KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) - Subsistence hunters may soon be able to hunt deer anywhere on federal public lands in Southeast Alaska.
The Federal Subsistence Board is asking for comments through Aug. 4 on proposed changes to policies for the 2018-20 regulatory years. One of the proposals would change where subsistence hunters can harvest deer.
For example, under the proposed policy, a subsistence hunter from the City of Saxman currently has a customary and traditional use determination for game management units 1-A, 1-B, and 2. If the proposal were approved, that same hunter would have access to deer populations in federal public lands in game management units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
This differs from current regulations, which can restrict hunters to predetermined areas.
The proposal, which was submitted by the Southeast Alaska Regional Advisory Council, was created out of frustration among customary and traditional use hunters who are not able to hunt when visiting out-of-town friends and family, attending cultural celebrations, or traveling in areas outside of their game region.
The proposal says that, “At these times, they (subsistence hunters) need to be able to continue longstanding patterns of hunting.”
DeAnna Perry, coordinator for the regional advisory council, said current laws are at times confusing to hunters and that the council “wanted to make sure the regulatory language was easier to understand,” the Ketchikan Daily News reported (https://bit.ly/2v35b6b ).
The proposal states that there is no anticipated impact to wildlife, even though the proposal would increase the area where individual subsistence hunters may harvest by a large margin.
Perry said analysts have not yet finished their assessment of exactly what effect this proposal will have.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.