The debate regarding limiting the take of non-Federally qualified hunters, has become about eliminating non-Federally qualified hunters altogether.
Rather than a solution similar to Unit 2, where the season doesn’t start for non-Federally qualified on Federal Land until 2 weeks after it starts for locals but remote areas of Federal Land still remain open Aug. 1, and tags were reduced from 4 to 2, some areas are hoping to completely restrict non-Federally qualified hunters.
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NPS proposes bear hunting restrictions
JAN 2023
OUTDOOR LIIFE
Last year was a tough one for hunting opportunity in Alaska. Under the Federal Subsistence Board (which is comprised in-part of department heads of each federal agency), non-local hunters saw millions of acres of public lands closed. In April, the FSB closed nearly 60 million acres of public lands to non-local caribou hunters. In July, they closed all federal lands in the central Brooks Range to sheep hunting, primarily including the archery-only Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area. Both of these closures were strongly opposed by State of Alaska wildlife managers and argued as being not scientifically-based. As 2023 kicks off, the National Park Service aims to restrict hunters even further by banning the use of bait for hunting black bears on NPS-managed lands, according to a proposal issued on Friday. -
Public lands closed to non-locals
The Federal Subsistence Board has closed public lands to non-locals, even though science suggests there was no need.
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Plan to close 60 million acres of public land is back
Non-federally qualified users would not be able to hunt land that biologists say has healthy populations.
Public Comment
When: Wednesday, November 17, 2021 from 4 to 6pm Alaska Time Zone, or until comments are finished (7 to 9 pm CST)Toll Free Number: 888-942-9690
Passcode: 6071806
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Current Proposals that close hunting for non-qualified users
WP22-07 SE Deer 4 Closure to non-Federally qualified users, Admiralty Island
WP22-08 SE Deer 4 Place a harvest restriction on non-Federally qualified users, Northeast Chichagof Controlled Use Area
WP22-09 SE Deer 4 Closure to non-Federally qualified users, Lisianski Strait
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Plan to Close 60 Million Acres of Public Land to ‘Non-Local’ Caribou and Moose Hunting Stalls. But More Requests to Restrict Hunting in Alaska Are on the Way
JUNE 2021
OUTDOOR LIFE
There’s been an ongoing push to restrict “non-local” hunters from hunting on federal public lands in Alaska (which I covered a lot this spring). Last week, we saw a small victory in the struggle to prevent this from happening. -
The Proposed Closures of Caribou Hunting on Some Federal Lands Isn’t Based on Population Declines—It’s About Human Conflicts
APRIL 2021
OUTDOOR LIFE
The DOI’s proposal to temporarily close non-local and non-resident caribou hunting on some federal lands in Alaska, except to qualified subsistence hunters, doesn't seem rooted in herd management goals -
Dunleavy administration sues to halt federal limits on moose and caribou hunting in popular area
AUG. 2020
ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS
As Alaska moose hunters gear up for another season, the Dunleavy administration on Monday sued the federal government after it excluded urban hunters from taking moose and caribou in popular sections off the Alaska road system.The state asserts that the Federal Subsistence Board in July unlawfully decided to allow subsistence hunting for rural residents only on federal lands in Game Management Units 13A and 13B, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage.