Common Alaska Fish and Game Violations

[Daveinthebush]

I read the state Police reports every day.  Listed below are the most common violations that I read from Fish and Game.

1. Undersized moose. (Most areas have an antler restriction. ie. 50" and or four brow tines.) (Forefit meat, antlers, maybe gun and $$$)

2.  Failure to validate harvest ticket. (You must as soon as you harvest an animal, validate the harvest ticket.) (Usually $110)

3.  Removal of antlers before meat. (All meat must be removed from the field before transporting antlers/horns.) (Usually $110)

4.  Wanton waste. (You must remove certain meat parts of most animals.  Failure to remove the meat and closely trim the meat is wanton waste. (Usually $$$)

5. Failure to return Registration Hunt/Draw Hunt permit. (If you did or did not hunt, harvested or did not harvest an animal you must return the one portion of the ticket by a certain date.(Usually $110)

6. No license!!!!!  (Do I need to explain this one?) $60-$$$)

7. Failure to clean up bear baiting station by close of season. Everything has to be removed to include contaminiated soil. ($110+)

8.  Providing guiding services in Alaska without a guides license. (Bend over!  $$$$$, loose equipment, guide license in other states, hunting and fishing privelages, time served, more $$$$ for more violations which F&G will add on.)

[Yukon Jack]

Statewide, I would suspect you could add two more:
1.  Trespass, especially on Native Corp land

2.  Less than full curl Dall Sheep in full curl restricted areas.

[379 Peterbilt]

I was viewing a trooper link just last week. They showed alot of violations just in the area I was hunting. It was sort of entertaining and quite educational as well as rather informative. I read in there about a party of 2 from the same city ( out of state ) 1 guy shot a bull with antlers not even close to 50 or 4, the other guy was ticketed for wanton waste a few days later. And these guys were fortunate enough to draw a permit together. Dumb. What a shame

I wish I could find that link again. It is amazing some of the fines handed out.

[Daveinthebush]

You mean this one Eyesore?

http://www.dps.state.ak.us/pio/dispatch/index.asp

[379 Peterbilt]

Yes, that's the one. Thanks Dave

[Dand]

I see a number of hunters in my area have troubles with the 50/4 rule.  I also saw an editorial in the Anchorage Daily news complaining about it.

If we are having LOTS of violations, then the Board of Game should be considering if this is a reasonable rule.  Maybe it isn't.  Maybe there is a better way.

I feel for the guys who try hard and still get messed up. Especially if they get whacked hard with a fine.  Locally, some  resident young men got a pretty modest fine ($500) for shooting a cow moose, while a nonresident got nailed with over a $1,000, loss of hunting privilges, and rifle.  Now I don't know any of the circumstances for each case, but I feel the local guys should have been nailed at least as hard as the outsiders.  

And remember I'm a life long resident.  

Something to think about.

[NONYA]

I dont understand that 50" rule,what about the guys just trying to put meat in the freezer who dont give a ratsass how big the bull is?

[Daveinthebush]

Because usually in most areas it is a sipke/fork or a 50" with 3-4 brow tines.  So a meat hunter can get a good eating moose if he/she desires.

[379 Peterbilt]

Well put Dand.

As for the fellas who make an honest mistake by shooting a 48" bull w/o the proper brow tines, then go ahead and tag it anyway as they should, then bring out all the meat clean, then the horns, then immediatley turn themselves in to the troopers.....It seems that these guys did everything they could to do right. Yeah, they shot a bull that was 2 inches short. But the meat got donated to the needy, and the hunters(s) ended up paying a modest fee of about $500. While I am not advocating their percieved "poaching" activities, I am just saying that in the end, everything was taken care of without unneccessary exessive fines.

To the guys who shoot say a 36"er in a 50/4 area, well thats not an honest mistake. Thats just dumb. Kinda like the guy this year ( true story ) who was in a "any bull" area-20b of the Wood river--who shot a COW while holding a bull tag. These guys deserve whatever fines they get. Especialy those slobs who only bring out half the meat. Leaving a bunch of edible meat behind to rot is a disgrace.

I guess my point is that someone who shoots say a legal 55" bull but only brings out 1/2 or 3/4 of the meat should be punished more severely than the guy who is one inch or one tine short (honest mistake) yet tags it anyway and brings all the meat out and keeping it edible.

One of the best laws Alaska has on the books is the antlers must not come out untill the last load of meat. Without this law, I wonder how many thousands of pounds meat would have gotten chalked up to "a bear claimed it"