Wild Alaska

Moose (1998) Alaska Office of Economic Development (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It seems whenever I am asked about my time in Alaska, the questions turn to two species out of all that inhabit the nation's greatest state.  Those two animals are the two largest and probably potentially the most dangerous - moose and bear.

Alaskans are aware that with some simple precautions and common sense, the peril from these magnificent creatures is relatively low.  However, the peril does exist.

Recently a hunter paid quite a price for his hunting trip.  The son of a congressional candidate was mauled by a grizzly he had wounded as he hunted somewhat near McGrath.  Due to poor weather, his rescue was delayed, but it sounds like he will pull through.  You can read more about it HERE.

More people get hurt and are killed by moose in Alaska than bears, but that is mostly due to traffic accidents.  Most moose are in the interior of Alaska.  Certainly, moose are not thought of as being prominentHERE.

residents of southeast Alaska, but that seems to be changing a bit.  Juneau residents are seeing more of them around town.  You can read more about that

Much of Alaska's beauty is subtle, but those who don't know it think of the big and dangerous animals, as well as the more audacious landforms, glaciers, rivers, and ocean features.  That's okay.  Once visitors get there they are drawn into the real Alaska and are transformed for all their life. Those who are blessed to live in Alaska can absorb it at a natural pace.

ADF&G PROVIDES NEW TOOL FOR ANGLERS

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Sport Fish recently developed a new Google Earth mapping application that is now posted on the department’s website and available for public use. The application provides anglers and other information seekers with easy access to contour

maps, photographs, fish data, stocking records, and historic documents for over 1,300 water bodies throughout the state.

ADF&G is confident the user-friendly Alaska Lake Database (ALDAT) application has something for everyone. Water bodies are marked on a Google Earth map with colored pins, making stocked fisheries identifiable at a glance. Anglers can search potential fishing locations by name, area, stocking date, or fish species. Outdoor enthusiasts can manually navigate the map using their mouse and overlay useful layers such as roads and trails. Students, managers, and researchers can export lake data across multiple datasets and specify the fields they wish to include in their request using the data export page.

“Alaska’s lakes are teeming with fish, and each provides exciting opportunities for sustainable sport fishing opportunities. This innovative approach to providing information in a manner that is easily accessible and tailored to the needs of our Alaskan anglers is consistent with the division’s goal to inform the public about recreational fishing opportunities with an emphasis on exceptional customer service,” said Charlie Swanton, Director of the ADF&G Division of Sport Fish.

Check it out today! Get started planning your next fishing trip by visiting: www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportStockingHatcheries.lakesdatabase or go to: www.adfg.alaska.gov and click on “Fishing” and then “Sport”. On the left hand side of the page, click on “Alaska Lake Database.”

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Some Snow Machine Areas Remain Open in Chugach

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Seasonal snowmachine closures for parts of the Chugach National Forest are in effect beginning May 1^st. The normal closure date of the Forest for over the snow vehicles is May 1, however, due to above average snow depth the following areas will remain open:

Turnagain Pass from Bertha campground NORTH to where the power line crosses the Seward highway at approximately Mile Marker 74 can remain OPEN to allow access from the motorized lot, to the up-track, and into the Seattle Ridge area.

• NOTE: Turnagain Pass from Bertha campground SOUTH, including Johnson Pass is CLOSED

Most winter-motorized areas on the Seward Ranger District remain open. See below for trail conditions and recommendations.

• Motorized travel in the following areas is currently good: Carter Lake, Lost Lake via Primrose or Seward Trailheads, Resurrection North (road to the trailhead has been plowed), and Palmer Creek.
   
• Travel is not recommended to Lost Lake via the Snug Harbor Rd. Chugach Electric has plowed the road one-mile beyond the winter parking area and the road is blocked with a large dozer blade. This mile of plowed road is down to gravel and there is no snow.
   
• Travel is not recommended by snowmobile on West Juneau Road or Slaughter/Bean Creek for access to Resurrection South due to road plowing activities.
   
• Travel is not recommended by snowmobile up the South Fork of Snow River due to the amount of open water.
   
• Travel is not recommended by snowmobile on Trail Lake.

We will measure snow depths weekly.   When conditions deteriorate to the point of resource damage, areas will be closed to motorized travel. Areas may close with little notice, so check our website at www.fs.usda.gov/chugach or follow us on twitter @ChugachForestAK or www.cnfaic.org for the latest information.
Recreationists should be aware of weather and snow conditions before they go into the backcountry. Using the backcountry involves risk anytime of the year. Avalanche conditions may exist even in the summer.  Take a look at the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center website at www.cnfaic.org for “Springtime Avalanche Tips.”
If you are going into the backcountry, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. Travel in a group rather than alone. Be prepared to survive an emergency situation. All backcountry users need to know their skill level and use common sense and discretion.
For more information visit www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach or call one of our offices: Anchorage 743-9572; Cordova 424-7661; Girdwood 783-3242; or Seward 224-3374.
 Violations of motorized closures may result in a fine.

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Selecting a Guide

FROM ADF&G

Securing the services of a guide might seem expensive, but the chances of a successful and enjoyable hunt are higher. Hunters who lack precise knowledge of game distribution, access points, and Alaska geography, yet attempt to put together hunts themselves may face frustration, danger, and disappointment. For example, only a relatively small proportion of the out-of-state hunters who stay on the road system to save money will successfully harvest a moose.

The chances of safely harvesting a big game animal improve if one hires a guide or transporter to take them to remote areas. Guides are familiar with their areas, hunting regulations, own facilities, and possess equipment that the average hunter might not care to purchase for one-time use. Indeed, many hunters may choose to contract with a guide for species other than those for which having a guide is mandatory (see list in Guide Requirements for Alaska Hunting).

A guide's knowledge, experience and equipment do not come cheaply. Although figures vary from guide to guide, expect to pay $6,000-$15,000 for a brown/grizzly bear hunt, $4,000–$6,000 for a Dall sheep hunt and $1,500–$4,000 for a goat hunt. Moose and caribou vary considerably depending on transportation methods. Guides can also help prepare and pack out your meat and trophies. Imagine carrying 750 lbs of dressed moose through a few miles of muskeg with a bear watching.

The best way to find a reliable guide is via references. Ask around. Have any of your hunting partners hunted in Alaska before? Do they know someone who did? Which guide did they use and how satisfied were they afterwards? You can also check advertisements in hunting magazines and search the internet since most guides have detailed web sites. Ask guides for references, and follow up on them. Discuss your experience level, physical capabilities, and expectations with prospective guides so that you can make the most of this adventure. There are many types of hunts to consider such as comfortable shore-hugging boat-based hunts, river float hunts, horseback hunts, fly-in hunts, lodge-based hunts, or long-range foot hunts out of spike camps. You might even want to plan to add additional species such as elusive wolves or do some salmon fishing and gold panning.

More experienced and independent hunters may wish to hire a transporter instead of a guide. These are licensed individuals and companies are able to move hunters to more remote areas by bush plane, boat, horse, ATV, snow machine, or even highway vehicle. Many resident hunters use transporters as well since they tend to be much less expensive than full guide services. Guides might also offer outfitted-only hunts at lower rates where they still provide transportation and camps.

Alaska law requires a big game guide to possess a current active guide license. You can check on guides and their licensing in several ways. A printed list of licensed Alaska guides is available for $5.00 payable to the “State of Alaska.” The list includes all currently licensed master guide-outfitters, registered guide-outfitters, the areas where they are licensed to operate, as well as a list of all currently licensed transporters. If you are interested in obtaining the licensed Alaska guide-and-transporter list or wish to check the status of a guide’s license, contact the Alaska Division of Occupational Licensing. You can also look up guides and/or transporters and have a list emailed to you by using that division’s Professional Licensing Data Retrieval System. Another source of information is the Alaska Professional Hunters Association, which represents many guides and outfitters. Finally, you can locate a guide in your game management unit and find out what contracting guides are available in that area by visiting:http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/apps/GuiUseReg.cfm.

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When and Where to Hunt

FROM ADF&G

Most Alaska hunting seasons begin in August and September and end by October. Seasons in some areas continue into the winter months. In locations where certain animal populations are large enough and local subsistence needs are being met, hunting for some species may be permitted all year. Bears may be taken in either fall or spring in some locations.

Timing is important for particular species, like caribou and waterfowl. Caribou migrate seasonally, and an area that provides good hunting in August may be almost devoid of caribou in September. Most waterfowl move quickly out of Alaska in early fall.

Weather, vegetation, and topography vary widely in Alaska. The following table generally describes these features by region and game management unit (GMU), and by time of year (fall versus spring).

Alaska Weather, Vegetation and Landforms by Region

Region	August–Sept Weather	April–May Weather	Vegetation	Landforms
Southeast (GMUs 1–5)	Temperatures are mild and may be warm. Skies are typically overcast, with some sunny days. Drizzle and rain is normal.	Temperatures are cool to warm. Sunny days are normal, but some rain can be expected.	The region is heavily forested with large trees and dense undergrowth. Alpine areas and muskegs are open.	Nearly the entire region is comprised of mountains and fjords with many islands.
Southcentral (GMUs 6, 7, 11, 13–16)	Temperatures are normally mild, but may be cold at night. Weather tends toward rainy, but there will normally be many sunny days. Snow is possible in September and likely in October.	Temperatures are cool. Sunny days are the norm, but rain can be expected at times. Snow is possible, especially in April.	Vegetation varies widely from heavy forests in river valleys to open hillsides with low-growing alpine and sub-alpine shrubs.	Much of the region is hilly or mountainous. There are a number of large river valleys and basins.
Southwest (GMUs 8–10, 17)	Weather is typically cool, wet and windy. Snow is possible in October storms.	Temperatures gradually warm during the spring. Cool, wet and windy is also the norm at this time of year.	Forest cover is limited in much of this area. Shrubs and low-growing plants replace trees to the north and west.	Small mountain ranges punctuate the landscape, but much of the area is low rolling hills.
Interior (GMUs 12, 19–21, 24, 25)	Weather is typically cool and occasionally cold. Precipitation is not great, but August and September are among the rainiest months. Snow is possible in September.	Temperatures range from below freezing at night to highs in the 60s late in the season. The sky is typically clear with limited precipitation. Snow is possible, especially at higher elevations.	Forest cover is extensive in river valleys, but gives way with increasing altitude to sub-alpine and alpine vegetation.	With the exception of large river flats with many small lakes, much of the area is dominated by hills, which grow to high peaks in the Alaska Range, the Brooks Range and other lesser ranges.
Western (GMUs 18 & 22)	August can be warm, but tends toward rainy and cool. Cool, rainy conditions are normal in September with storms coming off the Bering Sea.	Break up is earlier in GMU 18, with winter conditions persisting into April in GMU 22. Snow travel conditions are typically poor in GMU 22 in May.	Trees are sparse or absent over much of the area. Low-growing shrubs, grasses and sedges dominate. Trees occur in the eastern portion of both units.	Much of GMU 18 is wet lowland, rising to mountains in the north and east. GMU 22 is mostly hilly, rising to low mountains in places.
Arctic (GMUs 23 & 26)	Expect cool weather during the day and cold temperatures at night, especially in September.	Prepare for cold weather and snow. Weather becomes cool in May.	There is very little forest cover in the Arctic. The vegetative cover consists largely of low-growing shrubs, grasses and sedges.	The arctic coastal plain is made up of low hills and many small lakes. The hills to the south rise to the Brooks Range.

A Hunter's Calendar for Alaska

Please see the current Alaska Hunting Regulations for details of specific seasons.
Jan:	New hunting licenses, bear tags, nonresident big game tags needed.
Feb:	Plan your hunting trip. Call for information.
March:	Drawing and Tier II permits awarded.
Apr:	Alaska Board of Game prepares regulations for the next hunting season. Most spring bear seasons open.
Jul:	Regulatory year begins. New hunting regulations booklets available. New harvest tickets for the regulatory year.
Aug– Sept:	Most fall hunting seasons begin. Some Dall sheep, caribou, deer, and moose seasons open. Obtain harvest tickets and/or registration permits for big game before hunting. Turn in harvest reports within 15 days of the close of the season.
Nov:	Drawing and Tier II permit materials available. Some late winter moose hunts open.
Dec:	Drawing and Tier II permit applications accepted November 1–December 31 only.

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WRANGELL- ST. ELIAS SUBSISTENCE RESOURCE COM M ISSION TO M EET I N NORTHWAY AND TANACROSS

Image via Wikipedia
The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Subsistence Resource Commission will meet in
Northway on Thursday, October 6, from 9:30 AM to 5 PM, and in Tanacross on Friday, October
7, from 9 AM until the completion of business, to consider a range of issues related to
subsistence hunting and fishing in the park. Additional information may be obtained by calling Barbara Cellarius at park headquarters, 822-7236.

Volunteer at Wrangell St Elias National Park and Preserve

Image via Wikipedia

Copper Center, Alaska-Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve has scheduled a volunteer trail improvement event in the Slana area. The event is scheduled for the weekend of August 26, 27, and 28^th. The project kicks-off with a barbeque on the 26^th at 6:00pm at the Slana Community Corporation building followed by a classroom session on sustainable trails, presented by Kevin Meyer, National Park Service Regional Trails Specialist.

On Saturday, August 27, volunteers will meet at 9:00am at the Copper Lake Trailhead at mile 12.2 of the Nabesna Road for trail maintenance to help with the installation of Geoblock, atrail hardening material to be placed in a wet meadow area approximately ¾ of a mile from the trailhead.Please bring gloves, water-proof boots and a sack lunch.

On Sunday, August 28, at 9:00am meet back at the Copper Lake Trailhead with Kevin Meyer to test your sustainable trail skills and apply the fundamentals in an on-the-ground trail layout exercise.

Volunteers are welcome to participate in any or all of the activities.For more information please contact Bruce Rogers at 822-7276.

Tangle Lakes Campground Renovation Update

Image via Wikipedia

The Tangle Lakes Campground provides access to camping and boating facilities within the Delta Wild and Scenic River corridor. The current campground is in need of renovation and improvements to include road reconstruction, campsite definition, boat launch toilet replacement, creation of a day-use area, the addition of walk-in and group campsites and defined foot trails within the campground to meet the needs and requests of the public. 

The BLM Tangle Lakes Campground will be under construction during the summer of 2011.  During construction, the existing paved boat launch will be available to the public at all times.  Construction will occur Monday - Friday of each week.  Portions of the campground will remain open to the public for limited camping and day-use on a first-come, first-served basis at all times.  Please check this website before you travel for updates on construction.  Thank you for your patience during this renovation project. 

Here comes the Portage Valley BioBlitz!

Image via Wikipedia The Portage Valley BioBlitz is part of a network of BioBlitzes happening all over the world. A blend of science and celebration, citizen scientists (you!) team up with the pros to catalog plants & animals in Portage Valley in the heart of the Chugach Children’s Forest. 24 hours of fun and discovery. Findings are catalogued and displayed for the whole world to see and to use for further research.

When, where & what

The Portage Valley BioBlitz takes place from noon to noon (12PM-12PM) July 23 - July 24. Our Valley will ring out with the sounds of explorers marking down and writing up the local flora and fauna. Any pure science you take part in can be augmented with various other equally fun non-scientific outdoor activities, and you can also, if you wish, do some crafty stuff or hang out with very knowledgeable scientists.
Portage Valley BioBlitz is the first of its kind in southcentral AK and is sponsored by the Chugach National Forest, the Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center, and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game Wildlife Diversity program. There's going to be a herd of naturalists and swarms of nature enthusiasts from across the area turning out to inventory all the animals, plants, fungi, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, and the millions of micro-organisms. Come ready to find out what all that stuff growing in Southcentral's backyard really is, and what it's doing there.

For more information contact:

Chugach National Forest
3301 C St., Anchorage, AK
907-743-9500