OutdoorsDirectory.com

Hunting Alaska News & Tips
April 2005

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OK.  We are trying another approach to the newsletter concept to help keep you up-to-date information about Alaska hunting.  I liked the graphic newsletter concept, but the reality is that only about 40% of our subscribers ever open it. Our experiments suggest that what happens is that many spam filters throw it out before it ever enters the mailbox.  We are going to deal with this problem by sending a short, text-only email advising subscribers of the content on these pages.  At least then subscribers will be able to see it and decide whether or not to come to the page for the month.

Another difference is that we will post this information here for you to see it as we obtain it. The end-of-the-month email will be for the purpose of letting subscribers know that new information is available. 

Suggestions for content here are always welcome. 

David M Johnson
Publisher / OutdoorsDirectory.com
PO Box 609
Delta Junction, AK 99737

FORUMS: April 6-- Michael Strahan writes in the Alaska Hunting Forum, "For those of you interested in the inflatable canoe test results, they have now been posted online.  Regrettably, the file was simply too large to be conveniently posted here, and I need the capability of updating it as needed.  Therefore, the entire document is posted at < http://home.gci.net/~lostcreek/ >.  Mike's document is a nicely written and published PDF document (you will need Acrobat Reader) detailing the results of a fall 2004 inflatable canoe test done at Eagle River.

FORUMS: April 7 --  We welcome Jim Clopton as the new moderator for the Alaska Shooting Forum.  "Murphy" is an accomplished shooter and trainer.  Also, we say "thanks, and well done" to Marc Taylor who has guided the forum since 2004.

NEWS: April 9 -- The Alaska Outdoor Council has published its spring 2005 newsletter.  If you are a regular reader, you will notice the new format right away.  Nice job, Jennifer!

NEWS: April 9 -- "JUNEAU-- The House of Representatives voted Friday to add a new set of duties for the commissioner of Fish and Game and the Boards of Game and Fisheries. By a unanimous vote, the House approved House Bill 75, which adds language to state law giving the boards and the commissioner the added responsibility "to promote fishing, hunting and trapping and preserve the heritage" of those activities."  The bill now goes to the Alaska senate for approval.  It must also be signed by Governor Murkowski. Read the entire story from the Fairbanks Daily News Miner >>

FORUMS: April 11 --  The Alaska Snowmachining Forum has now become the Alaska Snowmachining and ATV forum.  A number of users suggested that the concept is similar and the interest in one rises as the other falls.  Discussion of either mode of transportation is open year round.

NEWS: April 11 -- Alaska Hunting regulations booklets will not be available in paper form until July 1, but there is a summary of most changes to the regulations posted on the Alaska Hunting Forum, courtesy of the Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation.  Note that this list is not necessarily complete. It is often possible to obtain the online version of the regulations earlier than the printed version, if this is helpful.  The hunting regulatory year begins July 1 and ends the following June 30.  Regulations for next season come into effect on 1 July 2005.

DIRECTORY: April 11 -- We have added a new category to our directory of goods services useful to the pursuit of outdoors in Alaska.  It is called "Outdoor Accessories and Gear".  This category will cover the many useful small tools and equipment that improve the outdoor lifestyle.

NEWS: April 14 -- Two Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff members have received awards at the Alaska Outdoor Council (AOC) annual meeting.  Division of Wildlife Conservation Director Matt Robus was named "Wildlife Biologist of the Year" and Tina Cunning, a special assistant to the Commissioner on State-Federal issues, received the Sydney Huntington Award. Read the entire ADF&G news release >>

NEWS: April 16 & April 27 -- Momentum is gathering towards restoring wood bison to Alaska.  The existing populations of wild bison in Alaska are descended from plains bison brought here from Montana in the 1920's, but not many centuries earlier wild wood bison lived in Alaska.  Eastern Alaska Indians have oral traditions of hunting bison, so it was not so long ago that these huge animals lived in the state. Wood bison are found naturally in northwestern Canada, and in recent history, a few have even wandered into eastern Alaska.  The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is quite interested in this project, and has published quite a bit of interesting information on the state website.  The Fairbanks Daily News Miner reports that "Wood Bison Restoration is Back on the Table."  The paper reports a special two day meeting to be held in Fairbanks from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 27 April and Thursday 28 April in the Gazebo Room at Wedgewood Resort.  It is open to the public with an evening open house at 7 PM on 27 April.

NEWS: April 17 -- "A dozen moose calves in the Fairbanks and Delta Junction area may have died this winter from a disease not previously recorded in connection with the death of an Alaska moose, according to a state wildlife veterinarian, according to the Anchorage Daily News."   The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is continuing to investigate.

BOOKSTORE: April 19 -- Chris Batin's Skinning and Field Care of Alaska Bears is again available, this time in DVD format only.  It shows step by step instructions for expertly caring for a Kodiak brown bear trophy.

NEWS: April 20 -- ADF&G has released its Mountain Goat management report covering 2001 - 2003.  This is the most recently published information on Alaska goat status.

NEWS: April 21 -- The annual Alaska permit hunt supplement is available online now for review of 2005-2006 permit hunts.  The permit application period is May 1 - May 31. It is possible to apply online.  Full details are available on the Department's website.

NEWS: April 22 -- The Anchorage Daily News reports that "Poachers have killed up to half the members of a new musk ox herd establishing itself on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, delaying for at least a few years the possibility of a legal hunt on the shaggy beasts."  Many hunters in the region are furious, the paper reports, because it looked very much as if the small group was growing to the size where it could be sustainably harvested.  Read the entire story here >>>

FORUMS: April 26 -- We have made the OutdoorsDirectory.com forum search function more useful by adding check boxes for forums that you want to search.  Many words are found on more than one forum.  For example, if you wanted to do a search on air taxis for fishing, you could check the fishing forum box, and find MANY fewer hits than if you allowed hits from all forums.  This feature is available from the main forum search page.

You can find a complete list of new material on OutdoorsDirectory.com on our "new page."

Here are some Alaska hunting forum threads of interest during April:

• 1 Week in August to Hunti Ptarmigan in Alaska TuffTrigger Apr 02 2005
• ADF&G Hunting & Trapping License Increase Wingert Apr 02 2005
• ABC Islands? alaskawild338 Apr 04 2005  [Islands for hunting in SE Alaska - ed.]
• Dalton Highway Caribou Muley Crazzy Apr 04 2005
• Mystery Ranch, Kifaru or Badlands jerkee Apr 05 2005
• What firearm for sheep/grizz ? ultra mag Apr 06 2005
• Nosler Partition or Core-Lokt Ultra for Grizzlies? JDOster Apr 07 2005
• predator control Sollybug Apr 07 2005
• 1st hunt Apr 08 2005
• Summary of hunting regulations changes for 2005 Webmaster Apr 11 2005
• Picking a river? Colorado_Ryan Apr 13 2005
• Black BEAR Scents That work BACON blackbear Apr 17 2005
• Bipods for Goat and/or Sheep hunting Steveo Apr 18 2005
• Youth Caliber for caribou/moose/black bears USMC RET Apr 22 2005
• Hunting the North Slope Kort Apr 23 2005
• advice on purchasing binoculars grizzeyes Apr 23 2005