Proposal to eliminate ram harvest for 5 years

[BradA]

Be interesting

 

[Bambistew]

Be interesting

I absolutely can't believe they passed it, but it was close 3:4. They have shot down at least 150 proposals to limit NR hunting. I guess it takes a 80% drop in the sheep population before they do something. They closed the NR and youth hunts, but resident still open!

It will be super interesting to see if they do the same thing with unit 20A. Its in a similar boat with guide pressure, and low sheep numbers.

 

[Deleted member 39961]

I absolutely can't believe they passed it, but it was close 3:4. They have shot down at least 150 proposals to limit NR hunting. I guess it takes a 80% drop in the sheep population before they do something. They closed the NR and youth hunts, but resident still open!

It will be super interesting to see if they do the same thing with unit 20A. Its in a similar boat with guide pressure, and low sheep numbers.

Is there a resolution somewhere we can read?

 

[BradA]

I absolutely can't believe they passed it, but it was close 3:4. They have shot down at least 150 proposals to limit NR hunting. I guess it takes a 80% drop in the sheep population before they do something. They closed the NR and youth hunts, but resident still open!

It will be super interesting to see if they do the same thing with unit 20A. Its in a similar boat with guide pressure, and low sheep numbers.

So it passed to close 19 to all dall sheep hunting ? Not including residents? For the next four years ?

 

[Bambistew]

Is there a resolution somewhere we can read?

No resolution, its a yes/no vote on a proposal. You can read up on it in the proposal book, its in the link I posted above, and also listen to the testimony and deliberations in the youtube link.

 

[Bambistew]

So it passed to close 19 to all dall sheep hunting ? Not including residents? For the next four years ?

Closed to NR hunters for 5 years, and they'll revisit it then. I'm' sure there are already proposals drafted to open it back up. Hunters just can't put a resource ahead of their own interest. I would put money on it that the Wealthy Sheephunter Foundation will support any proposal to reinstate NR hunting. Because you know, without NR we won't have any sheep...

 

[BradA]

Closed to NR hunters for 5 years, and they'll revisit it then. I'm' sure there are already proposals drafted to open it back up. Hunters just can't put a resource ahead of their own interest. I would put money on it that the Wealthy Sheephunter Foundation will support any proposal to reinstate NR hunting. Because you know, without NR we won't have any sheep...

So it’s still open to the residents though? I tried watching the video you linked but it goes straight to the end for some reason.

 

[Bambistew]

So it’s still open to the residents though? I tried watching the video you linked but it goes straight to the end for some reason.

It's live stream. Back it up about 30 min

 

[BradA]

Closed to NR hunters for 5 years, and they'll revisit it then. I'm' sure there are already proposals drafted to open it back up. Hunters just can't put a resource ahead of their own interest. I would put money on it that the Wealthy Sheephunter Foundation will support any proposal to reinstate NR hunting. Because you know, without NR we won't have any sheep...

Thank you for keeping me in the loop on this I can understand shutting a unit down for the sake of the sheep herd but I don’t agree that you shut it down to one group of individuals and not the others.

 

[Bambistew]

Thank you for keeping me in the loop on this I can understand shutting a unit down for the sake of the sheep herd but I don’t agree that you shut it down to one group of individuals and not the others.

Well, considering there is no limit on the number of NR sheep hunters that can hunt in AK every year, vs every other state that has limits, putting some side boards on it may have been more prudent, vs shutting them out. I'd bet they will open it back up with a quota or something vs closing it completely, or they could close it to residents as well. The resident take is such a small part of the total, they didn't feel it would have much of an impact, that's why they left it open.

Its a strange place to be and uncharted territory in AK. However if one user group (NRs) are taking 80-90% of the resource, I think its pretty prudent to cut them off first and see what happens instead of all or nothing.

 

[shrapnel]

Let’s put the blame where it belongs. Money is certainly a contributor to declining numbers as game has become more sought after by more affluent people than were hunting a few decades ago.

Social media and videos of every kind have contributed more to the decline and pressure on what is left. I would also bet, the average to above average hunter today is better equipped and more dedicated to his quarry than those in the past.

When you consider the fact that hunters have declined, over the past decades, you can’t blame it all on management of the resource when you consider how much technology has contributed to assist the common hunter in his pursuit of game.

The Decline of Hunting and Fishing - Wildlife for All

The Decline of Hunting and Fishing. The number of hunters and anglers has declined in actual numbers and as a percentage of the population.

wildlifeforall.us

 

[Bambistew]

Let’s put the blame where it belongs. Money is certainly a contributor to declining numbers as game has become more sought after by more affluent people than were hunting a few decades ago.

Social media and videos of every kind have contributed more to the decline and pressure on what is left. I would also bet, the average to above average hunter today is better equipped and more dedicated to his quarry than those in the past.

When you consider the fact that hunters have declined, over the past decades, you can’t blame it all on management of the resource when you consider how much technology has contributed to assist the common hunter in his pursuit of game.

The Decline of Hunting and Fishing - Wildlife for All

The Decline of Hunting and Fishing. The number of hunters and anglers has declined in actual numbers and as a percentage of the population.

wildlifeforall.us

The blame is squarely on terrible winters and heavy snow. Some areas have lost 80% of their populations.

 

[BradA]

Well, considering there is no limit on the number of NR sheep hunters that can hunt in AK every year, vs every other state that has limits, putting some side boards on it may have been more prudent, vs shutting them out. I'd bet they will open it back up with a quota or something vs closing it completely, or they could close it to residents as well. The resident take is such a small part of the total, they didn't feel it would have much of an impact, that's why they left it open.

Its a strange place to be and uncharted territory in AK. However if one user group (NRs) are taking 80-90% of the resource, I think its pretty prudent to cut them off first and see what happens instead of all or nothing.

I agree with the fact that if the herd is hurting that bad they should close it and close it across the board for NR as well as res hunters, I also agree that another option should have been the use of a quota as you mentioned. I do also believe that even though there isn’t much of a resident take in past years that will change this year since every resident now will be targeting that unit since there will be no NR pressure and they will have it to themselves. Pilots will take more people into that remote area just because of the lack of opportunity to work for outfitters and probably give decent deals to residents to hunt the unit to make some sort of income.

 

[Bambistew]

I agree with the fact that if the herd is hurting that bad they should close it and close it across the board for NR as well as res hunters, I also agree that another option should have been the use of a quota as you mentioned. I do also believe that even though there isn’t much of a resident take in past years that will change this year since every resident now will be targeting that unit since there will be no NR pressure and they will have it to themselves. Pilots will take more people into that remote area just because of the lack of opportunity to work for outfitters and probably give decent deals to residents to hunt the unit to make some sort of income.

To be frank, I really don't care if residents get "more" opportunity than NR. The reason the left it open was because they didn't want to shut out the locals that live in the area, even though very few of them hunt. This is literally the first time we have ever had exclusive access to sheep, vs more and more of our opportunity given to NR... i.e. Tok and DCUA permits pulled from the pool and given to NR (in recent past). As a matter of fact 7 of the 8 NR DCUA nr tags went unsold because there wasn't enough guides slurping up the $$$. Plenty of residents would have loved to have received that tag they yanked from the general pool. Or what about the guides/outfitters getting the board to basically eliminate nr next of kin draw tags in support of issuing almost all NR draw tags to outfitters?

I have my doubts that people will flock to 19c. There are very few sheep there, even without the guide pressure. Even if they do, so what... Remember "full curl" regulations prevent the overharvest of sheep. haha

The hunting have nots always complain about something, me included, see tags above.

 

[BradA]

To be frank, I really don't care if residents get "more" opportunity than NR. The reason the left it open was because they didn't want to shut out the locals that live in the area, even though very few of them hunt. This is literally the first time we have ever had exclusive access to sheep, vs more and more of our opportunity given to NR... i.e. Tok and DCUA permits pulled from the pool and given to NR (in recent past). As a matter of fact 7 of the 8 NR DCUA nr tags went unsold because there wasn't enough guides slurping up the $$$. Plenty of residents would have loved to have received that tag they yanked from the general pool. Or what about the guides/outfitters getting the board to basically eliminate nr next of kin draw tags in support of issuing almost all NR draw tags to outfitters?

I have my doubts that people will flock to 19c. There are very few sheep there, even without the guide pressure. Even if they do, so what... Remember "full curl" regulations prevent the overharvest of sheep. haha

The hunting have nots always complain about something, me included, see tags above.

and I agree that isn’t right either they shouldn’t have taken those tags away from residents, they also shouldn’t allow the outfitters to have that much control in the system to have the elimination of the next to kin draw, which I wasn’t aware of that I thought it was still legal to hunt sheep with the next to Kin law.

I hope you’re right and hope the decision made fairs better for the overall sheep herd in 19c long term.

 

[Rainer]

I do agree the blocking NR is the right wat to go for now. Also limit the locals by having a waiting period after the harvest a sheep, say for argument sake. A 5 year wait period.

 

[BradA]

I do agree the blocking NR is the right wat to go for now. Also limit the locals by having a waiting period after the harvest a sheep, say for argument sake. A 5 year wait period.

Well nr have a four year waiting period to come hunt sheep again if successful so maybe implement that for res

 

[treedagain]

Well nr have a four year waiting period to come hunt sheep again if successful so maybe implement that for res

All NR tags need to be cut before a resident.
With that said a few NR tags should be put up for auction. Yep some rich dude will hunt, but the extra $$$ could go along way in helping the herd.

 

[Oak]

All NR tags need to be cut before a resident.
With that said a few NR tags should be put up for auction. Yep some rich dude will hunt, but the extra $$$ could go along way in helping the herd.

How would they use that $$ to help the herd? Genuinely curious.

 

[geetar]

How would they use that $$ to help the herd? Genuinely curious.

I’m not a sheep expert but isn’t one of the things they do putting sheep from one area into another where they need more. I’m sure that’s not logistically cheap. Could money go to efforts like that?