Historically Low Alaska Sheep Harvest

[LungButter]

Put all nonresidents on a draw, drop their tag allotment significantly, and eliminate the must be guided rule. Everyone wins except those in the guide welfare program. The department would likely make significantly more off of non resident application fees than they would by selling 4x as many tags. Nonresident DIY guys that can't afford a guided hunt that now have an open door to hunting white sheep would flood money into the lottery. The big money guys that want to skip the line would put out even more for auction tags. The good guides that have proven their worth would still be booked out, just like they do for moose and caribou. And keep the must be guided rule for nonresident alien. The sketchy guides get weeded out and while we're at it to weed out further and keep the good (and local) guides working and keep that money in the state, require all guides to be residents too. But that's a solution blocked by politics in a state that has proven to almost always favor commercial interests when it comes to fish and game.

And I personally think it's ridiculous that residents don't at least pay $20-$50 for harvest tickets. But residents freaked out about $5 for dipnet permit a few years ago so I'm not going down that road. I wonder if it's a price they would be willing to pay for less pressure in the field.

Sorry, that's a side argument adjacent to the original concern here which is sheep numbers. But I guess if people think less hunting pressure is a solution, it holds relevance.

That sounds way too reasonable for a Government Agency to actually do!

I know they'd get an application fee from me. If I drew a tag, I could swing paying for travel, a flight in etc. but I can't even consider paying for a Guide right now since I got little kids at home and don't make $500k or more a year. But hey...I guess I need a guide to keep me safe right? Even though I've done fly in - backpacking hunts for 6 years running in the Frank Church Wilderness in November.....

 

[william schmaltz]

But hey...I guess I need a guide to keep me safe right? Even though I've done fly in - backpacking hunts for 6 years running in the Frank Church Wilderness in November.....

Yes, it's very crucial that some 24 year old kid who grew up in and still lives in the Midwest that spent a few weeks packing meat in Alaska and then took a written test accompany you on your trip for your safety. Or your out of shape brother in law from Texas that just got stationed here and has never left Anchorage is along to make sure you know how to handle the elements. At least that's the logic applied by the Alaska BOG.

Anyways, off topic again.

 

[Clarktar]

Got it. I'm flying in on Aug 6th or Aug 7th, weather permitting.

I look forward to hearing how your trip goes!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Yes, it's very crucial that some 24 year old kid who grew up in and still lives in the Midwest that spent a few weeks packing meat in Alaska and then took a written test accompany you on your trip for your safety. Or your out of shape brother in law from Texas that just got stationed here and has never left Anchorage is along to make sure you know how to handle the elements. At least that's the logic applied by the Alaska BOG.

Anyways, off topic again.

Actually, the guide requirement laws are statutory, not regulatory, so they're handled by the State legislature, not the Board of Game.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I look forward to hearing how your trip goes!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

I'll have break on August 30th and I'll try to jump online that day and let you know how the two sheep hunts went.

 

[oenanthe]

... require all guides to be residents too. But that's a solution blocked by politics in a state that has proven to almost always favor commercial interests when it comes to fish and game.

It's not just politics, it's the US Constitution; the commerce clause. It's been litigated and there's little room for revisiting the issue. I'd love it too if we could require that guides be residents, but it's just not legal.

 

[Clarktar]

It's not just politics, it's the US Constitution; the commerce clause. It's been litigated and there's little room for revisiting the issue. I'd love it too if we could require that guides be residents, but it's just not legal.

There could be other barriers to entry though. I've seen it in other states where the administrating agency requires such a large insurance policy that it weeds out the business committed operations from the fly by night operations. It becomes an investment in a business.

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[slick]

No aerial surveys were conducted this year in the Alaska Range, Wrangells, Talkeetnas, Chugach or Kenai Mountains. We were weathered out all across the board.

This is entirely false.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

They're only just now doing GMU 14, today (Thursday, July 28th).

 

[wantj43]

Post study data clearly demonstrated that current pregancy rates approach 90%, yet birthing rates fluctuate annually between 5% and 60%, and the weight of neonates are low. Absorption (aborting) appears to be common, especially among an aging remnant population. So, there's an issue out there, for sure, and it really began to show itself several years after the residents of Alaska lobbied the State to change its sheep harvest strategy. Keep in mind that Dall sheep are a sixty (60) year recovery specie, so whatever we do now or within ten years from now, in order to correct the ever-steepening downward trend, is going to take a few decades to show positive result.

 

[wantj43]

Historical counts and harvest data starting in the 1920’s would suggest 20 to 30 years for complete sheep population cycles (low to low). General observations from the late 1800’s would suggest the same (Lydekker ca.1884)

 

[Mykolaivka887]

This is entirely false.

Fact of the matter is that we're only now (July 27th thru 29th) having the opportunity to trend count the east side of the Western Alaska Range and the West Chugach. The west side of the Western Alaska Range didn't get done and the Wrangell Mountains didn't get done. Due to weather and wildfires, sightability in the Central Alaska Range and the East Chugach was poor and only a few hours were invested, so those ranges were theoretically not counted. It is what it is.

 

[slick]

So therefore your statement was incorrect. I called it as is.

GLN don't/can't always do the Chugach and Wrangell's in the same year.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

So therefore your statement was incorrect. I called it as is.

GLN don't/can't always do the Chugach and Wrangell's in the same year

Nope, the comment made a week ago was accurate. There were no (zero) comprehensive aerial surveys conducted up unti yesterday and today, with this severe clear VFR.

 

[slick]

I think we count weeks differently. Whatever you need to say to confirm it for yourself, Oh Oracle.

Either way sheep numbers are lower than they used to be. Opportunity to harvest a legal ram suffers because of it. It’s a downer for everyone.

 

[VernAK]

DCUA was finally getting a weather break today and ADFG was trying to get some numbers.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

DCUA was finally getting a weather break today and ADFG was trying to get some numbers.

Yep, This excellent weather is allowing us to do the West Chugach and the east side of the Western Alaska Range this week. We'll finish those tomorrow (Friday).

Believe it or not, Nick at the Kenai office has scheduled the Kenai Mountains to be flown during the first week of sheep season, weather permitting.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Yep, This excellent weather is allowing us to do the West Chugach and the east side of the Western Alaska Range this week. We'll finish those tomorrow (Friday).

Believe it or not, Nick at the Kenai office has scheduled the Kenai Mountains to be flown during the first week of sheep season, weather permitting.

Are you a biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game???

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Yep, This excellent weather is allowing us to do the West Chugach and the east side of the Western Alaska Range this week. We'll finish those tomorrow (Friday).

Believe it or not, Nick at the Kenai office has scheduled the Kenai Mountains to be flown during the first week of sheep season, weather permitting.

Are you a bio for ADFG???

 

[Aubs8]

Feds Close Dall Sheep Hunting in Alaska’s Central Brooks Range

This week, the Federal Subsistence Board closed federal lands in Alaska's central Brooks Range for sheep hunters.

www.outdoorlife.com