Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
August 2018

Natural Selection at Work on Alaska’s Wood Bison
2018 Wood Bison Update

By Tom Seaton

Alaska’s only wild wood bison herd had significant losses in March and April of 2018. Wood bison decreased from an estimated 140 in June of 2017 to an estimated post-calving count of 91 in June of 2018. A late winter stress event mostly attributed to difficult snow conditions took a toll on the herd.

On the bright side, that difficult time is over. Bison are again gaining weight and bringing up new calves. Bison as all other large herbivores in Alaska gain weight in the four to ...   2018 Bison Update Article Continued

Is this Moose Legal?
Updated Video Helps Hunters ID Moose

By Riley Woodford

A brand new version of the popular video, “Is This Moose Legal” is now available. Originally produced by Fish and Game in the 1980s to familiarize hunters in Alaska with then-new antler restrictions, the updated 25-minute version features new footage and addresses current regulations. It is required viewing for some moose hunts in Alaska.

Moose management in many parts of Alaska includes restrictions on the spread or configuration of a bull’s antlers. Knowing definitions ...   Is this Moose Legal? Article Continued

Using a Drone to ‘Recover’ Tagged Coho Salmon

By Mark Witteveen and Tyler Polum

Recently, in the Kodiak Division of Sport Fish office, we were brainstorming ways to try to get a better handle on the coho salmon escapement in the Pasagshak River just south of the City of Kodiak. We face a challenging set of environmental changes in this area which seem to be changing coho, or silver salmon, run characteristics. Our traditional survey methods made it appear the runs were nearing record lows, but angler reports and our own observations suggested otherwise, leaving us with a ...   Drone Salmon Article Continued

International Hunter Education
Association Annual Conference Comes to Alaska

By Ginamaria Smith

Volunteer recruitment, the history of hunter safety in the US, and lessons learned about leadership and teamwork from a musher’s perspective were just a few topics on the agenda during the International Hunter Education Association’s (IHEA-USA) conference. The annual conference is held each year in a different state and this year’s event was hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game’s Hunter Information & Training (HIT) Program in Anchorage.

The International ...   Hunter ed Article Continued