Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
January 2011

Tropical Turtle Strays North to Alaska

By Riley Woodford

Dennis Diamond did a double take when he saw the big green sea turtle on the beach near Ketchikan.

“I've lived here my whole life and never seen anything like that,” he said. “To me it looked like it just came there, it was extremely fresh, like it had just died that day.”

Diamond found the 171-pound, three-foot-long turtle about 10 miles northwest of Ketchikan. Considered a tropical and subtropical turtle, the green sea turtle is one of four sea turtle species that occasionally ...   Alaska Turtle ArticleContinued

Behind the Scenes of the Upper Cook Inlet
Personal Use Fisheries

By Kristine Dunker

If you've dipnetted in the Kenai, Kasilof or Fish Creek, you know the excitement that comes when a fish hits your net! Dipnetting for salmon is a truly unique Alaskan experience.

Each year, families from across the state gather at the mouths of the Kenai or the Kasilof to try their luck. At times, these streams can get pretty crowded. If you've ever stood on the bluff above the Kenai during the peak of the fishery and watched all the hustle and bustle below you, you may have wondered ...   Personal Use Fishery ArticleContinued

More Alaskans Hunting Than Ever Before

By Riley Woodford

While hunting may be declining in many states, record numbers of Alaskans are taking to the field. More than 105,000 Alaskans bought hunting licenses last year, more than at any time in history.

Alaska resident hunting license sales are up about 18 percent over the past decade; there were about 17,570 more hunters in Alaska in 2009 than in 2000.

One of those is Terry Schwarz of Juneau. Schwarz bought a new .30-06 and shot a deer last year, right after Thanksgiving. Schwarz grew ...   More Alaskans hunt ArticleContinued