Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:38:39 — 79.0MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS | More
In this episode, I’m joined by Matt Herkstroeter to discuss the push for closures of sheep hunting opportunities in the Brooks Range. Some of these proposals follow suit with the attempted closures of federal land to non-local caribou hunters via the Federal Subsistence board through Wildlife Special Action Requests (WSA’s). We discuss the reality that sheep populations have been hit statewide the past two winters, what might be coming down the pipe, and the importance of staying objective in forming our opinions on the matter. The meeting we expect these proposals to be put forward is happening now, Feb 16 and 17, 2022, and the call-in info is listed in the episode photo here on tundratalkak.com. At the very least if you can call in to stay informed and give feedback if necessary, it will help.
Meeting phone number: 1-866-617-1525, passcode: 54006314
Tyler, in response to the recent episode on potential sheep hunting closures in the Brooks. You guys discuss the sheep population suffering statewide due to weather and predation. Being that we can’t control the weather, and aside from some trapping/predator hunting we can’t control deaths due to predation, it seems reasonable to me that maybe we should consider limiting the hunting on them until the populations rebound. Specifically, guided non-resident hunters. I propose the number of allowed non-resident sheep hunts be cut in half. ADFG should raise the non-res tag and license prices by atleast 100%. Anybody willing to spend 18+ thousand dollars for a sheep hunt can afford to pay tag/license fees that are more in line with Bighorn hunts. This will take some of the pressure off the sheep while still funding ADFG. I have relatives and friends that are guides, and while I understand their stance on the subject….the game populations, as you know, belong to the residents as a whole. Not a select few residents that feel entitled to make a living off these animals. The game populations are in no way comparable to natural resources like Timber, Oil, and fish. Sure the weather is the big killer, but talk to Lewis Bradley or Mike Meekins about the decline in sheep populations and they’ll readily back this rant up.