New Alaska Sheep Regulations

[Nick Muche]

Kicking the can down the road, an arbitrary rule change that will do nothing for the sheep. Go figure.

 

[dvm_hunter]

I would be fine with them limiting NR for sheep even caribou at this point. Place restrictions and benefit the herds, sure they'd lose dollars from NR coming up to hunt caribou on their own, but it would definitely help to try and rebound numbers. I honestly think all states should do that. Look at North Dakota, NR can't even hunt some species there and it's worked. I think if you want to have the opportunity as Residents move there and endure the brutal winters and high cost of living (in Alaska's case). I've always dreamed of living there, but factoring in the negatives makes it a great place to VISIT. lol I would think one would hope states would take a more management based approach to wildlife and hunters would be happy they did so. BUT, that's my opinion.

 

[Yellowknife]

They voted down various versions of a statewide draw for non-residents this morning. Also voted down a reduced season for NR. Looks like 1/4 is the only "restriction" that NR will get this year. HOWEVER, the chair did state that he would like to see some kind of resident preference in the future and a reduced percentage of NR take. Words and no action so far though.

 

[Stid2677]

The 1:4 will have little effect on things, other than for maybe a very small group of hardcore non resident sheep hunters that like to hunt Alaska frequently. I am not sure what the rationale behind the 1:4 move is, but it passed. As far as the 40% non resident harvest goes, many residents do take issue with that. Not saying I am one of them, but many do feel that non residents take too big of a slice of the pie.

I believe they are setting the ground work to ask for the same restriction on residents in coming BOG Cycles.

 

[Stid2677]

The 1 in 4 rule also effects Non Residents that hunt with 2nd degree in kindred, I have a few friends that come up and hunt with family every year. That will no longer be possible for sheep. The guides are going after 2nd degree as they feel that cost them clients.

 

[Stid2677]

They approved the early season Youth Sheep hunt.

 

[Yellowknife]

They approved the early season Youth Sheep hunt.

Interesting twist on that. 207 won't apply to the early season, so in theory the youth could air scout to their hearts content. Going to bring some supercub owners out to play.

 

[Nick Muche]

Interesting twist on that. 207 won't apply to the early season, so in theory the youth could air scout to their hearts content. Going to bring some supercub owners out to play.

You don't think there will be any changes to the dates in 207? I can see that being the reason they approved the Youth Season, but maybe they really had a genuine interest in youth opportunity without any underlying reservations that can lay the ground work to limit pre-season scouting.

 

[DaveC]

Always interesting to read informed opinions on these topics.

The increased NR success rate is largely due to being guided, yes? Seems like cutting those numbers would sort things out cleanly, though I assume $$ makes that unlikely. The NR guided mandate remains hard to swallow, as the stated rationale is so obviously ridiculous.

 

[go4thegusto]

There were proposals to limit residents as well, but thankfully, those did not pass. When a game population gets to the point that allocation needs to be limited, it should be the non residents that get limited first.

Notably, it was the Alaska Professional Hunters Association that proposed the 1 in 4 limits for non residents.

I might agree if it were not largely FEDERAL land that we all own and pay for that contain the sheep. Last time I checked Alaska cannot stay afloat without a net gain from federal money.

I would like to take one ram in my lifetime and residents expect one every year....

 

[Nick Muche]

Many folks move to Alaska for the hunting opportunities, even people from North Dakota can move here for the hunting opportunities.

 

[Yellowknife]

I would like to take one ram in my lifetime and residents expect one every year....

1:4 for residents would have similar results as the NR restrictions. Very few residents kill more than 1 sheep in 4 years... like 4-5%. About 60-65% of resident hunters each year are virgin sheep hunters. 80% of all resides will never kill a sheep, nor hunt them again.

For most residents it's one or two in a lifetime also. As pointed out by Bambistew this isn't an every year thing for the vast majority of people. Also, resident participation has trended downward almost 40% over the last 20 years, following the sheep number declines. Non-resident participation has also dropped more recently, but not to the same degree, and the percentage of overall take by NR has gone up over the years.

 

[Stid2677]

Always interesting to read informed opinions on these topics.

The increased NR success rate is largely due to being guided, yes? Seems like cutting those numbers would sort things out cleanly, though I assume $$ makes that unlikely. The NR guided mandate remains hard to swallow, as the stated rationale is so obviously ridiculous.

Yes NR are more successful because they have to hire a guide and the guides dominate the best sheep habitat and also use their financial influence to keep air taxis from flying in residents to complete with them.

For years residents have tried in vane to limit guide numbers but the guide lobby is so strong all attempts have failed, 4 of the 7 BOG members are in the commercial hunting business. For this reason the only option left is to attempt to limit their clients. It is not that residents don't want to share, it is we are boxed out of the prime areas for sheep hunting by people selling those sheep to non residents.

Myself and many residents I know would simply like to see the guide requirement go away, then we all could compete on an even plane.

The airplane prop 207 was just a way for the guides to limit competition from the residents that own planes that they could not block by using the air taxis they hire every year and therefor control where they could drop residents. Since they can still spot sheep while they fly to support their camps and the drop clients off and return all the while "not" looking for sheep.

The 1-4 non resident rule they just passed was proposed by the guides, this has no effect because they will just book a different NR client, the intent to me is to restrict the NRs that come and hunt with family.

I would love to hunt sheep in WA, CA, MT, and any other state that has sheep,, for NOT one state other than Alaska gives any NR an over the counter tag.......

All this is about the 15 to 20K a sheep is worth and Bears are even worse. Money brings out the worst in folks.


Steve

 

[Nick Muche]

Great post Steve.

 

[oenanthe]

I would like to take one ram in my lifetime and residents expect one every year....

I don't know of any residents that expect a sheep every year. I do know quite a few that expect to hunt sheep every year. And most of the sheep hunters I know up here bag a ram on every 3rd or 4th hunt; success rates are not that high.

Let's be clear - most residents never take a sheep. Sure, there are a few who have taken a dozen or more but they are very few and very dedicated, and they generally keep very quiet about it.

 

[oenanthe]

Spot on, especially the last line.

 

[ChrisS]

I really don't have a dog in this fight, my chance to hunt sheep is slim and none and Slim has a mortgage to pay and retirement to save for.

I would love to hunt sheep in WA, CA, MT, and any other state that has sheep,, for NOT one state other than Alaska gives any NR an over the counter tag.......

Well, that's a numbers game since the sheep populations in those states, combined are probably less than Alaska's and none of those states offer a free tag to residents either. Although, AFAIK, MT does offer an OTC non-resident sheep tag.

All this is about the 15 to 20K a sheep is worth and Bears are even worse. Money brings out the worst in folks.

Yep. Once people figured out that they could charge more and more money for something and people would still pay, then it becomes about increasing revenue. They can manage for residents or for revenue. Residents sure as heck aren't going to pay $25k for their sheep if they don't have to, I don't think.

 

[adventure907]

Well said Bambi!!!

 

[snowcamoman]

Guys that have youth that can hunt and a plane can hunt some of the absolute best guided areas in the state now and not have to deal with any pressure from guides. That's gonna be awesome......For the kids!

 

[Stid2677]

Guys that have youth that can hunt and a plane can hunt some of the absolute best guided areas in the state now and not have to deal with any pressure from guides. That's gonna be awesome......For the kids!

They amended it to only allow in general tag areas,, they didn't approve as it was submitted for all areas. Still a good thing, the key to getting it passed was having the take count against both the youth and adult and having it end before the general season as no to run concurrent.