A registration permit will allow hunters to take up two caribou in areas of 17A and C where some of Nushagak Peninsula herd seems to be straying.
KDLG transcript: State and federal authorities have agreed to open a special caribou hunt in portions of GMU 17A and C for the remainder of the month of March.
Neil Barten is the area wildlife biologist at the Dillingham Fish and Game office, and said this will allow hunting opportunity in areas north of the Nushagak Peninsula Herd’s traditional range.
“Yes, that’s right. This hunt will actually open the area between the Wood River, all the way to Right Hand Point, which is on the other side of Kulukak Bay, and all the drainages that fall within that area. It’s a state of Alaska hunt, so it’s a state permit, and it does not include though the federal permit hunt area on the Nushagak Peninsula.”
That hunt is already open separately, but those hunting grounds have been hard to reach. Some of the Nushagak Peninsula caribou, however, seem to wandering off towards areas more accessible to hunters. There have been reports of caribou near Manokotak, and possibly some not too far from Dillingham's Vortac.
“The reason we’re opening the hunt is some of the caribou from the Nushagak Peninsula are kind of dispersing a little to the north, and maybe to the east. They’re coming out of that federal hunt area into an area that we don’t have a hunt open in right now. So, to make those caribou available to hunters, especially in the Manokotak area, and maybe some folks in Dillingham heading west, we’re opening the state hunt which makes those animals available for harvest.”
The Nushagak Peninsula herd is also probably double what biologists think it should be, so this hunt could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
“One, kill some animals that are part of that Nushagak Peninsula herd, which we need to do. And two, provide people opportunity for getting caribou when it’s been pretty tough without snow conditions all winter.”
The registration permit will be available online and at the Dillingham Fish and Game office Thursday. The hunt opens Friday, and runs through the end of the month.
All state residents are eligible to participate.