Hunting Edition 2010

Hunting Edition • August 2010 Your guide to bagging your big game dreams, Alaska style

Eric Engman/News-Miner

A young bull moose keeps a wary eye as he feeds along the Parks Highway.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Changes made to Fortymile caribou hunt Season opens on Aug. 29

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com More hunters should get a shot at bagging a Fortymile caribou this season as a result of changes adopted by the Alaska Board of Game in March.

The biggest change is a later start to the season in

road-accessible areas, i.e. the Steese and Taylor highways.

The season in those areas won’t open until Aug. 29, which is almost three weeks later than the traditional Aug. 10 opening.

The third area of the hunt, in the headwaters of the Salcha and Goodpaster rivers, which is not accessible by road, will open Aug. 10.

The other major change is that the fall hunt in all three areas went from either sex to bulls only.

The later opening on the Steese and Taylor highways is aimed at preventing too many caribou getting shot near roads, which has resulted in early closures, sometimes after only a day or two.

Last year, the hunt along both roads was closed after only three days and hunters still ended up shooting 1,055 caribou during the fall season. That exceeded the fall harvest quota of 640, as well as the total quota of 850. The winter hunt was canceled as

a result.

“The main intention for the changes was to bring the harvest management back under control by waiting until herd disperses away from the highway to some extent but still open the season before the herd completely disperses from highway to allow maximum opportunity,” Tok area biologist Jeff Gross, who manages the Fortymile hunt, said.

“It just reached the point with the number of hunters and caribou available that we

couldn’t effectively monitor the distribution and harvest adequately to make sure we didn’t exceed the quota.”

The later opening should mean fewer caribou near the roads, based on monitoring flights from past years, Gross said.

“As we progress through August, caribou generally disperse away from the highway system to more remote parts of the range,” he said. “As Please see FORTYMILE, Page 4

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

FORTYMILE: It’s bulls only at the popular Fortymile caribou hunt Continued from Page 3

we get into September, they disperse even more away from roads before they finally group up for the impending rut.”

The season for federally qualified subsistence users will still open on Aug. 10. The season closing dates of Sept.

30 for residents and Sept. 20 for non-residents remain the same.

The harvest quotas for the fall Fortymile hunt will remain the same, with an overall quota of 600 animals divided between the three hunt areas. The quota is 270 for the Taylor Highway; 180 for the Steese Highway; and 150 for the roadless portion of the hunt.

Resident hunters previously could shoot cows or bulls while non-residents were limited to bulls.

The new bull-only caveat for this year’s fall hunt was proposed by local advisory committees and is meant to cut down on wounding loss by discouraging “flock shooting,” Gross said.

“When people hunting along the road system see a bunch of caribou out there they tended to start firing knowing they could take any caribou,” he said. “The idea behind this is it would result in hunters needing to be more selective.”

Even with the changes made to this year’s hunt, Gross wasn’t making any guarantees in regards to sea-

FORTYMILE CARIBOU How do you tell a bull caribou from a cow caribou?

John Wagner/News-Miner

The harvest quotas for the fall Fortymile caribou hunt will remain the same, with an overall quota of 600 animals divided between the three hunt areas. The quota is 270 for the Taylor Highway; 180 for the Steese Highway; and 150 for the roadless portion of the hunt. son length.

“Caribou are caribou; they could always do something we don’t anticipate,” he said.

“There’s good likelihood the season will last longer than

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what we’ve seen the last four or five years. We’re definitely hoping for a season that lasts more than three or four days.”

Hunters should call the

Here are some tips from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game: • Look for the white rump without a black vulva patch, or the presence of a penis sheath to positively identify a bull caribou.

• Do not use testicles as the only way to identify a bull, because the udder on a cow can look like the testicles on a bull.

• Watch them urinate.

Urine from cows comes out from behind the animal while bulls urinate forward.

• Older bulls have large antlers in relation to their body size and cows have relatively small antlers in relation to their body size.

There is no reliable way to distinguish young bulls from cows by looking at antler size. Cows may have larger antlers than young bulls.

FIND OUT MORE: Check out the Department of Fish and Game’s brochure on how to identify a bull caribou at www. wildlife.alaska.gov/index. cfm?adfg=caribou.main.

Fortymile caribou hunt • Season dates: Opens Aug. 10 in roadless portion of the hunt and Aug. 29 along the Steese and Taylor highways. Season closes Sept. 20 for non-residents and Sept. 30 for residents.

• Harvest quotas: Bulls only. Starting this season, all hunters — resident and non-resident — are allowed to shoot only bulls during the fall hunt.

• Permits: Available at Department of Fish and Game offices in Fairbanks, Delta and Tok. • Hotline: Hunters should call the Fortymile caribou hotline at 907267-2310 before venturing into the field to get the latest reports and any possible closures.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

A breakdown of Interior Alaska caribou herds Fortymile Caribou Herd • Herd size: Approximately 46,500 based on a 2009 photo census • Hunt type: Registration permit • Season dates: Aug. 10 to Sept. 20 (non-residents) or Sept. 30 (residents) in Zone 2 (roadless portion); Aug. 29 to Sept. 20 (non-residents) or Sept. 30 (residents) in Zone 1 and 3 off Steese and Taylor highways. Winter hunt is Dec. 1-Feb. 28 in all three zones for residens and nonresidents.

• Harvest quota: 600 for fall hunt; 195 for winter hunt. Quota breakdown for the fall hunt is 180 for the Steese Highway (Zone 1); 150 for the roadless portion (Zone 2) and 270 for the Taylor Highway (Zone 3).

• Harvest last year: 1,057

• Access: Mostly off the Steese (Zone 1) and Taylor (Zone 3) highways. In Zone 2, hunters can fly in or take boats up the Salcha or Goodpaster rivers, depending on water levels.

• Herd status: The Fortymile herd increased from 2006-09 after three years of population declines but birthrates the past two years have been below average, likely due to the fact the herd is expanding into poorer quality habitat as a result of its growth.

Biologists expect the herd to expand onto new summer ranges on the edges of their current range as they search for better forage.

A likely expansion would be onto the upland areas of the White Mountains, north of the Steese Highway, where the herd moved last time it increased over 50,000 in the 1950s and 60s.

Doing so would likely

result in better summer hab- tral Arctic herd has been itat and improved herd nutri- growing in recent years and tion. this year’s calf crop was a good one, area biologist Beth Lenart said.

Pregnancy rates were over 90 percent, she said. “You • Herd size: Approxi- can fly over there and see mately 67,000 based on a calves everywhere,” Lenart 2008 photo census said. Bag limit changes this • Hunt type: General year allow hunters to take up season to five caribou, an increase • Season dates: July 1 over the previous bag limit to May 15 for cows and bulls; of two. Hunters can also take May 16-June 30 bulls only in either sex caribou. In the a small portion of the unit. past, hunters couldn’t shoot • Harvest quota: none cows until Oct. 1.

• Harvest last year: The herd appears to be Approximately 800 more evenly distributed this • Access: Walk in off the year, which should mean betDalton Highway. Rifle hunt- ter success for bowhunters in ers must walk at least five the Dalton Highway Corridor miles to get beyond the Dal- Management Area. ton Highway Corridor, which “I think bowhunters will is limited to archery only. have a little better success Hunters can also fly in or this year,” Lenart said. “The use boats to cross the Sag last couple years it’s been River and go up the Ivishak pretty tough because they or Echooka rivers. were way over to the east.”

• Herd status: The Cen-

Central Arctic Caribou Herd

Macomb Caribou Herd • Herd size: last count we did was last fall, counted 959, approximately 1,000 • Hunt type: Registration permit • Season dates: Aug. 10Aug. 27, or when closed by emergency order if the harvest quota is reached.

• Harvest quota: 50 • Harvest last year: 48 • Access: Hunting is closed west of Jarvis Creek, which means there is no hunting along the Richardson Highway until you are east of the creek.

Because the herd’s range is within the Delta Controlled Use Area, which is closed to the use of motorized vehicles through Aug. 25, there is no motorized access until the final two days of the season on Aug. 26-27.

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STATUS Continued from Page 5

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010 Likewise, motorized vehicles are not allowed in the Macomb Plateau Controlled Use Area except that float

planes may land at Fish Lake. ka Highway. record high.

Some hunters ride horses or • Herd status: The herd The herd has been expandbikes into the Macomb Con- has been increasing last few ing its range toward the trolled Use Area off the Alas- years and is currently at a Richardson Highway for the past six to eight years, which has resulted in access restrictions from the highway.

Nelchina Caribou Herd • Herd size: Approximately 45,000 based on preliminary summer count.

• Hunt type: Tier I or Tier II subsistence permit.

At last report, 1,350 Tier I permits had been issued for the fall hunt and biologists expect at least 2,000 Tier II permits to be issued for the winter hunt, depending on how many animals are taken in the fall hunt.

The application period for the Tier II winter hunt opened Aug. 6 and the deadline to apply is Sept. 30.

• Season dates: Aug. 1Sept. 20 for fall Tier I hunt; Oct. 21-March 31 for Tier II subsistence hunt • Harvest quota: 2,300 for the season. 1,500 bulls and no more than 800 cows.

• Harvest last year: 792 (includes state and federal hunts).

• Access: Off the Denali Glenn, Parks or Richardson highways via truck, car, ATV, boat or foot.

“Pretty much if you want to shoot a caribou and you have a permit you can make it happen,” area biologist Becky Schwanke with the Department of Fish and Game in Glennallen said.

• Herd status: The herd showed significant growth in the past year and is up to an estimated 45,000 animals, which is above the management objective of 35,000 to 40,000.

This year’s calf crop was a good one, which is the reason for the increase, she said.

“It’s definitely healthy,” Schwanke said.

“We had a very, very good calf crop.”

The department is hoping to knock the herd down slightly this year to avoid overgrazing on its range.

“We don’t want the herd to languish above 40,000 very long,” Schwanke said.

Please see STATUS, Page 7

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

STATUS: Delta Caribou Herd mixing with Nelchina herd White Mountains Caribou Herd

Continued from Page 6

“That has not been good for the range in the past. If we get the harvest we’re looking for this year and have average wintertime mortality I think that will put us where we want to be.”

Delta Caribou Herd • Herd size: Approximately 2,000 • Hunt type: Drawing permit.

• Season dates: Aug. 10Sept. 20 • Harvest quota: None because it’s a drawing permit hunt. There were 150 bull permits issued this year.

• Harvest last year: 49 • Access: Mostly fly in or walk in from the Parks or Richardson highways. Some hunters use four-wheelers to look for animals in the Ferry Trail Management Area south of Nenana off the Parks Highway but there are usually only a few animals in that area.

• Herd status: After a steady decline over the course of 15 to 20 years, the herd began to increase about five years ago as a result of good calf recruitment.

However, a few years ago

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Over the last couple years, the Delta Caribou Heard has been spending more time in Unit 13 than Unit 20, which is complicating things. If Delta animals remain in the Nelchina herd, it could mean fewer permits issued for the Delta herd in the future. about half the herd moved south to Unit 13 and mixed in with the Nelchina Caribou Herd.

The question now is whether those animals are going to return to the Del-

ta herd or remain with the Nelchina herd?

Over the last couple years they have been spending more time in Unit 13 than Unit 20, which is complicating things for hunt managers.

If Delta animals remain in the Nelchina herd, it could mean fewer permits issued for the Delta herd in the future.

• Herd size: Approximately 600 • Hunt type: General season hunt for bulls only in fall; registration permit hunt for bulls and cows in winter.

• Season dates: Aug. 10Sept. 20 in fall; Dec. 1-March 31 in winter. The winter hunt can be closed by emergency order if the harvest quota is reached.

• Harvest quota: 30 caribou • Harvest last year: Approximately 25 • Access: Off Steese and Elliott Highway via foot, ATV, snowmachine, dog tream or skis. You can also float down Beaver Creek.

• Herd status: The herd population generally fluctuates between 500 and 800 animals and is currently about in the middle of that range.

They are big-bodied animals.

Six-month-old calves in the White Mountains herd can weigh 150 pounds, which is about the same as an adult caribou on the North Slope.

Most of the harvest occurs during the fall general season hunt.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Is that moose legal? Know your antlers News-Miner file/ Shannon Johnson

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com When it comes to judging the size of moose antlers, there is really only one rule to follow.

“If you aren’t sure, don’t shoot,” state wildlife biologist Steve DuBois at the Department of Fish and Game in Delta said.

The definition of a legal moose in many parts of the state, including unit 20A south of Fairbanks, is one that has an antler spread of at least 50 inches or has a certain number of brow tines on one side, usually three or four.

The definition of antler spread is the distance measured in a straight line perpendicular to the center of the skull. Brow tines are the points that emerge from the first branch or bow palm of the main beam of a moose’s antler, which is separated from the main palm by a wide bay. A point originating in or ater the bay is not a brow tine. A brow tine must be at least 1-inch long and it must be longer than it is wide.

Most hunters prefer to count brow tines — points on the bottom palm of a moose’s antler — to ensure a moose is legal rather than judge antler size. That’s what Fairbanks area management biologist Don Young advises.

“There’s a tendency for people who haven’t seen a lot of moose to think they’re

The definition of antler spread is the distance measured in a straight line perpendicular to the center of the skull.

Brow tines are the points that emerge from the first branch or bow palm of the main beam of a moose’s antler, which is separated from the main palm by a wide bay.

bigger than they are,” Young said. “It’s pretty easy to get fooled. Antlers tend to shrink when you get closer to the moose.”

Guides refer to that phenomenon as “ground shrinkage,” joked Coke Wallace, a registered guide from Healy.

That is, a moose’s antlers shrink as soon as it hits the ground.

Wallace, who has studied

hundreds of bull moose in 20 years of guiding, uses a moose’s ears to help figure out if it has a 50-inch antler spread.

“I want to see 6 to 8 inches of air space between his ears and his antlers when his ears are laid out flat,” Wallace said.

Wallace also studies the antler paddle on a bull moose to help judge size.

“If that paddle doesn’t go to at least the mid-point on his shoulder when he’s walking, he’s probably not a (legal) moose,” Wallace said.

Another simple trick is to envision holding a sheet of plywood over your head, Wallace said.

“You need to be 2 inches bigger than a sheet of plywood,” he said. “It should be easy for carpenters.”

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Moose hunting guide Virgil Umphenour uses the distance between a moose’s eyes to judge antler size. It’s about 9 inches between a bull moose’s eyes, he said.

“I look at the eyes,” Umphenour said. “That’s 9 inches.

Then you go out on one side of it and multiply it by two.”

He also examines how wide a moose’s body is and how much the antlers stick out on each side.

Fairbanks Master Guide Pete Buist advises hunters to watch the Alaska Department of Fish and Game video “Is This Moose Legal?” The 40minute video explains what brow tines, spikes and forks are, as well as providing 20 clips of bull moose in the field from different angles to demonstrate what is a legal moose and what isn’t.

“Just watch the movie,” said Buist, who is not a fan of using distance between eyes or ear length to judge antlers.

“You get to look at moose under the next best thing to field conditions.”

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

9

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

The camera gives you the other important shot

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com You never want to shoot a moose with its tongue sticking out, at least not with a camera. That’s one of the cardinal sins of novice hunting photographers.

While most hunters spend plenty of time sighting in their rifles to make sure they can hit what they’re shooting at, few focus on shooting their animals with a camera.

While the meat in your freezer from a successful hunt will last only a year or two, photographs last a lifetime and are a good way to preserve your hunt. Many hunters compile photo albums of individual hunts.

“It doesn’t take a fancy camera,” said Ken Whitten, a retired wildlife biologist, hunter and photographer.

“You can do it all with a point-andshoot that fits in your pocket.”

Guide Virgil Umphenour uses a 35mm waterproof Minolta to take pictures of his clients.

“It’s automatic, it takes real good pictures and I don’t have to worry about it getting wet,” Umphenour said. “A lot of people carry those disposable cameras.”

Here are some tips for taking pictures of your next hunt: • Blood and guts don’t sell.

“If you want friends to be impressed by your pictures, make sure the animal is not covered with blood,” said

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Whitten.

Try to clean it up if you can. If it’s a sheep or caribou, sometimes you can turn the animal over to show the cleanest side.

• Use wide-angle lenses. Wider lenses tend to distort the size of the animal and make it look bigger than it really is, especially in closeup shots. Crouch down next to it or kneel behind its antlers or horns for best effect.

• Try to include some background in photos to show what the area was like that you hunted. Things like fall colors, mountains and rivers add to a picture.

• Take lots of pictures. There is more to a hunt than shooting a

moose, caribou, sheep or bear. Get pictures of hunting partners hauling meat out and lounging in camp.

Shots of meat hanging, friends sitting around the campfire and rafts, boats or airplanes loaded with meat also help tell the whole story.

• Show respect for the animal.

Don’t sit on its back and ride it like a horse or exploit it in any other way.

• No tongues allowed. If an animal’s tongue is sticking out, try to put it back in its mouth, though that’s sometimes easier said than done.

“Sometimes it’s easiest just to cut the tongue out,” said Umphenour.

Please see PHOTO, Page 10

10

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Moose calling is an art form to master

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com Calling moose isn’t an art as much as it is a body function.

As master guide Pete Buist of Fairbanks once put it, “At the right time of year, it doesn’t hardly make a difference what sound you make.

You can fart or burp or anything.”

The right time of year generally begins the second week of September. That’s usually when bulls begin going into rut and looking for cows in heat. Sept. 10 is the date most circle on the calendar as the start of the calling season.

“I’ve called them in as early as Sept. 5 but it’s usually after Sept. 10,” said Dave Kelleyhouse, a longtime Alaska hunter and retired state wildlife biologist.

Kelleyhouse estimates he and his hunting partners have called in at least 150 bulls in 25 years.

“The whole idea is to convince a moose you’re another moose,” he said.

There are four basic calls hunters use to attract bull moose, depending on the time of season and the situation: • Antler scraping on trees and brush in early September.

• A pre-rut bull “gluck” in early September.

• A “mu-wah” bull challenge in mid-September.

• A nasal, melodic “moooo-ah” cow call in late September that starts high, goes low and ends high.

“In the first part of the season, a cow call works best for me,” said big game guide Virgil Umphenour, another expert moose caller.

Cow calls can be used at any point in the season to draw in a bull.

A little time spent calling from camp in the morning and evening can produce big results. It’s simply a matter of being patient and observant.

Antler scrapes on brush and soft “glucks” work well to catch the attention and solicit a response from near-

by bulls early in the season, too. Bulls may either come in slowly or respond by antler scrapes of their own. If a bull responds but won’t come in, you must go to the bull, scraping lightly on brush as you approach, preferably from downwind. You can also reach up and break branches off as you go.

When you stop raking and thrashing the trees, listen closely.

“Give it a good five minutes,” said Kelleyhouse. “Pay attention to what’s going on.

Listen for sticks breaking, antler rakes.”

If a bull responds, start raking the brush more aggressively. It’s possible a bull will respond to your call but will not move toward it.

“That’s because he’s got cows with him,” said Kelleyhouse.

At that point, start crashing through the brush and head straight for the bull, said Kelleyhouse. He also advised “glucking” as you walk while at the same time raking brush.

“I don’t try to be quiet,” said Umphenour. “They just think you’re another moose.”

A bull challenge is most effective on big bulls in heavy rut. The call is similar to a slow “mu-wah” groan with the emphasis on the “wah” coming from your belly. It is usually issued three or four times in quick succession.

Make sure you hear bulls Please see CALL, Page 11

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• If you’re using a digital camera and you want to get a print made, take your photos at the highest resolution possible.

“If you’re just sending friends e-mails, you don’t need resolution, but if you’re making a print you do,” Whitten said. “It’s real simple to reduce the resolution to send it over the Internet, but it’s hard to do it the other way around.”

• Include your rifle or bow in the picture, whether it’s in your arms, leaning against the animal or situated in the antlers.

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

CALL: A little practice time Continued from Page 10

Another possible way to draw in a bull is to imitate a cow urinating in a pond by dumping a can full of water slowly into the water. strous cows urinate frequently, said Kelleyhouse, and you might catch the ear of a bull if he is nearby.

Common calling mistakes include calling too much and calling too early. Calling a moose too early in the season can scare off bulls, especially if you are using challenge calls.

“If you’re a good enough caller, he’s going to think there’s a bigger, hard-antlered bull ready to fight and he’s going to go running scared if he’s not in breeding condition yet,” Kelleyhouse said.

Over-calling is another way to scare off moose that may be in the area. Give a series of grunts, rake some brush and wait five or 10 minutes, not 30 seconds.

in the area challenging each other before you use the challenge call so that you don’t scare any other bulls off, Kelleyhouse advised A bull with cows will not usually leave his harem to come to you, so you must go to him, scraping and challenging.

Any kind of call is best projected through a birch bark, cardboard or plastic megaphone. A call can carry up to a mile on a quiet evening.

Cupping your hands around your mouth and plugging your nose will work, too.

While effective calling may take practice, anybody can scrape a moose antler or shoulder blade against a bush and do a good imitation of a bull moose scraping his antlers on a bush.

If you don’t have an antler or shoulder blade, you can cut out the bottom of a plastic milk jug and use it. If you have a fiberglass stock on Contact staff writer Tim Mowry your rifle, you can use that. at 459-7587.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

HARE’S LOOKING AT YOU

News-Miner file

There are two species of hares in Alaska, the snowshoe hare and the Arctic hare. Snowshoe hares weigh 3 or 4 pounds and the Arctic hare is distinctly larger, at 6 to 12 pounds. Both are grayish-brown in summer, with white underparts, and turn white in the winter. This winter camouflage is caused by physiological changes triggered by the shortening day length in autumn. That means that in years when the snow is late, these white animals stand out markedly to predators and hunters. “Hunting hares in Alaska is different from hunting cottontails in the Lower 48,” says biologist Tom Paragi.

“Cottontails will jump up right at your feet, but these hares, they move out way ahead of you. You don’t see them nearly as much. If you hunt slowly, you don’t spook them as much and can pick them out.” For more on hunting hares in Alaska, visit the state of Alaska website at www.wc.adfg.state. ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=smallgame.hare

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Taxidermy: Helping you keep the big one he said. “ You can put some few minutes to demonstrate.

• Take plenty of salt. It’s nicks in there and surprisingly there’s a lot of things that can better to have too much salt When it comes to taxidermy, be fixed.” than not enough and it’s cheap. it’s easier to prevent mistakes Immediate salting is crucial to early than fixing them later. preserving a hide for taxidermy.

That’s why hunters who are Depending on the weather, some thinking about taking a trophy Here are some tips from local hides start slipping in two or animal this year should consult taxidermists that hunters should three days. At least 5-10 pounds a taxidermist before going out consider if they are thinking of fine-grained, noniodized salt into the field. about bringing a trophy home is needed for a sheep or caribou “It only takes a 5-minute to mount on the wall: and a minimum of 50 pounds is phone call to a taxidermist and • Talk to a taxidermist before needd for a moose hide. Washing he’ll tell you what you need to going into the field. It’s free and a hide requires as much as two know, rather than relying on it can save you a bundle in the or three times as much salt. a friend who may or may not long run. The biggest mistakes • Take an extra tent just for have done it before,” said Rich hunters make in preparing ani- animals when you go hunting.

Hamilton, owner of Brow-Tine mals for taxidermy are cutting A tent will quicken the drying Taxidermy in North Pole. capes too short and poor flesh- process by waterproofing the The job you do skinning ing of hides, both of which can hides and increasing the drying the animal out in the field will be addressed by a taxidermist temperature. It’s warmer in a determine more than anything before you head to the field. tent and it provides protection else how it looks on the wall, Ask about turning ears and lips, from the sun, which helps preHamilton said. “The better the which can help prevent slip- vent slipping or loss of hair. medium you start off with, the page. It’s not that difficult and • Never salt and then freeze better your mount is going to it will only take a taxidermist a a hide. Salt water does not turn out,” he said. “The main thing for (hunters) to do is decide what they’re going to do before they get out there.

“A lot of times it’s not until they get an animal down and they say, ‘Man, I want to get this mounted,’” Hamilton said.

The most important thing hunters must do is turn the lips, ears and eyelids on an animal and split the nostrils, which are the basic requirements for preserving a head mount for any big game animal. Failure to do so properly will result in hair loss that will make it impossible and impractical to mount.

“No matter what the animal, the ears have to be turned, the lips have to be split, the nostril wings have to be split, the eyelids need to be turned and any chunks of flesh or fat need to be removed,” Hamilton said.

“Only after that, do you put salt on it.”

The easiest way to learn those techniques is to have a taxidermist show you, Hamilton said. “We kind of have our own different little things we do and that we recommend,” he said.

Beginners will most likely make mistakes skinning animals the first time or two but Hamilton cautioned hunters not to get discouraged.

“If you haven’t done this before you’re probably going to put a nick or two in it; don’t throw the cape away if you do,”

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com

Taxidermy tips

freeze, which means a salted cape never really freezes.

• Take time to thoroughly flesh the hide. You’ll have major slippage if you don’t get all the fat and meat off the hide. A glaze will form and prevent the salt from doings its job.

• Don’t cut the cape too short. Cut around the belly or rib cage, not the shoulder, so your taxidermist has some room to play. It doesn’t cost extra to leave extra cape on the animal.

• If you want to save velvet on caribou antlers, poke holes in the tips to drain blood. You’ll be surprised by how much blood the antlers hold. Also, use cloth backing if you tie the antlers with rope.

• Make sure you have room in your house for what you want to have mounted. You don’t want to spend a bunch of money on a moose or caribou mount when

you don’t have room to display it. Figure out where you’re going to put it before you shoot it and make sure you have a way to get it in the house.

• Don’t expect your mount back in a week. It takes about a year for most taxidermists to complete a mount.

• Check into detachable antlers. It makes for easier and cheaper shipping and also makes moving the mounts in and out of houses much easier. It only costs an extra $20 and requires just one hole to be drilled.

• Find out what’s its going to cost before you commit. Mounts aren’t cheap, even if you’re just getting a basic antler mount.

Find out how much money you’re going to have to invest before you show up at the taxidermy shop with your trophy.

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

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14

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Lifespan is short for bull moose on Tanana Flats

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com There’s a reason you don’t find many trophy moose on the Tanana Flats. They don’t live long enough to get that big.

On average, it takes a bull moose in game management unit 20A, more commonly referred to as the Tanana Flats, six years to grow antlers with a 50-inch antler spread.

That’s the minimum size required to constitute a legal, antlered bull, though bulls

with three or four brow tines on one side — the number depends on where you’re hunting — on one side are legal.

According to an ongoing study by biologists at the Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks, most bull moose in unit 20A are shot by the time they are 8-years-old, Fairbanks area biologist Don Young said.

“There’s nothing really older than that,” the biologist said.

The reason is simple.

“We have high hunter den-

sity and high hunter harvest,” Young said.

Of the more than 300 moose that Young sampled from 200608 — last year’s age samples aren’t done yet — there were only a handful older than 8, Young said.

With the information they collect this year, biologists will have a five-year data set to work with but Young said “I don’t expect things to change much.”

A similar study done in the 1970s by legendary biologist

Dr. Bill Gasaway produced similar results, Young said.

That study showed the age that moose in unit 20A didn’t reach 50-inch antler size until they were 6.1 years of age.

That study included samples of animals taken in units 12 and 20, however, while Young’s current study focuses solely on unit 20A. How quickly a bull in unit 20A has more to do with age than anything else, though there is individual variation, Young said.

For example, Young found several 4-year-old bulls that had already reached 50 inches and two that were almost 60 inches. At the same time, there are a “fair number” of 7year-old bulls that were not 50 inches and may never make it to 50 inches.

“There are some animals that will not reach 50 inches,” he said. “Then there are some animals that get to 50 inches pretty quickly.”

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

15

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Mild winters mean more moose in the Interior A unit-by-unit breakdown of moose herds

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com Global warming may not be good for polar bears but it’s been good for growing moose in the central Interior.

Whether it be the summer wildfires in recent years that have rejuvenated millions of acres of habitat to warmer temperatures and less snow in the winter, both moose and hunters in the Interior have benefitted.

Warmer temperatures and less snow makes life a lot easier for moose, which means more of them survive the winter. It also makes life easier for state game managers because they can liberalize harvests rather than restrict them.

“As long as we continue to have these relatively mild winters we should be able to provide lot of moose hunting opportunity and meet our harvest and population goals in the long run,” Fairbanks area biologist Don Young with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said.

Eric Engman/News-Miner

Whether it be the summer wildfires in recent years that have rejuvenated millions of acres of habitat to warmer temperatures and less snow in the winter, both moose and hunters in the Interior have benefitted. Warmer temperatures and less snow makes life a lot easier for moose, which means more of them survive the winter.

Here’s a rundown of moose 20A at slightly over 15,000 herds in popular Interior game moose, up almost 3,000 moose from the previous year’s estiunits. mate.

“We had a mild winter, we had good survival of adults and we also suspect we had

Unit 20A (Tanana Flats)

good survival of calves, so we should have good recruitment,” Young said.

“We feel confident the numbers are in the 14,000 to 15,000 range.”

That’s above the man-

agement objective of 10,000 12,000 moose, which is the primary reason the state issued more than 500 drawing permits for cow moose in unit 20A this year and there will almost surely be a registra-

An aerial population survey last November estimated the moose population in Unit

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

NUMBERS: Increasing for moose populations around Fairbanks Continued from Page 15

tion permit hunt for antlerless moose this winter.

Despite six years of liberal cow moose harvests, hunters have yet to put a real dent in the unit 20A moose population, in large part because of mild winters that have led to higher survival rates, Young said.

Biologists have yet to see any improvement in twinning

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rates and calf weights in unit 20A, two indicators that the nutritional health of the herd is improving.

Until twinning rates and calf weights go up, Young said the department will continue holding antlerless hunts to keep the population in check.

“I suspect based on what happened last year with the drawing permits we’ll likely not get the harvest of ant-

Elusive Lake

lerless moose we would like,” Young said. “There a good chance we’ll have a winter antlerss hunt in portions of unit 20A.” Just what portions of the unit antlerless hunts will be held and what the harvest quota will be won’t be determined until after biologists evaluate the fall harvest and conduct a population survey in November. If there is a winter

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NOTICE TO AIRMEN, GUIDES, OUTFITTERS, RAFTERS & SPORT HUNTERS Large tracts of land on the Western and Central North Slope are owned by the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC). Entry on these privately owned lands requires the consent of ASRC. Sport hunting and fishing are prohibited on ASRC lands.

Within ASRC lands in the Central and Western Arctic are a number of gravel airstrips that are closed to public access. Entry on the following airstrips requires the written consent of ASRC: AKULIK 69°00’02”N 163°26’33”W; EAGLE CREEK 68°40’46”N 162°39’13”W; KILLIK 68°27’15”N 154°17’43”W; TIGLIKPUK 68°25’25”N 151°27’26”W; TULUGAK 68°59’36”N 151°11’42”W

hunt, it will be from Jan. 10 to Feb. 28.

Unit 20B (Fairbanks road system) Like neighboring unit 20A, the moose population in unit 20B, which covers most of the road system in and around Fairbanks, is increasing. Biologists estimate there are as many as 20,000 moose in the unit.

“That population is showing a steady increase,” Young said. “We’re well above our management objective of 12,000 to 15,000 moose.”

As a result, the department nearly doubled the number of drawing permits issued for antlerless moose in unit 20B this season, from 496 to 835.

Biologists are beginning to see some nutritional limitations for moose in unit 20B, similar to what they saw several years ago in unit 20A, but Young said he thinks the department initiated antlerless hunts in unit 20B soon enough to address and rectify those problems.

“With the antlerless hunts in place I think we can provide a lot of hunting opportunity and regulate these high moose densities,” Young said.

Unit 20D (Delta Junction) After three years of liberal cow moose hunts in part of unit 20D to knock the moose population down, state game managers are easing off the throttle to evaluate the impact of those hunts.

There will be now cow moose hunts in southwest unit 20D this season, area biologist Steve DuBois with the Department of Fish and Game in Delta Junction said. During the past four years, hunters harvested more than 1,000 cow moose from southwest 20D, where moose were beginning to show signs of nutritional stress based on twinning rates and calf weights.

“We’re doing quite a bit of work in southwest 20D trying to assess the impact of those cow hunts,” DuBois said. “We stopped them this year to look at that data and give us a chance to review and assess whether to keep the cow hunts next year.”

Managers will make that decision this winter after fall moose surveys, he said.

Most of the moose in unit 20D — an estimated 5,500 — are on the south side of the Please see NUMBERS, Page 17

These airstrips are subject to periodic surveillance by ASRC. Trespassers will be prosecuted.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

NUMBERS: Tok, Taylor area moose populations are stable River occurs on Shaw Creek sities range from about 0.5 to Flats and the Goodpaster Riv- 2 moose per square mile.

Tanana River in the southwest er, he said.

While that number is much portion of the unit where the higher than it was five years cow hunts were held. That ago, it’s still not high enough area was home to about 7,000 for the department to remove moose four years ago. unit-wide antler restrictions “That’s down from several that prevent hunters from Thanks in large part to six shooting medium-sized bulls, years ago but that’s what we years of aerial predator con- or to open the unit up to wanted,” DuBois said.

On the north side of the trol, moose numbers in unit hunting by non-residents.

Tanana River, biologists esti- 13 have steadily increased, Most of unit 13 is restricted mate a population of about as has the number of hunters to resident hunters, with only and moose harvest.

2,000 moose. a limited drawing permit hunt “All in all, the reduced wolf for non-residents.

No surveys have been done since 2004 but DuBois sus- numbers in the unit is priAs the number of moose pects that number may be marily thought to be cause in unit 13 has increased, so climbing because of several of current increase in moose too has the number of moose large wildfires in 2004 that population,” area biologist hunters. should improve habitat. Part Becky Schwanke in GlennalLast year, more than 3,300 of that area should have also len said. “We’ve been doing hunters participated in the benefited from the Fortymile very well meeting our wolf general season and the total caribou predator control pro- (harvest) objective for about harvest for the unit, includfive years now. gram, he said. ing federal subsistence har“The moose population is vest, was 860 moose. That’s “I fully anticipate in the near future that the north- increasing about 5 percent a up almost 200 from the 2007 ern 20D populaton will start year,” she said. harvest.

Mild winters have also growing,” DuBois said.

“As the moose population Most of the hunting pres- been a factor in the increase, goes up, word slowly travels sure is in southwest unit 20D, Schwanke said. and the hunter numbers come “We’ve had very good win- up,” Schwanke said. where an average of about 500 hunters harvest about ters, which has led to good survival for moose,” she said.

150 bull moose each year.

The department doesn’t On the north side of the Tanana River, an average of have a population estimate about 300 hunters harvest for moose in unit 13, a vast Moose numbers in units 12 area that measures 23,000 about 85 moose a year.

Most of the hunting pres- square miles, but moose den- and 20E near Tok and in the sure north of the Tanana Continued from Page 16

Unit13 (Nelchina Basin)

Unit 12 and 20E (Tok/Taylor Highway)

Fortymile region southeast of Fairbanks appear to be stable or increasing slightly.

“The moose populations haven’t changed much,” assistant area biologist Torsten Bentzen with the Department of Fish and Game in Tok said. “We definitely don’t see a decrease.”

Units 12 and 20E have relatively low moose densities but Bentzen suspects numbers may be increasing slightly as a result of several wildfires in the area in recent years, dating back to 2004.

“All those big fires in 2004 seemed to give things a boost,” he said.

The latest population estimate for unit 12 in 2008 was 5,100 to 6,700 moose, a slight increase over the estimate five years earlier.

In Unit 20E, the population estimate is 4,300 to 6,000 moose, also a slight increase over the previous estimate in 2004.

There are no antler restrictions in unit 20E and much of unit 12 also is free of antler restrictions, making the areas popular with hunters.

The season is also split in the two units, with an early Aug. 24-28 season and a later Sept.

8-17 season.

An average of about 650 hunters hunt in unit 20E annually and the harvest usually ranges from 130 to 140 moose.

Last year, the success rate for hunters in unit 20E was 26 percent.

“That’s the highest success rate we’ve seen in the last few years,” Bentzen said.

Unit 12 attracts an average of about 600 hunters a year and harvest typically ranges from 120 to 160 moose.

Heavy rains the last half of July and early August closed the Taylor Highway, which is the main access route into unit 20E. What kind of shape the road is in when hunting season rolls around in two weeks remains to be seen but Bentzen said high water in rivers and creeks, as well as saturate trails, may hinder hunters.

“This year it’s going to be interesting because the rivers are real high,” Bentzen said. “If we don’t get some dry weather it’s going to effect some people’s ability to access places.”

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Judging sheep horns is a tough task Brett Bostian photo

Experts advise against counting growth rings

Kelly Bostian, former NewsMiner managing editor, is seen with the 39 1/4-inch Dall sheep ram he killed at 4,000 feet in the Brooks Range during a 10-day sheep hunt in 2007.

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com Counting growth rings on a sheep’s horns to determine whether it a legal full curl was never an option for Virgil Umphenour back when he was guiding.

“I don’t even attempt to count rings,” said Umphenour, a Master Guide from Fairbanks who now lets his son, Eric, handle the sheep hunting for Hunt Alaska, his guiding business.

“If the (sheep) isn’t broomed on both sides or obviously a full curl, I say the hell with it,” he said. “You’re taking a chance if you count rings.”

That’s pretty much the consensus in sheep hunting camps around Alaska.

“I’m not a ring counter,” said Healy guide Coke Wallace, who operates in the central Alaska Range. “I would never shoot a sheep on rings. I’ve got too much at stake.

Please see SHEEP, Page 19

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19

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

SHEEP: The ring count Continued from Page 18

to the top of the eyes,” Wallace said.

Sheep in different parts of the state have different horns, too, Wallace noted.

In the Alaska Range where he hunts, Wallace said sheep horns on rams tend to flare out, making it difficult to judge. In other parts of the state, sheep have horns that grow closer to the face.

“When they flare out it’s much harder,” he said. “A lot of times the tips will lay out flat. You have to imagine what that would be like if it grew straight up.”

Occasionally, Wallace said, you run into a sheep that is obviously legal.

“There are some rams that I knew for sure were 10- or 11-year-old sheep because of the mass of them and the horn dropped below the jaw,” he said. “If (the horn) sweeps way below the jaw and doesn’t come up to a full curl, it’s an old sheep.”

Bob Boutang, another longtime sheep hunter and guide from Fairbanks, likes to see a sheep’s horn drop below its lower jaw.

“That’s a telltale sign of a big sheep,” said Boutang. “Anytime the horn goes below the lower jaw it’s a 40 plus. You don’t see that very often.”

In addition to a good spotting scope and binoculars, sheep hunters need a lot of patience, Umphenour said.

“You might have to sit and watch a sheep for four or six hours until they get up and move,” he said. “I’ve sat and watched sheep for five or six hours waiting for them to move,

“I’m looking for them to be broomed or a full, honest curl,” he said.

In nearly all parts of the state, there are three ways for a sheep to be legal.

1) Its horns form a full curl, which means the tip of at least one horn has grown 360 degrees.

2) The tips of both horns are broken, or broomed.

3) It is an 8-year-old ram.

The only way to determine a sheep’s age by sight is to count growth rings, which can be very tricky, especially looking through a spotting scope from three or four hundred yards away. Rams sometimes produce false rings that can trip a hunter up and the older a sheep is, the harder it is to count rings.

“You can pass a sheep horn around to nine different guides and get nine different ages,” Umphenour said, summing up the dilemma in counting rings.

Counting growth rings is “a roll of the dice,” Wallace agreed.

The best way to judge a sheep is get on a level plane with the animal or slightly above it, Wallace said.

“That way you’re going to err on bigger size, not smaller size,” he said. “If you’re looking at it from below, a sheep is going to look bigger than it is.”

Once you’re on a level plane, then it’s simply a matter of getting a close look at the sheep’s horns through a spotting scope or binoculars and determining if the horns are a full curl.

“I look for the horn to Contact staff writer Tim Mowry break the bridge of their nose at 459-7587.

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20

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

DNR to issue Rex Trail permits again Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com The Department of Natural Resources will once again be issuing permits to allow certain-sized, rubber-tracked vehicles on the eastern Rex Trail during hunting season.

The DNR extended an amended decision made last year in order to collect more data regarding trail conditions, vehicle use and impacts, natural resource manager Jeanne Proulx said.

“All conditions in place last year are exactly the same,” she said.

The Rex Trail is a popular access

route for moose hunters in game management unit 20A south of Fairbanks in the Tanana Flats.

The DNR decided to limit travel on the trail to certain types of vehicles two years ago because of damage to the trail.

DNR officials are still evaluating data collected last year regarding trail damage, Proulx said.

The date travel can begin is Aug. 28, the Saturday before the moose season in game management unit 20A begins.

This extension is effective through April 15.

The restrictions regarding vehicle

size are the same as last year, Proulx said. Vehicles 1,500 pounds or less do not need a permit to travel the trail.

Rubber-tracked vehicles larger than that, up to Nodwell-size, must get a permit to use the trail.

No wheeled trailers will be permitted on the trail and no off-trail travel will be permitted, Proulx said.

Individuals who received a permit last year must re-apply for a permit this year, Proulx said. The permit application fee is $100 and owners must provide photos of their vehicles.

The decision and required permit application is available on the DNR

website at http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/ rextrail/.

Individuals may also obtain a copy of the decision and permit application from the Public Information Centers located in the Fairbanks, Anchorage, or Juneau DNR Offices.

Any person affected by this decision may appeal the Division’s decision.

Any appeal must be submitted to the Commissioner by Aug. 19.

For additional information related to the Rex Trail, contact Proulx at 451-2722 or by e-mail at jeanne. proulx@alaska.gov.

Contact the newsroom at 459-7572.

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The shaded areas on this map generally show the private lands owned by NANA REGIONAL CORPORATION, INC. (NANA). Access to these lands for hunting and fishing is allowable only by NANA shareholders and their families and by non-shareholders of NANA who have been permanent residents of the NANA region for at least 5 years and who receive a permit from NANA. Other allowable uses of NANA lands require a permit. Detailed maps of NANA lands, further information regarding allowable uses, and permits may be obtained from: NANA REGIONAL CORPORATION, INC. LAND DEPARTMENT P.O. BOX 49 KOTZEBUE, ALASKA 99752 (907) 442-3301 • www.nanalands.com

21

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

On the search: The importance of glassing The first thing Virgil Umphenour tells would-be sheep hunters is to get a good pair of binoculars and a good spotting scope.

“You shouldn’t go hunt sheep if you don’t have good optics,” said Umphenour, a longtime sheep hunting guide from Fairbanks who now lets his son, Eric, handle most of the sheep hunting.

“A lot of it is optics,” said Umpenhour, who suggests 10power binoculars, a 30-power spotting scope and a good tripod.

“A guy needs to have good optics.”

A big part of sheep hunting, or any hunting for that matter, is what is commonly referred to as “glassing,” which is nothing more than sitting on a hillside or mountain top and scanning the surrounding country for signs of life.

“It saves you lots of walking, I guarantee,” Umphenour said. “If you have good 10power binoculars you can see a sheep three miles away.”

In other words, you let your eyes do the walking.

“It’s the single most impor-

tant thing you can do, be a diligent glasser,” Dave Kelleyhouse, a retired state wildlife biologist and longtime biggame hunter, said. “A lot of people move around int eh woods too much and cover too much ground.

“What they don’t realize is they’re laying a scent trail everywhere they go,” he said.

Here are some tips provided by Kelleyhouse to make you a better glasser:

Don’t sweep “The most common mistake I see is people sweeping,” Kelleyhouse said. “If you’re constantly moving when you’re glassing you’re not going to see an animal moving.”

Look for parts and pieces

“You’re seldom looking for the entire animal because of the brush or terrain,” Kelleyhouse advised.

Instead, look for the flash The higher you can get, the of a white antler, a brown spot better. in a sea of green brush or a “When I’m glassing I try sign of movement. to get as high as I can,” Kelleyhouse said. “It’s much better to look down than to look up.”

“When people are glassing for caribou, a lot of people make the mistake of just looking at the ridge tops,” Kelleyhouse said. “Many times Pick a spot, examine it in the fall caribou are bedded thoroughly and move on, one down in the creek bottoms and alder and willow brush area at a time.

“Concentrate on a certain because they’re still eating part of terrain and search leaves.” for anything unusual,” Kelleyhouse said. “Light. Dark.

Movement. Something that “Just because you didn’t see wasn’t there the last time you an animal the first time you glassed that hillside.” glassed that hillside doesn’t

Get up high

Look up and down

mean there isn’t an animal there, laying in the brush or on the hillside,” Kelleyhouse said. “I’ve had bulls stand up at noon that I didn’t see after glassing for four or five hours.”

Get good equipment

and Swarovski and be prepared to spend a minimum of $500 for a good pair of binoculars.

In the end, though, it’s worth it, Kelleyhouse said.

“Your eyes don’t get fatigued as much with highquality glass as they do with cheaper brands,” he said..

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry Look for top brands like Leitz, Leopold, Leica, Zeiss at 459-7587.

NOTICE TO ALL HUNTERS: Please respect our lands as we would respect yours.

Develop a search pattern

Be persistent

K’oyitl’ots’ina, Limited has enacted a RESTRICTED HUNTING POLICY on its Corporation’s privately-held lands. The shaded areas around the Interior villages of Alatna, Allakaket, Hughes and Huslia are closed to all sports hunting. Rights are granted to K’oyitl’ots’ina, Ltd. shareholders, their descendants and other local subsistence users.

For subsistence access by non-Native local rural residents, you must obtain a permit for sale at our Corporation’s Fairbanks’ office.

Contact: K’oyitl’ots’ina, Ltd. Land Manager 1603 College Road • Fairbanks, AK 99709 907-452-8119

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By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com

22

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Care required in removing horns, antlers

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com Removing the antlers of a moose or caribou or the horns from a Dall sheep or mountain goat is the last thing most hunters do after a successful hunt.

Yet, it’s those antlers or horns that will provide lasting memories for many hunters, which is why it’s important to do it right.

Taxidermist and hunter Rich Hamilton, owner of Brow Tine Taxidermy in North Pole, recommends leaving at least some of the eye socket on the skull plate that is removed.

“Most of the forms we use when we mount an animal has part of the eye socket on there, so it helps to leave some on there to get a perfect alignment with the skull,” he said.

Hamilton advises cutting from the back of the skull forward through the eye sockets before cutting down from the bridge of the nose.

“It’s a lot easier and a lot more precise going from the back of the skull,” he said.

Guide Virgil Umphenour, who removes racks from 60and 70-inch moose on an annual basis, likes to leave a lot of skull plate attached to the antlers.

“It gives the taxidermist more to work with and that way you don’t have to worry about them breaking in half,” Umphenour said. “They’re not going to bow in as much, either.”

Hamilton uses a portable Wyoming Saw to remove horns from sheep and a bow saw for moose antlers.

“For moose you need a little bigger saw,” he said.

Umphenour uses a chain

saw to remove antlers from moose he and his clients shoot.

“It’s a heck of a lot faster (than a bow saw),” he said.

“But be careful you don’t saw through the teeth or that will dull your saw real bad.”

Once the antlers are off, you need to trim out any remaining brain cavity, Hamilton said.

Please see ANTLERS, Page 28

23

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Tips on butchering and meat care John Hagen/ News-Miner

Watch and learn Hunters who don’t have much experience dressing big game can stop by the Department of Fish and Game and pick up a video titled, “Field Care of Big Game” that will teach them everything they need to know about butchering an animal. Biologists and hunting experts provide a step-by-step guide to proper shot placement, necessary field care equipment and field dressing techniques. The techniques can be used with any large game animal including bear, deer, elk, moose, caribou, sheep and mountain goats.

Chris Green, left, and Chelsie Venechuk trim meat off of the hind quarter of a moose during the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s moose butchering class at the Fairbanks Food Bank.

Keep it cool, clean and dry.

Those are the three most important things to remember when it comes to butchering an animal and handling game meat, whether it’s removing the hind quarters from a bull moose or pulling the breasts off a ruffed grouse.

Here are some tips from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on butchering big game animals and caring for game meat.

Please see CARE, Page 24

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

CARE: Heat is the No. 1 enemy when it comes to spoiling meat Continued from Page 23

Keep it clean • You can never have too many blue tarps. Pack lots of them to put meat on after it is removed from an animal. If for some unfathomable reason you don’t have a blue tarp, lay some spruce boughs or willow branches down to keep it off the ground. Even dry grass will work in a pinch.

• Never place meat on dirt or sand.

• When skinning an animal, peel the hide back as you go to avoid getting hair on the meat.

Also, try to keep leaves and grass off the meat.

• Tuck a tarp or game bag under the front and back quarters as you prepare to separate them from the aniamls so they fall on something clean rather than the ground.

• Use quality game bags. The heavy, cotton bags that resemble giant laundry bags are more expensive than cheaper cheesecloth-type bags but there’s a reason — they don’t rip as easy, they last longer and they work a lot better. It’s not worth saving a few bucks if it means wasting a bunch of meat.

• Be sure to buy game bags that are big enough to hold the hindquarter of a big moose. You may not plan to shoot a 50- or 60-inch bull but if you do you want to be prepared.

• Keep game bags as clean and blood-free as possible to avoid flies and other insects.

• Immediately rinse off any rumen, bile or urine that may get on the meat. Avoid puncturing any organs, such as the stomach, which will taint the meat. Bag all of your meat before you take your first load back to camp.

B

Keep it cool • Cut an animal’s throat as soon as possible after shooting it to bleed it.

• Heat is a hunter’s worst enemy when it comes to caring for meat. The quicker you skin an animal and separate the carcass, the quicker it will start cooling.

• Be prepared with the proper tools — sharp knives, game bags, ropes, tarps, rubber gloves — to butcher a moose in the event you shoot it. Don’t let it lay there for 30 minutes while you run back to camp and grab your gear.

• Never put meat in plastic bags unless they are submerged in cold water.

• If it’s too warm out, hang the meat in the shade to keep it cool. Use a tarp to build a shelter from the sun if you have to.

• Don’t remove meat from

the bone unless you have to.

Boning out meat exposes more meat to the air, and it’s harder to keep smaller hunt of meat cool and dry when they are piled on top of each other in a game bag.

• Hang meat or build a rack to place it on to keep it off the ground.

• Check and care for the meat on a daily basis. Pull on the game bags to prevent them from sticking to the meat so a crust begins to form on it. Turn the meat daily to help a crust form, especially smaller pieces like neck meat, backstraps and tenderloins.

• If it’s too hot, stick the meat in cool water for 30 to 45 minutes to cool it down. After cooling the meat, thoroughly dry it and place it in cotton game bags.

• Once meat is hung, remove the game bags and spray the

meat with a citric acid/water mixture. About 2 ounces of citric acid for each quart of water will do the job.

The meat should be sprayed until the mixture begins to run off the meat.

The citric acid will slow down bacteria growth that spoils meat, and it creates a dark “crust” on the outside of the meat that makes it harder for flies to lay their eggs on the meat.

Don’t worry about the citric acid mixture getting the meat too wet. The mixture will dry quickly. Once meat is dry, reinsert it into meat bags.

• If you are in a raft, build a rack of some sort to keep the meat off the floor of the raft, where it will get wet and dirty.

Remove the meat each night from the raft to hang it where it will stay cool and dry with air circulating around it.

efore the Gold Rushes... efore the Copper Mining... efore the Highways... efore the Trans-Alaska Pipeline...

B

T

B

B

his land was, and still is, inhabited by the Ahtna Athabascan people.

To this day, the land is the heart and soul of the Ahtna people. We treat our land, fish and wildlife with the utmost respect and it is this respect that has allowed our people to maintain the lands’ pristine nature. We welcome visitors to our region and request they treat our land with respect, leaving no trace so others may continue to enjoy all this land has to offer.

The Copper, Klutina, Gulkana, Tazlina and Nenana Rivers all run through Ahtna land. The Denali, Edgerton, George Parks, Glenn, Richardson & Tok Cut-off Highways also pass through Ahtna land. It is your responsibility to contact the appropriate State or Federal agency to determine legal hunting areas outside of Ahtna land. Ahtna does not allow hunting on its land except for a special Bison permit and Predator Control Hunting.

A land crossing permit can be purchased to cross Ahtna lands to reach public lands in the area you would like to hunt. No taking of any game is allowed while crossing Ahtna land, with two exceptions: (1) Unit 13 Predator Control Permit - limited to wolf and you must hold a valid Predator Control Permit from the State of Alaska, and a valid Ahtna Permit (no charge). You must have both permits to take wolves on Ahtna land within Unit 13.

(2) Predator Hunting Permit - All other predator hunting is considered by Ahtna to be sport hunting and a fee is required to take other predators on Ahtna land. This includes the taking of brown bear, black bear and wolf. You must have a valid Ahtna Predator Hunting Permit, in addition to all State required licenses, tags or permits to take bear or wolf on Ahtna land. There are associated permit fees per predator, per person.

You must notify the Ahtna Land Department of any taking after your animal has been reported to the State. Land-Use Permits are required on all Ahtna land. Permits with associated fees are issued for land crossing, access, fishing, camping, sand, gravel, and bison hunting. Permits are available in person at MP-115 Richardson Hwy or by mail at: Ahtna Land Department, PO Box 649, Glennallen, AK 99588. Maps & additional information are available online at: http://ahtna.lands.googlepages.com.

We ask & thank you for your cooperation.

Ahtna, Incorporated

Ahtna, Inc. | P.O. Box 649 | Glennallen, Alaska 99588 | Phone: (907) 822-3476 | Fax: (907) 822-3495 | www.ahtna-inc.com

25

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

PTARMIGAN HUNT News-Miner photo

Ptarmigan, close relatives of forest and prairie grouse, live in alpine and arctic tundras throughout the northern hemisphere. There are three kinds of ptarmigan, and all are found in Alaska.

Willow ptarmigan are found nearly everywhere in Alaska’s high, treeless country.

They occupy a broad range throughout Canada, Scandinavia, Finland and Russia.

Rock ptarmigan also live in Canada, Scandinavia, Scotland and northern Eurasia.

They range through most of Greenland and Iceland and have scattered southern outposts in Japan, Switzerland, and Spain. In Alaska, rock ptarmigan live in all major treeless areas except the flat tundras of the western and northern coasts.

White-tailed ptarmigan are strictly North American.

They occupy rugged uplands from the Alaska Range and central Yukon southward to Washington and northern New Mexico. For more information on ptarmigan hunting, visit www.alaska.gov.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

North Slope grizzly season opens early

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is hoping hunters can arrest a decline in the North Slope musk oxen population by killing more grizzly bears.

At the request of the department, the Alaska Board of Game voted on Aug. 4 to open the grizzly bear season in game management

unit 26B, which covers a good chunk of the North Slope, more than two weeks early.

The game board also voted to waive a permit requirement for resident bowhunters in part of the unit.

The season opened for residents and non-residents on Aug. 10 instead of the usual Aug. 25.

The musk ox population on the North Slope is declining and state wildlife biologists

say predation by grizzly bears is the primary reason.

There are about 200 musk oxen in unit 26B, area biologist Beth Lenart said.

“We had higher adult mortality this spring and we’re probably down to 150 to 160 adults,” Lenart said.

Grizzly bears are believed to be the primary cause for the decline.

“When bears come out in April there’s not much else

available,” Lenart said. “Caribou are on the south side of the (Brooks Range) and ground squirrels aren’t out yet.”

The department requested the game board to take immediate measures to increase the bear harvest to help reduce the number of musk ox killed.

The average grizzly bear harvest in unit 26B the past two years has been about 20

bears, Lenart said. Biologists would like to see as many as 30 more bears killed, but Lenart said a harvest of 10 to 20 additional bears as a result of the early season is probably more realistic.

In addition to the earlier season, the board also voted to replace the drawing permit hunt for resident bowhunters for grizzly bear within the Please see BEAR, Page 29

27

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

News-Miner file

At the request of the department, the Alaska Board of Game voted on Aug. 4 to open the grizzly bear season in game management unit 26B, which covers a good chunk of the North Slope, more than two weeks early. The game board also voted to waive a permit requirement for resident bowhunters in part of the unit.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

ANTLERS

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It’s important to get all the meat, skin and hide off the skull as quick as possible.

“The sooner you do it, the better off you are,” he said. “When it’s still green, it comes off easier and you don’t have any flies or bacteria forming on it.”

While Umphenour salts the skull plate to dry it out when he’s done, Hamilton doesn’t recommend using salt on the skull plate unless all the meat and hair has been removed.

“If there is any meat, hide or hair on there it dries it to the skull and it’s really hard to get it off,” he said.

Removing the antlers and skull for a European mount takes more time and work.

The entire skull and head must be skinned and the skull has to be boiled to remove all the meat.

Caribou and mountain goats have more fragile skull plates than moose and sheep and require more care, Hamilton said.

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

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www.creamersfield.org The farmhouse giftshop is open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

29

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

BEAR Continued from Page 26

International Bowhunter Education Program card to hunt within the Dalton Highway Corridor.

The season is open from Aug. 10 to May 31. No additional permit, nor a $25 bear tag is required.

Any bears taken must be sealed within 30 days of the kill.

The non-resident drawing permit hunt remains intact.

However, only 10 of the 20 permits allotted for the hunt have been issued and the remaining 10 permits were to be issued on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Aug. 6.

Instructions and application forms are available online at www.wildlife.alaska.gov or contact Jessica Mitchell at 4597272.

Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area with a general season hunt.

The state had issued 20 drawing permits to resident bowhunters — no firearms are allowed in the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area — for this fall’s hunt.

More than 200 hunters applied for a permit and all applicants will receive a refund of their application fee, Lenart said.

Since 2002, the average grizzly bear harvest by bowhunters in the Dalton Highway Corridor is one bear and the average number of hunters is eight.

Bowhunters must have an Alaska bow hunter Contact staff writer Tim education card or an Mowry at 459-7587.

News-Miner/file

North Slope bear season opened for residents and non-residents on Aug. 10 instead of the usual Aug. 25.

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ATVs with engines 90cc or greater are recommended for use only by riders age 16 years and older. • Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. • ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Never carry passengers. Never engage in stunt riding. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Avoid excessive speed. And be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Specifications subject to change without notice.

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30

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

A good grouse hunt might be hard to find

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com With ruffed and spruce grouse numbers at or near the bottom of their population cycles, it could be tough to find many of the tasty game birds this fall.

Grouse populations fluctuate on a 7- to 10-year cycle, following roughly the same boom-and-bust trend of snowshoe hares. The hare population is generally believed to

have bottomed out in the last year or two and grouse numbers have fallen accordingly.

According to ruffed grouse drumming counts collected by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game each spring near the community of Clear, roughly 80 miles south of Fairbanks, and along the Tanana River around Fairbanks, the number of grouse on the ground this spring was low as its been in the past 20 years.

“We had the lowest count ever at Clear,” Fairbanks area biologist Don Young said.

“We detected zero birds on four transects with about 10 stations on each transect.

That’s the lowest number we’ve recorded in probably 20 years.”

The low counts weren’t necessarly a surprise, Young said. Grouse numbers have been dropping the last few years as the number of predators rose with the abundance

of hares on the ground.

“We knew they were going down,” Young said. “We knew there were a lot of predators with the hares being high.”

Drumming counts along the Tanana River this spring produced slightly better results but the grouse numbers were still low, he said.

“I think this hunting season will be pretty skinny when it comes to ruffed grouse hunting,” Young said.

Spruce grouse numbers

appear to be similarily low, he said.

But that won’t stop hardcore hunters like local expert Jim McCann from trying to rustle up a few birds to put in the freezer or on the dinner table. McCann, author of Upland Hunting in Alaska, said there will be birds out there for hunters willing to put in the effort to find them.

Please see GROUSE, Page 31

31

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010

Continued from Page 30

Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.

Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com As has been the case the previous several years, large chunks of military land will be closed to hunting as a result of Army training exercises this fall.

Much of the Yukon Training Area behind Eielson Air Force Base and the Donnelly Training Area south of Delta Junction will be closed, while most of the Tanana Flats Training Area south of the Tanana River near Fairbanks will be open.

Soldiers from both Fort Wainwright and Fort Richardson will be training in both areas during the month of September, necessitating the closures, according to Army officials.

Most of the Yukon Training Area is projected to be open

for at least the first week of September with several exceptions. The majority of the area will begin closing down for live-fire training on Sept. 8 through Sept. 30. Roads will also be closed when the livefire training begins.

The Donnelly Training Area south of Delta Junction is also scheduled to be open the first week of the month.

However, while much of the Donnelly Training Area West will be open through Sept. 25, several southern portions will closed Sept. 7 for training. The Donnelly Training Area East will see training and live-fire exercises beginning Sept. 7 and continuing through the month.

Additional areas in the southern portion of the Donnelly Training Area East below 12-Mile Crossing are also

expected to be open.

Hunters and other recreational users are encouraged to have back-up plans for their activities. These openings can still change as units continue to define their training requirements needed for deployment.

It is extremely important for hunters to recognize the locations of permanent impact areas, which are closed at all times. Permanent impact areas are highlighted on USARTRAK maps in red, and with black dotted line in the current Department of Fish and Game hunting regulations, referred to as “military impact areas.”

As always, prior to accessing military training lands, all recreational users must register for a Recreational Access Pass (RAP). RAP registration can be accomplished at the visitor’s center at each base. Rec-

reational users must present valid identification (driver’s license or military ID) and a Hunter Safety Education card in order to register.

Once registered, recreational users can call into the USARTRAK system for the most current updates on training area closures by dialing 384-3181 at Fort Richardson, 353-3181 at Fort Wainwright, and 8733181 at Fort Greely (Donnelly Training Area). Each number references recreation closures for every inch of training area.

Maps identifying open areas and date are available at www. wainwright.army.mil and http://www.usarak.army.mil/ conservation/REC_FWA.htm.

All recreational users should still call USARTRAK, as this information could change.

Contact the newsroom at 4597572.

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“It could be a tough year for (hunters) who drive around sipping on their designer coffee and blasting birds sitting along the edge of the road,” McCann said. “ For those of us who go out and bust the brush it should be a gratifying year. I think we’ll have enough birds for those of us who do that.

“I’m looking for about the same kind of season as last year, maybe a little better,” McCann said of grouse hunting prospects in the Interior this season.

It always helps to have a dog or two — or four Brittanys, in the case of McCann — along to point the way, but just getting off the roads and into the woods should result in more birds for dog-less hunters, too.

“It doesn’t take all that many birds to have a satisfying hunt,” McCann said.

Besides, McCann doesn’t put too much stock in the Department of Fish and Game’s drumming counts, which are location specific.

For example, while McCann said he has found no drumming male grouse on an old drumming log he annually scouts the past two years, he did find two other drummers in locations he’s never seen them before and they were relatively close together.

“If you have one drummer there and he copulated with two different hens, you could have 20 grouse in that area,” McCann said. “There’s always pockets of grouse.

Somebody will find a couple of valleys where there’s nothing but grouse.”

The key in years when there aren’t many birds around, he said, is to make sure you don’t take every bird that you find.

“In a down year, what scares me is there’s a mentality out there that you have to fill the freezer and take every bird you see,” McCann said.

“If you take seven or eight birds out of a brood, it’s over.

In low years like this you have to limit your kill.”

Some Army lands closed to hunters

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GROUSE

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, August 13, 2010