207-12A
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2017
- Messages
- 215
At the risk of sounding like the lottery winner bitching that his ticket got rained on, I wanted to draw attention to an issue that has larger implications than it may seem.
I drew DI454 (Copper River Bison) for the 2021 season. I’m stoked, and was prepared to pay the $1,500 trespass fee in order to hunt them on Ahtna land. A significant portion of the Copper River Bison herd is located on the eastern shore of the river, which is private Native land. While absent-mindedly cruising around Ahtna's website, I noticed that the option to purchase the trespass permission for the Bison hunt was gone. No announcement, no board meeting minutes to explain. ADF&G was not tracking when I reached out to them, and they are quite alarmed, as they rely on tag holders to manage that herd.
This has implications larger than the DI454 hunt for the following reason:
1. Ahtna now has a virtually private Bison herd. While the Native Alaskans cannot hunt them without drawing the tag, all of the Fish & Game money will essentially be wasted on a now largely untouchable herd. Should we really commit resources to studying, growing, and improving habitat for a herd that is now cut off from non-Natives?
2. This can happen elsewhere. I support private land owner rights, but I do not support contributing public money to a resource which is not able to be enjoyed by the majority of Americans.
3. They didn't have to tell anyone. This closure was clearly arbitrary, but more disturbingly - quiet. Were 25 yearly permit holders really messing things up so badly for Ahtna? You can still pay $150 to 'predator hunt' - Black and Brown bears, and wolves. [EDIT: Once they finally made the announcement, they closed predator hunts “in the Bison area” as well]. Ahtna made no announcement of the closure, and didn't feel the need to contact ADF&G. They're treating this herd as if they own it, and don't feel the need to tell anyone else.
4. Finally, thousands of dollars are put into this herd in application fees alone, not to mention tags and hunt expenses for draw recipients. If Ahtna doesn't change their position prior to the 2022 draw application period going live, ADF&G and the Alaska Board of Game need to publicize the closure in order to manage expectations before applicants dump money into a herd which just got immensely more difficult to hunt.
I drew DI454 (Copper River Bison) for the 2021 season. I’m stoked, and was prepared to pay the $1,500 trespass fee in order to hunt them on Ahtna land. A significant portion of the Copper River Bison herd is located on the eastern shore of the river, which is private Native land. While absent-mindedly cruising around Ahtna's website, I noticed that the option to purchase the trespass permission for the Bison hunt was gone. No announcement, no board meeting minutes to explain. ADF&G was not tracking when I reached out to them, and they are quite alarmed, as they rely on tag holders to manage that herd.
This has implications larger than the DI454 hunt for the following reason:
1. Ahtna now has a virtually private Bison herd. While the Native Alaskans cannot hunt them without drawing the tag, all of the Fish & Game money will essentially be wasted on a now largely untouchable herd. Should we really commit resources to studying, growing, and improving habitat for a herd that is now cut off from non-Natives?
2. This can happen elsewhere. I support private land owner rights, but I do not support contributing public money to a resource which is not able to be enjoyed by the majority of Americans.
3. They didn't have to tell anyone. This closure was clearly arbitrary, but more disturbingly - quiet. Were 25 yearly permit holders really messing things up so badly for Ahtna? You can still pay $150 to 'predator hunt' - Black and Brown bears, and wolves. [EDIT: Once they finally made the announcement, they closed predator hunts “in the Bison area” as well]. Ahtna made no announcement of the closure, and didn't feel the need to contact ADF&G. They're treating this herd as if they own it, and don't feel the need to tell anyone else.
4. Finally, thousands of dollars are put into this herd in application fees alone, not to mention tags and hunt expenses for draw recipients. If Ahtna doesn't change their position prior to the 2022 draw application period going live, ADF&G and the Alaska Board of Game need to publicize the closure in order to manage expectations before applicants dump money into a herd which just got immensely more difficult to hunt.
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