End of Non-Resident Caribou Hunting | Fresh Tracks Weekly (Ep. 59)



This week, our deeper dive is about recent proposals in Alaska that could shut down a ton of Caribou hunting for non-residents.

Read Alaska Board of Game Proposals for upcoming meeting here: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=gameboard.meetinginfo&date=01-26-2024&meeting=kotzebue

Submit Public Comment here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/9af2ddc8fa584113a3d3d476ae9bef8b

Read Outdoor Life Article here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/proposals-to-close-non-resident-caribou-hunting-in-northwest-alaska/

We bring the fishing corner back, checking in with what Michael has been up to.

A few news items this week include:

The Supreme Court recently denied the state of Alaska’s request to overturn the EPA decision from last year that had blocked the Pebble mine in Bristol Bay.

In Washington, a bill was recently introduced to make foraging, hunting, fishing and trapping a constitutional right.

In Kentucky, the largest conservation easement in the state’s history was recently announced.

Link to MTN Tough Podcast with Dustin Diefenderfer https://youtu.be/iPxMihlswwk?si=2kDNEO2rORxizMSm

Join Fresh Tracks+ For Early Access – https://www.freshtracks.tv

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Ollin Digiscoping System – Save 10% with promo code RANDY https://ollin.co/

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46 thoughts on “End of Non-Resident Caribou Hunting | Fresh Tracks Weekly (Ep. 59)”

  1. In this analysis you missed proposal 2 which is by the same entity (western arctic caribou herd working group) and proposes to reduce resident harvest from 5 caribou daily to 4 annually, only one of which can be a cow.

    Reply
  2. I'm pretty sure that all reasons have been explored, but as Randy said, in the eyes of a politician, someone else needs to take the blame.
    Has anyone considered the possibility that the caribou have changed their migration patterns and calving locations as a response to LOCAL hunting pressure?
    Give me break! A few hundred bulls vs thousands taken by subsistence hunters makes me think the reasons are right there but to quote the man that invented the internet, "it's an inconvenient truth"

    Reply
  3. This is a pretty fair discussion on the topic. The fact is that many of Alaska’s caribou herds are in drastic decline with higher winter mortality and lower calving. The Nelchina and Forty Mile herds have dropped in population. The Nelchina dropped from 40k animals to less than 9k in two years. That herd will likely not be huntable for almost a decade, whether you hunt subsistence, draw or state Tier hunts.

    Reply
  4. I’m an Alaska resident and hunt caribou up north. The non resident hunters at least from my experience do have a negative impact on a resident’s harvest. Although only 200 sum non residents harvested an animal how many hunted? Additionally although all residents legally aren’t subsistence hunters the caribou regardless are depended on by many Alaskan’s to feed their family.

    Reply
  5. Very informative videos. I would enjoy hearing your perspective regarding the recent proposal by the U.S. Forest Service to amend all 128 National Forest Land Management Plans for old-growth forest. I haven't heard many hunting groups discussing this topic and the pros and cons of how the proposal could affect habitat for game wildlife species on National Forest Lands. The proposal can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=65356. Thanks.

    Reply
  6. To end non-resident hunting, something that brings $$ to their state is not going to change anything, specially with the small % they take. Maybe the plan is to limit the residents on their take for 3-5 yrs to see how it affects the population. Residents need to decide if they can live with that, do you try something to save the herd or continue as is and see the herd dwindle to nothing.

    Reply
  7. As cheap as it is to buy land in Alaska I’d just become a resident and enjoy all the hunting rights and the savings on tags and guides would offset the land cost.

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  8. I hope to see Montana restrict out of state and guided hunting on public land in Eastern Montana.

    Residents have already lost generational access to private lands to "lease hunting". Quality hunting programs like yours bring even more desire and pressure to our lands, and the landscape is surely changing.

    Reply
  9. UNREAL. Probably one of the most dumb ass, mindless, and ill informed discussions I have heard about resident versus non resident hunting. Which is the way all of Senor Newberg's content seems to be heading, off the rails to locoville. Resident hunters in a state where I live, Arizona, pay state and local taxes every single day of the year to support our Game and Fish department and land use management and public roadways and everything else that pop in non residents don't pay for. Every day. We don't dash in for 4 days and dash out. I am strongly in favor of Arizona severely limiting non resident hunting across the board, in other words, no tags for non residents at all unless there are left over tags, and then significantly increasing the cost of non resident tags. I know Randy has a good relationship with Arizona Game and Fish. He milks it. I wish he did not and would stop carpetbagging down here. AZGF is terribly mismanaged and kisses the asses of non residents for no good reason. Non residents exploit resident taxpayers and deny hunting chances for locals and do NOT pay their fair share. Please don't come back to Arizona, ever, Randy and Marcus and all of your ilk.

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  10. Always stunned that hunting-proliferation for-profits like Fresh Tracks, MeatEater, etc, actively sell the concept of non-resident hunting, then act surprised when most people have negative experiences with issues of overcrowding (directly impacted by their massive encouragement of out of state hunters). Shall I draw you a map?

    Reply
  11. Residents that have issues with non residents hunting, are you willing to carry the financial load that the non residents normally do? We get 10% of tags which we pay 10x more for. Not to mention what we bring to the local economy, lodging, food, fuel?
    Should the two excise taxes I pay only go to the state I reside in?

    Reply
  12. Every time I see the comments on a topic like nonres hunting I'm reminded that the number 1 threat to hunting worldwide is hunters. They'd rather lose it forever than accept new blood in the fight against habitat loss, drought, and access. I'm senstitive to people having their way of doing things trashed, but other forces are a much bigger threat than new interest. Remember: Roosevelt, O'Connor, Leopold, Muir, Thoreau, Capstick, Hemingway, Keith, they were all influencers too and probably kept hunting and outdoor rec alive.

    Reply
  13. I’m a non resident of AK. Caribous and several sub species have gone extinct due to over hunting. I’m not trying to upset anyone. Certainly wolves may have a roll in the numbers decline but at the end of the day, the wolves never made a species go extinct. As conservationists, we have an obligation to adjust the human detriment to all wild animals existence.

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  14. Just so you know, Resident hunters don't buy licenses in some cases….or pay very little for a tag compared to what Non-resident hunters do! So maybe monetarily if resident hunters want to step up pay for tags than ban hunting I'm all for that!!

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  15. Having been born and raised in Alaska, I’m glad to see the state cutting back on nonresident hunting. Alaska is unique in that it prioritizes subsistence hunting and fishing for its resident and is able to keep most hunting and fishing opportunities free to residents. Moose, caribou, halibut, Yukon salmon and most king salmon stocks have been declining for years.
    It’s a good place to start.

    Reply

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