A few changes to seasons and harvest limits for some game species in the 2016-2018 Federal Subsistence Management Regulations for the Harvest of Wildlife may be of interest to subsistence hunters in the Cordova area.
The federal season for der has been extended for one month, through the end of January, for one buck only. The extension is not an additive to the harvest limit of five deer, but rather, can only be taken if the qualified rural resident has not taken all five deer allowed during the 2016 season that began on Aug. 1, says Mila Burcham of the U.S. Forest Service office in Cordova.
The next consecutive, unused 2016 state harvest ticket (i.e. 1 through 5) must be used to tag the buck. Hunters must also have in their possession the new 2017 state hunting license. Only one buck may be taken and it is important to note that many bcks have lost their antlers by this time, so it is up to the hunter to determine that the deer is male, whether or not it has antlers, Burcham said.
Similarly, the federal subsistence mountain goat season in Unit 6D has been extended through Feb. 28. A quota of 17 mountain goats are available to rural residents of Units 6C and 6D, in seven hunt units distributed across Prince William Sound, he said.
As with all federal subsistence regulations, these changes apply only to qualified rural residents hunting on federal public lands.
This is particularly important with the lengthening of the season for harvesting one buck, as beaches below the mean high tide line, where deer often concentrate in winter, are managed by the state of Alaska. Hunters must harvest a buck above the mean high tide line, where the upland ownership is federal.
Pick up a copy of the federal subsistence hunting regulations at the U.S. Forest Service office in Cordova, or call Burcham at 907-424-4759 for further information.
