Alaska Bowhunter Education Options for Out-of-staters

[Mighty Mouse]

I'm in the early stages of planning an archery caribou hunt in Alaska and trying to figure out if I would have to make an additional trip to Alaska prior to the hunt to complete their bowhunter education course. The online course can obviously be taken remotely, but can the "field day" requirement be met without having to travel to Alaska (i.e., by completing a comparable field day in another state)?

 

[yeti14]

Taken directly from fish and game website

Non-Resident Hunters
Alaska accepts the NBEF or IBEP certification cards from any State/Province sponsored bowhunter education course. Other state's bowhunting licenses, tags, stamps, age exemptions, etc. are not adequate to fulfill Alaska's requirements.
If you need a bowhunter education course before coming to Alaska to hunt big game with a bow, visit the National Bowhunter Education Foundation website for more information. For more information for each states' bowhunter education course, here is a document with their course options and website (PDF 81 kB).

 

[bowuntr]

You only need the bowhunter education if you are doing an archery only hunt or hunting an archery only area. Ed F

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Taken directly from fish and game website

Non-Resident Hunters
Alaska accepts the NBEF or IBEP certification cards from any State/Province sponsored bowhunter education course. Other state's bowhunting licenses, tags, stamps, age exemptions, etc. are not adequate to fulfill Alaska's requirements.
If you need a bowhunter education course before coming to Alaska to hunt big game with a bow, visit the National Bowhunter Education Foundation website for more information. For more information for each states' bowhunter education course, here is a document with their course options and website (PDF 81 kB).

Thanks, I saw that too but hoped someone could verify from personal experience that the requirements can be met entirely remotely.

This statement from a different page on the ADFG site had me concerned: "It is mandatory that the field day be completed in Alaska at a State-administered course." Hopefully that statement only applies to obtaining the Alaska version of the education certificate and there are indeed other ways to complete the requirements out-of-state.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

You only need the bowhunter education if you are doing an archery only hunt or hunting an archery only area. Ed F

I'm planning to hunt the five-mile archery-only corridor around the Dalton Highway, so I assume the bowhunter education requirement would apply.

 

[scp]

IBEP certification can be accomplished in every state and it’s pretty easy. If you are a card carrying IBEP-certified archer—not just a hunter-Ed certified archer—you are good for Alaska (and anywhere else that bow hunting certification is required). No need to go to a field day in AK if you are An IBEP cardholder.

 

[Sleorna]

Definitely need your bow Hunter certification to hunt in the Dalton highway corridor management area (DHCMA). As long as you've completed a bow Hunter certification course which included a field portion, you should be fine. To make sure, just call a Alaska department of fish and game (ADF&G) office or wildlife state troopers to check if your states certification is sufficient.

 

[ramses342]

You only need the bowhunter education if you are doing an archery only hunt or hunting an archery only area. Ed F

This is correct although not the whole story.

You need one if:
(1)you are doing a weapon restricted archery hunt either draw, OTC or Registration.

(2) You also need one if you were born on or after January 1, 1986 in order to hunt with a bow at all. I am 28 so I need one to hunt with a bow in Alaska period even if I hunt in an area where I could use a rifle.

 

[travelert]

Thanks, I saw that too but hoped someone could verify from personal experience that the requirements can be met entirely remotely.

This statement from a different page on the ADFG site had me concerned: "It is mandatory that the field day be completed in Alaska at a State-administered course." Hopefully that statement only applies to obtaining the Alaska version of the education certificate and there are indeed other ways to complete the requirements out-of-state.

They accept bow hunter safety courses from a few states that offer it entirely online. I got mine from Utah. Does the trick. The course is pretty intense with some odd questions. It will take a few hours but it' what you need.

Traveler

 

[travelert]

They accept bow hunter safety courses from a few states that offer it entirely online. I got mine from Utah. Does the trick. The course is pretty intense with some odd questions. It will take a few hours but it' what you need.

Traveler

I did it myself then hunted. I think that's the personal experience you're asking for right?

 

[Spiral Horn]

As folks already mentioned, Alaska will take any other state recognized archery certification course and if I remember correctly the card has to be on your person while hunting.

Where you’re SOL is if looking to hunt Alaska with a crossbow and think the state treats it the same. The state doesn’t recognize it as a bow for archery seasons or archery-only areas. They have their own separate mandatory crossbow certification course including a field day. They say they’ll accept another strate’s specific crossbow certification but not a crossbow hunting license.

Since most states cover crossbows as part of their Bowhunter ED course and Alaska doesn’t recognize that, and they don’t consider a crossbow a bow; they’ve created an environment that virtually outlaws all crossbow hunting in the state without actually coming out and saying so.

Not advocating crossbow over bowhunting as about 90% of my worldwide hunts have been with a vertical bow and arrow. I just don’t think it’s strategic or smart for hunters to accept (or worse yet, work with) government organizations to shut down hunting methods that are widely-accepted and an industry attracting more people to participate. After all, if a group can rationalize and legally justify shutting down crossbow hunting it isn’t much of a stretch to apply that same rationale to bowhunting or any other method.

just don’t like seeing hunters working against other hunters.

 

[60x]

absolutely you can take it elsewhere provided its based on ibep or nbef start here

National Bowhunter Education Foundation – Promoting Responsible Bowhunting through Eductaion

VIDEOS CROSSBOW BOWHUNTING 360 BEYOND-BASICS

nbef.org