stiff with kids, found work, went to work. Didn't do much else... got through it just fine... i think the nation has gotten use to safety nets and learned to count on them... realistically thats socialism. Fairbanks is pretty slow right now, driving around reminds me of what it use to be around here in the winter 30 years ago... kinda like it actually...
Still working, probably have to work a bit longer cuz of this, but glad I can still work.
Interesting side note. Due to people staying home, there is a lot less gasoline being burnt.. and less people dying in road related deaths... pretty crazy

How do you screw a limit of fish?

When I got that Idaho email this morning I told some bud's who've been putting off getting their fall tags to get 'er done now....

And now RavnAir just announced that they're grounding their entire fleet and laying off all employees until further notice. Things will definitely be getting worse before they get better.

If a couple or a few month's of stand down is going destroy your life as you know it your not very well prepared. It's going to raise hell with with my family as we have a primarily summer based economy,, ai, barge service,fuel,lodge caretaking,craft sales,my son fish's the Bay. We are going to suck it up and put up more fish. The ducks are going to catch hell as is the moose season will be taken very seriously! But No Whining!!!!

My Ravn source does not think they can recover from this.

I bet they go chapter 11 and sell out.

I just got word that Ravn is going to file Ch. 11. I guess it’s on news sites, haven’t looked yet.

😳that is no bueno

Ravn canceled a bunch of flights this winter in Kenai. Their de-icing machine is ancient and kept having problems. Based on that I cant imagine the company was in great shape prior to this outbreak. If I was betting I would lean chapter 11 too.

Dicing ain’t their only problem. Depending on the buyer, they could be better than before.

The buyer needs to know Alaska.

What? Alaska isn't Fiji?

There are many deicing contractors at the airports. Losing their single machine would probably end up "in a wash."

Out of curiosity, I checked AKAir schedule to Kotz. From 14 flights/week when we left, down to 3. I hope they have the wherewithal to withstand. I just bought more stock...

Which immediayly dropped $3/share......

Cue Kenny R!

Anchorage perhaps. Much fewer in the ‘banks. I know someone who suggested to upper mgt that it might well be cheaper and more reliable to contract to a biz that does just that, rather than F around fighting the machinery that perhaps does not get proper maintenance to be reliable. Thanks, but we’ve always done it this way!

Ravn had no option than to deice their own at smaller stations.

Only reason they aren't parking more is all the full lots.

Just giving you room to expound.

Thanks?

You never know...

Kodiak is down to 1 flight a day. At least Ravn hasn't done Chapter 7 yet.

With Chapter 11 they have far more options...

On the front page of the newspaper today it says that they want the airport closed to passenger travel. People keep getting off the plane and heading to Safeway and Walmart.

AK air?

Yes I heard a flight a couple of days ago only had 3 people on it.

The weather forecast for tomorrow in Kodiak is 5 to 10 inches of snow and 45 mph winds.

Is it Tuesday already?

Spring Storm Tuesday, if the weather channel were reporting it!

It’s nice in Kodiak right now but it is supposed to still be pretty bad tomorrow (Tuesday).