Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Sheep hunting closure on some federal lands

https://safariclub.org/breaking-fsb-shuts-down-dall-sheep-hunting-on-federal-lands/

On July 26, 2022, the Federal Subsistence Board (FSB) voted unanimously to enact proposal WSA 22-02, despite overwhelming opposition from the public and the by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG). WSA 22-02 restricts hunting by all users for Brooks Range Dall’s sheep on Federal public lands in Unit 24A and Unit 26B, west of the Sagavanirktok River, for the 2022-2024 wildlife regulatory cycle. This is yet another FSB closure in a long series of closures, contrary to ADFG’s position.

Comments against the proposal were overwhelming, with comments opposed over supporting at an 11:1 ratio. SCI Alaska Chapter President John Sturgeon testified in opposition at the hearing, and SCI President Sven Lindquist provided written comments in opposition prior to the hearing. Despite the voice of Alaskans, hunters, and the experts, the FSB – a group of largely unelected, federal bureaucrats – voted unanimously to enact WSA 22-02.

SCI stands against decision as we fight for the rights of states to manage their wildlife and against federal overreach. SCI is always First for Hunters.

What was the reasoning for the closure, low sheep numbers ?

Sheep season opens in about 10 days, How many hunters just lost their area?

Does this shutdown outfitters with booked clients?

I keep saying it over and over and over, this is a runaway train, and pissing & moaning about it is a 100% waste of time. It is only going to get worst at an accelerating speed.

Feds own/control over 60% of all land in Alaska. "PRIVATE OWNERSHIP" of land in Alaska, is an unbelievable shocking LESS THEN (1%) One Percent.

So this is a strange situation where one guy who is nice btw has decided that he knows more than AKFG and all of the outfitters that fly the area from his porch and backyard. Jack might be having some feelings about his family losing their guide area to ANILCA in 1980. His father Ric told NPS that if they would prevent him from hunting sheep in the Park with his plane that he would shoot two sheep every day until there were no sheep in the Park. NPS relented and let him use his planes to hunt subsistence in the Park. Ric went on safari and found out that he was really, really, really good and hunting poachers and lived the rest of his life working for game ranches hunting poachers.

Jack and his sister Heidi run tourist in their cabins and lodge in Wiseman. They do not like one of the other part time guides who lives rarely in Wiseman who was portrayed on National Geographic Life Below Zero. This act cuts that fellas area. The other people are acceptable casualties in their bush war. One of the other guides that works the area Lance Kronenberger is super nice so the feud is unfortunate. The take of mature rams has gone down recently and AKFG extended the season on archery Dall sheep taken in the corridor. One of the local sheep hunters found a 41 inch ram dead last winter near the road. Rams do not get that big is there are problems. This is what happens when one local who is really a nice guy wants to show that he does have power over a local resource and takes control over the said resource. Local subsistence hunters will still be able to hunt with modern weapons within 5 miles of the road so in a sense this creates a private hunting area along the road for local residents who are getting older. I think Jack is in his 60s. So take it as it is.

I think there is more to this one than normal. Usually it is the subsistence hunters submitting proposals to shut down sport hunts on federally managed lands, not subsistence hunts too—-which this proposal did.

There is a fair amount of tribal land up there so maybe this is just their way of doing business as normal, without making it obvious that they just don’t want sport hunters doing their thing. After all, tribal members can still hunt sheep on their surface under this WP approval.

I am trying to see a difference between this and the EPA "lawmakers" without success.

Kaboku68,

It is my understanding that this closure bans all users, including local subsistence hunters, from hunting sheep in the closed area. What am I missing?

BTW, it was nice to bump into you and your wife in Fairbanks. It was one of the many unexpected highlights of our trip.