Calling out all Alaska residents to support RHAK

[AK Troutbum]

I know that there are some AK residents on here that support Resident Hunters of Alaska, but for those that don't know about this organization or that haven't thought about joining, I strongly urge you to. RHAK is the only organization that I know of, that is 100% in our (AK resident hunters), corner, and with the ever increasing attempt by the BOG to give preference to non-resident hunters and the guiding industry, I feel that it is imperative for us to support these types of organizations.

Resident Hunters of Alaska | Unapologetically for Alaskan Residents

 

[rclouse79]

Amen from a non-Alaskan. All states should give a strong preference to their residents in my opinion.

 

[Will_m]

Amen from a non-Alaskan. All states should give a strong preference to their residents in my opinion.

I just wish they would ease up on NR requirements to use a guide (looking at you too, wyoming).

 

[AK Troutbum]

I just wish they would ease up on NR requirements to use a guide (looking at you too, wyoming).

Your not the only one. This requirement was pushed and brought into existence by the guide industry and as long as the BOG is strongly supported by the guide industry (3 out of the 7 BOG members are commercial guides), I don’t think those laws will be changing anytime soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Antares]

Hey, thanks for this link @AK Troutbum. I was not aware of this organization, but I'll read up on it.

I don't support forcing people into using guide services, but I still want some mechanism for deterring a ton of extra effort (e.g., expensive NR tags and a cap on NR tags in a unit). Selfishly, I have no interest in seeing every Tom, Dick, and Harry come charging up to Kodiak for a DIY goat hunt.

 

[adventure907]

Please do diligent historical research when joining any organization, a few talking points don't always tell the whole story.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Also, if you like sheep being buzzed by doctors/lawyers with super cubs while you are on a stalk, this organization is for you.

Isn’t most of the board of RHAK doctors and lawyers with super Cubs?

 

[adventure907]

Isn’t most of the board of RHAK doctors and lawyers with super Cubs?

Yep.....I changed my original post, not my intention to start a shit show, just want folks to be aware that a few talking points doesn't tell the whole story concerning said organization.

 

[z987k]

Isn’t most of the board of RHAK doctors and lawyers with super Cubs?

Looks like a couple of them are. Not sure why that is terribly relevant if their interests are aligned with yours.

 

[AlaskaMark]

Also, if you like sheep being buzzed by doctors/lawyers with super cubs while you are on a stalk, this organization is for you.

C'mon, that's bs and you know it. Let me tell a little story. When RHAK formed in 2016 we hired a lobbyist and I went to Juneau to speak with legislators. Our lobbyist told me there was a meme going around by the guide industsry that we were a "bunch of rich super-cub elitists," because some of our board members were pilots with super cubs. Yes, we had an attorney and a dentist on our board who were pilots with cubs, which is not at all unusuaI. I found that an odd pushback since plenty of guides are also pilots with super cubs.

Anyway, I had an appointment with a senator and walked into the office to let them know I was there and right as I opened the door the SCI lobbyist was saying "this new org is a bunch of rich super cub elitists not in it for the common man." His jaw dropped and he said, "whoops," caught in the act. I said right then (won't mention his name) to him that we needed to talk. And we set up lunch the next day with me and our vice-president who had flown down to Juneau with me. As we sat down to lunch and started a respectful conversation, I said that this meme he and guides were spreading was ridiculous and he knew it, and I said that isn't how I intended to operate, by spreading disinformation about guides. Here is his response: "We have billion dollar members and we are coming at you with everything we have to oppose your mission." (note: SCI does great work, not denying that, but this kind of crap should not be part of their mission. SCI and the guide industry work hand in hand up here.)

Our mission is to uphold our state constitution that mandates resident hunters have a priority to our wildlife resources. and that those resources should be managed sustainably to primarily benefit residents. Alaska's "must-be-guided" law is the crux of our problems, a subsidy to the guide industry that has allowed guides to gain too much influence and power in Alaska. That's how we ended up with nonres guided hunters taking 60-80% of our sheep in some areas, and areas going to draw only for everyone after sheep population was harmed, and a Kodiak brown bear allocation that gives 40% of the draw permits to nonres guided hunters, and on top of that the nonres guided hunters don't even have to use the draw permit system, if they have $20K + they just call the guide and get an OTC permit. It's also how we ended up with nonresident hunters being given 20-50% allocation for some moose draw permit hunts. (note: on all those moose hunts, the Board of Game (often referred to by residents as the "guide board") required that nonresidents hire a guide for those hunts, what a surprise!)

RHAK is trying to change this, as every other western state has done in limiting nonresident hunters as to give a priority to those who live there. The reason guides and the guide industry lie about RHAK is because, yes, of course if we succeed it will mean less nonresident hunters who are required to hire a guide. But we aren't in it to hurt guides; we're in it to help resident Alaskan hunters.

And one last example, we are trying to get legislators to support allowing the 10 thousand or so nonresident hunters who come to Alaska each year on DIY moose and caribou hunts to be able to take a grizzly on those hunts without a guide. Plenty of those hunters already are involved in DLP (defense of life & property) kills of grizzlies. We have proposed allocating 200 draw permits for those nonresident DIY hunters to take a grizz unguided, which with permit application and tag fees would bring in well over a million to F&G. I'd think most non-Alaskans here on Rokslide would support that. Well guess who is strongly opposing it?

 

[adventure907]

Sorry Mark, not BS. If it walks like a duck.....

 

[z987k]

Sorry Mark, not BS. If it walks like a duck.....

Other than owning airplanes, which you don't have the be a doctor or lawyer to afford... what do you have against them?

Also, how many guided sheep hunts are done without air transportation? Probably that one no aircraft area up north of Arctic Village?

 

[AK Troutbum]

The last time I checked, it was illegal to buzz sheep after the Aug. 10 opener. Per ADFG regulations:

From Aug 10-Sept 20, aircraft may only be used by and for sheep hunters to place and remove hunters and camps, maintain existing camps, and salvage harvested sheep. A person may not use or employ an aircraft to locate sheep or direct hunters to sheep during the open sheep hunting season. This prohibition does not prohibit any flight maneuvers necessary to make an informed and safe landing in the field.

 

[adventure907]

Research the history of proposal 207 and where RHAK stood on that issue.

The last time I checked, it was illegal to buzz sheep after the Aug. 10 opener. Per ADFG regulations:

From Aug 10-Sept 20, aircraft may only be used by and for sheep hunters to place and remove hunters and camps, maintain existing camps, and salvage harvested sheep. A person may not use or employ an aircraft to locate sheep or direct hunters to sheep during the open sheep hunting season. This prohibition does not prohibit any flight maneuvers necessary to make an informed and safe landing in the field.

Exactly, and RHAK ardently opposes that law and actively fought it tooth and nail. The sheep mountains have been much quieter since proposal 207 and this regulation, and if RHAK has its way, things would go back to the way they were pre-207 with Super Cubs swarming the mountains.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Research the history of proposal 207 and where RHAK stood on that issue.

Exactly, and RHAK ardently opposes that law and actively fought it tooth and nail. The sheep mountains have been much quieter since proposal 207 and this regulation, and if RHAK has its way, things would go back to the way they were pre-207 with Super Cubs swarming the mountains.

From what I understand the guide industry was vehemently opposed to it as well.

 

[AlaskaMark]

"Research the history of proposal 207 and where RHAK stood on that issue." - adventure907

Ah, you're trying to confuse folks on an issue that is a lot more complicated than you make out to be. One thing the guide industry and RHAK agreed on was opposition to proposal 207, but for RHAK it had nothing to do with any kind of support of the scouting of individual sheep from the air to determine full curl. Proposal 207 was proposed by the Board of Game out of the blue to the shock of everyone, and had no past impetus as a proposal from anyone, resident or guide. That was a large part of the opposition. from RHAK. And that it could lead to pilots making wrong & potentially deadly decisions because they were paranoid about someone vidoeing them from the ground and then telling troopers that pilot was scouting sheep against regulations. The Troopers never supported it either, so maybe they are the bad guys too. Both the guide industry and RHAK has tried to get this repealed. Here's the Alaska Wildlife Trooper comments to the propsoal to repeal proposal 207:
"5 AAC 92.085 Repeal the restrictions on the use of aircraft for sheep hunting. The Alaska Wildlife Troopers support this proposal as the current regulation is extremely hard to enforce. The current wording does not preclude an individual from flying during sheep season as they are still able to fly in hunters, maintain camps, and salvage harvested sheep. The Alaska wildlife Troopers would need to show evidentiary proof an individual specifically used an aircraft to spot sheep and then landed and took the same Dall sheep. The Alaska Wildlife Troopers, during the 2015 sheep season received one complaint of an individual using an aircraft to spot sheep, which was later determined to be unfounded. This does not negate the fact this regulation, as it is written is extremely hard to prosecute."

Stop trying to denigrate RHAK with disinformation. Our mission is clear....and if you have an issue with a resident hunting priority in Alaska for Alaskans, state your case on why that shouldn't happen. If your argument is that it would financially hurt guides, we've already said that is a given, but is not our intent.

 

[adventure907]

From what I understand the guide industry was vehemently opposed to it as well.

Yes, the guide industry was opposed to it, as was RHAK. What should matter is who did that proposal benefit, and that would be the sheep, the resource. Not to mention, sheep hunters, guides, and anybody else who values a remote wilderness experience benefits from the fact that the mountains aren't covered in a swarm of super cubs as they were pre-207.

The director of RHAK can spin things any way he wants, and that's all the above is, spin. The impetus for RHAK in the beginning was pretty simple, which is an inconvenient truth.

 

[Glory]

Interesting for sure.

Not the org for me.

 

[Clarktar]

RHAK sounds reasonable. I'll have to do my own pooking around first. Thanks for the heads up from both "factions".

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[akbrett]

Rhak is reasonable, any resident that loves to hunt and wants to see there children be able to have the same opportunities that we do should support them and there cause. having a voice for residents that carries some weight is a must for the future. The board of game is ran by guides and has guiding interests in mind, things could get worse without a group “rhak” to fight for our interests, take our concerns and present them in the proper manner