Remaining Fall Fortymile Caribou Hunt to Close

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 The remaining fall hunting season for Fortymile caribou (RC860) in Zone 2, the roadless area between the Steese and Taylor Highways, will close at 11:59 pm Friday night, September 18, 2009.

No more state-conducted Fortymile caribou seasons will be open until August, 2010. The winter federal subsistence season will be held only for federally qualified subsistence hunters on federal lands.

“Zone 2 harvest is generally slow and steady, and we track it by harvest reports,” said Tok Area Biologist Jeff Gross. “We think that we’ll meet the quota of 121 caribou by Friday night.”

The fall State of Alaska hunting season in Zones 1 and 3 were closed when caribou were gathered near the Steese and Taylor Highways, and hunters exceeded the annual harvest quota in three days.

Harvest of the Fortymile herd is guided by a harvest management plan which specifies harvest quotas in each of three different hunting zones, but allows adjustments if the quotas are unexpectedly exceeded. The plan was developed jointly by representatives of five local state advisory committees and the federal regional council along with state, federal and Canadian biologists and adopted by both the Board of Game and the federal Subsistence Board. Regulations are designed to allow the herd to continue to grow and expand into its former range in Alaska and Yukon.

In August, ADF&G staff met with representatives of the five advisory committees and the regional council, and considered options available under the harvest plan. After considering their recommendations, ADF&G agreed to leave the fall season open in Zone 2 where harvest was slow and steady, and to close the winter season. The plan offered an option of reducing the 2010-2011 harvest quota to partially compensate for exceeding the harvest in Zones 1 and 3 this year.

NEWSFortymile caribou hunters are required to get a registration permit, and must report taking a caribou within three days. When the harvest quota is achieved, the hunt is closed.

“The registration permit system works very well when caribou are widely dispersed or are relatively hard to find,” Nowlin said. “Problems develop when caribou group together along major highways. Then the harvest goes very quickly.”

Nowlin said advisory committees, regional council and ADF&G and federal staff will be evaluating this year’s harvest and will consider changes to the harvest plan or to the hunting regulations needed to control the harvest and still allow the caribou herd to grow. If so, proposals will be submitted to the Board of Game by the December 1 deadline.

“We don’t expect to see any long term effects from exceeding the harvest quota this year,” said Nowlin. “The plan allows for conservative harvests in general and takes into account years like this when caribou make themselves more available to hunters. But we’ll be discussing whether any changes are needed in regulations.”

Successful hunters must report within three days of the kill on the internet at

http://hunt.alaska.gov, or in person or by phone to the ADF&G office in Tok (883-2971). Hunters who report by phone must also mail their permit reports or drop them off to the Tok ADF&G office. Unsuccessful hunters must return their reports to the Tok office or report online at http://hunt.alaska.gov by October 3, 2009.

The federal subsistence hunt manager closed the fall federal subsistence season in order to allow the winter federal subsistence season to proceed. Hunters with questions about federal subsistence regulations should call (800) 478-1456.

At approximately 40,000 animals, the Fortymile herd is the largest caribou herd in Interior Alaska.

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