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Here is a summary of the changes to the hunting regulations made by the Alaska Board of Game at their recent regulatory meeting.  This information is courtesy of the Division of Wildlife Conservation.

This is a summary of changes adopted by the Alaska Board of Game for regulatory year 2005-2006. This is not a comprehensive list of all the detailed changes. It is your responsibility to read the Alaska Hunting Regulations carefully for complete information.

These regulations do not become effective until July 1, 2005 so do not affect hunting or trapping seasons that are currently open or that open prior to July 1, 2005. (such as spring bear seasons and bear baiting)

BLACK BEAR
Unit 6D, shorten season to end June 10, beginning next year (Spring 2006). Also next spring, bear baiters will be required to complete a bear hunter clinic before obtaining a bear bait permit.
Unit 14B, increase bag limit to 3 bears per year-not in effect until July 1.

BROWN BEAR
Unit 1D, convert nonresident drawing hunt back to registration permit hunt.
Unit 3, open registration permit hunt for residents only, Mar. 15 - May 31.
Units 6A, 6B, and 6C, eliminate 7 day, in-unit sealing requirement. Bears can now be sealed anywhere in the state, within 30 days of kill.
Unit 8, require nonresidents using a registered guide to submit a signed and completed guide-client agreement at the time of application. Restrict the number of applicants a registered guide may submit to the number of permits available for the hunt.
Unit 16A, outside Denali State Park, liberalize bag limit to one bear a year--does NOT count against the one bear every 4 year bag limit in other areas of the state.
Unit 16B, increase bag limit to 2 bears per year--does NOT count against the one bear every 4 year bag limit in other areas of the state.
Units 21B and 21C, reinstate resident tag fee requirement.
Unit 17, align and lengthen season unit-wide, Sept. 10-May 25.

CARIBOU
Unit 9C, north of the Naknek River and south of the Alagnak River drainage, establish emergency authority to open a resident only winter season for up to 3 caribou during Jan. 20 – March 31. This hunt will only open if the Mulchatna herd is in the area and the North Alaska Peninsula herd is south of the Naknek River.
Unit 9D, restrict resident bag limits—1 bull Aug. 10-Sept. 30, 1 antlerless caribou remainder of the season, Nov. 15-March 31.
Unit 16B, lengthen season for Rainy Pass caribou herd, Aug. 10 – Sept. 30.
Unit 17B, establish new nonresident closed area along river corridors. The area extending two miles on either side of, and including, the following rivers is CLOSED to nonresident hunting for caribou:
1) Nushagak River beginning at the southern Boundary of Unit 17B and extending north to the Chichitnok River, and including Harris Creek, Klutaspuk Creek, King Salmon River and the Chichitnok River
2) Mulchatna River upstream to the mouth of the Chilchitna
3) Nuyakuk River extending west  up to the falls
4) Koktuli River up to the mouth of the Swan River, and
5) Stuyahok River to the confluence of the East/West Forks

DEER
Units 1- 5, all unused deer harvest tickets must be carried while hunting deer and must be validated in sequential order, beginning with harvest ticket number one.
Unit 2, in an effort to gather extensive harvest data from all hunters on Prince of Wales (POW) Island, all POW hunters will be required to obtain an additional harvest report form at the time they obtain deer harvest tickets.

ELK
Unit 3, establish late season registration hunt, Nov. 15 – Nov. 30, in same area as drawing hunts DE318 and DE322, Etolin and Zarembo Islands.

MOOSE
Unit 1B, 1C south of Point Hobart, and 3, establish drawing hunt for any bull during the same season as the current registration hunt, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15.
Unit 1C, Gustavus, extend antlerless season, Nov. 10- Dec. 10. The department may limit people to one registration permit hunt in the SE area to require people to choose which bull moose hunt area they wish to register in.
Unit 6B, create new controlled use area for moose hunting. The area is closed to the use of any motorized vehicle for moose hunting until after 3:00 a.m. on the day following the day which any motorized vehicle is used for transportation, beginning Sept. 5 and ending Oct. 31.
Units 7 and 15, change dates for drawing permit hunt DM522, Oct. 10 – Nov. 10.
Unit 13 allow youth hunters 12-17 who have successfully completed a basic hunter education course to take a Tier II moose (TM300) under the direct supervision of the permit holder.
Unit 14C, Fort Richardson Management Area, simplify and expand permit hunt areas and lengthen season, to allow both muzzleloader hunters and bowhunters to hunt both north and south of Eagle River.
Unit 14C, establish new drawing hunt in Ship Creek (upstream of Ft. Richardson) for any moose, Day after Labor Day – Sept. 30.
Unit 14C, modify bag limit and open drawing hunt in Upper Campbell Creek to muzzleloader and shotgun hunters, for antlerless or spike-fork bulls.
Unit 15C, Lower Kenai Controlled Use area, clarify use of motorized vehicles for moose hunting on specific roads in the area by local residents accessing personal residences and businesses.
Unit 15C, shift dates of Tier II hunt on lower Kenai Peninsula to Aug. 20 – Sept. 20.
Unit 17B, establish new nonresident registration permit hunt area along river corridors with limited number of permits. Season dates remain the same, Sept. 5 – Sept. 15. In the area extending two miles on either side of, and including, the following rivers, nonresidents hunting for moose are required to have a registration permit:
1) Nushagak River beginning at the southern Boundary of Unit 17B and extending north to the Chichitnok River, and including Harris Creek, Klutaspuk Creek, King Salmon River and the Chichitnok River
2) Mulchatna River upstream to the mouth of the Chilchitna
3) Nuyakuk River extending west  up to the falls
4) Koktuli River up to the mouth of the Swan River, and
5) Stuyahok River to the confluence of the East/West Forks

Unit 17C, that portion west of Killian Creek, Nunavaugaluk Lake and the Snake River, expand existing winter hunt in 17A (RM575) to include the western portion of 17C. One antlered bull by registration permit during a season of up to 14 days to be announced during the months of December or January. The department may limit people to one registration permit hunt in the Unit.
Unit 19A, remainder, close nonresident season for one year.

MOUNTAIN GOAT
Unit 1A, remainder of Revillagigedo Island (Ketchikan area), establish drawing permit, Aug. 1 – Dec. 31. Due to the timing of the application period for goat hunts, this hunt will not be held until Fall 2006.
Unit 1C, lengthen season for the archery only registration permit (RG014) area near Juneau, Aug. 1 – Nov. 30.
Units 6, 8, 11, and 14, prohibit the taking of nannies with kids. The prohibition was already in place for goat hunts in Units 7, 13, and 15.
Unit 6, the hunting closures in the Heney Range Goat Observation Area and the Goat Mountain Goat Observation area were repealed. Portions of the Goat Mountain area will be added to an existing registration hunt.

WOLVES
Units 1-5, remove the requirement to leave the radius and ulna attached to a wolf hide until sealed.
Units 1, and 3-5, extend hunting season, August 1 – April 30.
Units 1, and 3-5, extend trapping season, November 10 - April 30.
Unit 9, extend hunting season, August 10 – May 25.
Unit 9, extend trapping season, October 1 - April 30.
Units 14B, 16 and 17, extend trapping season, Nov. 10-April 30.
Units 9, 14B, 16 and 17, restrict trapping methods during the months of October and April. If the trapping season is open for wolves during those months, you may not use steel traps, or snares smaller than 3/32” diameter.
Units 9B, 9C, 9E, and 17, allow the use of snowmachines and ATV’s for taking wolves during hunting or trapping seasons, provided that animals are not shot from a moving snowmachine or ATV. Use of snowmachines and ATV’s is not allowed on National Park Service or National Wildlife Refuge lands that have not been approved by the agencies.
Unit 18, allow the use of snowmachines for taking wolves during hunting or trapping seasons, provided that animals are not shot from a moving snowmachine.

BEAVER
Unit 11, increase season to May 31--from April 15 - April 30, in addition to other trapping gear, firearms may be used to take up to 4 beaver. From May 1-May 31, only firearms may be used to take up to 4 beaver.

LYNX
Units 12 and 20E, establish permanent trapping season, Nov. 1 – Feb. 28, only 5 lynx during November season, no limit remainder of season. Previously the area was managed under the Lynx Harvest Tracking Strategy and trapping season was adjusted each year dependent upon the lynx population cycle.

PTARMIGAN
Units 13A, 13B, and 13E, reduce bag limit during the Dec. 1 – March 31 portion of the season to 5 per day, 10 in possession.

MISCELLANEOUS
In Units 1 –4 require a wounded black or brown bear to count against the bag limit of the hunter for the year.
Unit 1A, clarify the boundaries of the Hyder Salmon River closed area to include the drainages of Fish and Skookum Creek.
Unit 1C, remove erroneous snow goose hunting closure.
Unit 3, clarify hunting closure along the Mitkof highway by starting the closure at the city limits, and clarify the closed area around Blind Slough.
Unit 1C, Douglas Island management area, establish a harvest cap for wolves and modify trapping registration requirements.
Unit 7, clarify the dates that shotguns are allowed for hunting migratory birds and small game in the Portage Glacier Closed Area, Sept. 1 – April 30.
Unit 9E, eliminate Bristol Bay Controlled Use Area. The area had been closed to the use of air boats for bear hunting in May, June and July.
Unit 10, remove erroneous Canada goose hunting closure for Unit, and hunting closure on Otter Island.
Unit 13B, Clearwater Creek Controlled Use Area, extend the season for use of motorized vehicles for hunting bears, wolves, and small game to March 15 - June 30.
Unit 13, expand wolf predation control area to include Unit 13C.
Establish a new predator control area for both wolves and brown bear in Units 12 and 20E.
Unit 14A, clarify legal method in Palmer-Wasilla Management area to allow only muzzleloading blackpower firearms.
Unit 15A, Skilak Loop Wildlife Management Area, allow hunting of small game and fur animals with firearms from Oct. 1 – March 1, during existing seasons. Firearm discharge is not allowed within Ό mile of any campground.
Unit 15C, eliminated the state trapping closure in the city of Homer after discussion with city officials. The city intends to modify city regulations to continue the closure within existing city limits.
Unit 15B, eliminated the marten trapping closure in the portion east of the Kenai River, Skilak Lake, Skilak River and Skilak Glacier.
Registration permits will to be denied to people who have failed to previously report harvest in any other permit hunt. This is now a mandatory requirement.
Several Tier II proposals were deferred to a June 4-5 meeting.

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