Hunter details how to propose rule changes in Board of Game process

Brian Watkins (right) has successfully submitted several Alaska hunting regulation changes, including bear hunting rules in GMU 14CR. He encourages others to do the same and contact the state Board of Game with proposal suggestions. (BRIAN WATKINS)

HOW TO CHANGE THE REGS

ALASKAN HUNTER DETAILS HOW HIS PROPOSALS HAVE TWEAKED THE RULES, AND YOU CAN TOO

BY BRIAN WATKINS

The Alaska Board of Game has developed a process that allows individuals to submit proposals to help change a regulation in the Hunting Regulation Handbook.

It is actually an easy process for anyone to submit a change that they think would benefit the state/animals/ hunters. The standard process starts with individuals like you, the reader of this article. There is a form on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website, or you can simply email to dfg.bog .comments@alaska.gov for submission.

Proposals are submitted during a three-year cycle of regions within the state. Typically, the deadline to submit proposals is May 1 for the starting year (this year’s is April 29). This information is updated on the ADFG website (adfg.alaska .gov) under: Regulations; Process; Board of Game. From that point, submitted proposals go on to advisory committees. There are 84 committees set up in six regions throughout the state.

“Advisory committees are local groups that meet to discuss fish and wildlife issues, provide a local forum for those issues, and make recommendations to the Alaska boards of fisheries and game,” the ADFG website states. “Their purpose as established by the Joint Board of Fisheries and Game includes: Developing regulatory proposals; evaluating regulatory proposals and making recommendations to the appropriate board; providing a local forum for fish and wildlife conservation and use, including matters relating to habitat; consulting with individuals, organizations, and agencies.”

The advisory committee process is very important. It allows local input into the regulation change and each advisory committee states whether they support or object to the proposal as a group. You can attend these public meetings and become a member on the advisory committee through an in-person voting process. Those public meetings are also scheduled through the ADFG website.

And as an Alaskan hunter, I feel it’s important to have your voice heard.

IN MAY OF 2017, I had just begun to get involved in this process. I often hunt around Anchorage and on the Kenai, and it was the Southcentral Region proposal year. There were two proposals that I wanted to put in that I felt would be a positive change for Game Management Unit 14C. I did some research and found that the department’s objective to harvest brown bears was nine bears within GMU 14C. Hunters were averaging just four.

Having hunted the area, I knew it was a one-in-four-years unit – meaning that if you killed a brown bear, you

One of the issues Watkins is most passionate about is bear hunting, especially around the Anchorage area and on the Kenai Peninsula. His proposals to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game helped push changes through. He urges hunters to “take notice of things they observe in the field and put proposals into the Board of Game process.” (BRIAN WATKINS)

couldn’t hunt brown bears for four more regulatory years. So my first goal was to change that to one bear a year.

My second goal was to find areas closer to Anchorage where you could bait bears. There had been several bear attacks in 2016 and I knew something needed to change. Unit 14C is a tricky area because of the proximity to our state’s largest city. There are a lot of user conflicts in the area, so I would have to get creative. I took notice that there was no baiting allowed in 14C remainder (14CR).

This area is outside of the Anchorage city limits and would allow hunters to bait without conflict, in my opinion. I submitted the proposal yet knew the work wasn’t done. I wanted to put forth the effort to ensure this would pass.

I called state biologists stationed at the Kenai office that manages the peninsula for bear research. I asked why there was no baiting allowed in 14CR. One said he believed it was just an area that was forgotten about and that the bear population there could sustain more harvest.

Seeing this proposal, the Girdwood Board of Supervisors asked for me to attend one of their meetings to give my input for this proposal. I knew I wouldn’t be as welcome, as they weren’t all within the hunting community, but I was obliged to go based off of Girdwood being within 14CR.

Much to my surprise, the Girdwood Board of Supervisors was more than welcoming, but had concerns over my proposal. There are areas within Girdwood that could have user conflict issues if hunters were to bait within the subunit. I took this into consideration and decided I would amend my proposal to exclude the Glacier Creek area, thus alleviating that conflict.

After proposals go through advisory councils, they are submitted to the Board of Game. The Board of Game consists of seven members serving three-year terms. Members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature. These members vote on proposals after a public comment period, usually in January. At this meeting, I attended to support my proposals, as well as others in person. That’s where I advised the board that I was willing to amend my proposal based on the Girdwood supervisors’ input.

Both of my proposals were approved and implemented into the 2019-2020 Alaska Hunting Regulations. With these changes, it opened more harvest for bears. I personally have not hunted the area, but a group of my friends have and with much success.

They have been successful in taking one brown and four black bears. I was on the hunt for one of my friend’s bears. It was the largest black bear I have ever seen in person – an absolute giant. Three people were able to take their first bear in that area.

Another example that I took notice to and have had a successful proposal is the season dates for wolf hunting. When hunting in the Brooks Range and listening to other hunters, I observed that the wolf hunting season started in sequence with the sheep season on August 10. I noticed that sheep hunters often go into the field ahead of season and are able to take wolves on their way to their sheep spots.

Caribou season also kicks off in July and the same issue was prevalent. I put a proposal in to change the wolf season start date to August 1. This was passed, but I have yet to hear if any hunters took wolves in the first 10 days of season.

WITH THE SOUTHCENTRAL REGION coming back up in the 2022-2023 cycle, I have five proposals I plan to submit. I urge readers to take notice of things they observe in the field and put proposals into the Board of Game process.

Put in your due diligence to get input from biologists and persons affected. The better case you make, the better chance of approval. ASJ

Editor’s note: For information on submitting hunting proposals, go to adfg.alaska.gov/ static/regulations/regprocess/gameboard/ pdfs/2022-2023/call.pdf.