Everything you wanted to know about hunt permits

Out & About, by Howard Delo

The winter drawing permit application period for Dall sheep, nonresident, guided Kodiak brown bear, nonresident North Slope grizzly and Koyukuk moose is open until Dec. 6. I recently stopped by Steve Schwartz' office with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to discuss the department's permit program and how it works.

Schwartz is the Information Management Program Coordinator for ADF&G's Wildlife Conservation Division (DWC) in Anchorage and oversees the drawing permit program as part of his duties. He began his career with the state by working for the now-defunct ADF&G, F.R.E.D. Division in Southeast. After seven years as a research analyst for the division, he moved to the Department of Corrections, spending another 10 years as a research analyst. Schwartz returned to DWC in his present position as program coordinator about six years ago.

Schwartz explained that the purpose of the drawing permit program, which is an allocation process established by the Board of Game and administered by ADF&G, is to allow continued hunting opportunity on specific populations of animals not capable of sustaining an unrestricted, open-to-all hunting season.

By issuing a limited number of permits to protect a group of animals from over-harvest, the continued health and well being of that particular animal population, like Tok Dall sheep, is assured. While the number of permits is limited, anyone with a valid Alaska hunting license can apply to participate in these permit hunts.

"Everything a person needs to know to apply for any drawing permit in the winter application period is spelled out in the supplement," Schwartz said. He recommended reading the entire supplement and becoming familiar with the rules before filling out the application.

Double-checking the completed application to ensure correct hunt numbers, listing a valid hunting license number, and including the proper amount of money for fees will assure speedy processing of the application. Don't forget to sign the application.

Schwartz suggested applying early using the Internet and a credit card. An early application allows the department to contact the applicant and correct any application problems prior to the deadline. The more lead-time the department has, the better their customer services are in contacting the applicant if a problem arises.

Most people wait to apply. About 95 percent of applications arrive at the last minute, and the staff dealing with permits is unable to correct every problem application. If an erroneous application is not corrected, it ends up being disqualified. Applicants are encouraged to apply early and keep a copy for their records.

I asked Schwartz where the non-refundable money from fees goes. The short answer is that the funds ultimately end up back with the Wildlife Conservation Division and are used as the state match to secure additional federal dollars. This money is then used for management and research of the state's game animal populations.

Schwartz explained that the drawing permit program originally started out with just one application period in May. Because of the requirement that all permit applications be processed and entered into the system before any permits can be issued, successful applicants were not notified until early- to mid-July. This left a month or less for sheep hunters to plan their hunts and was a "real rush job."

The winter application period was established a couple of years ago to allow successful applicants more time to plan their sheep, bear and Koyukuk moose hunts. Please note that, for the 2004 mountain goat permit hunt season, the new application period will be during the 2003 winter application period.

Schwartz pointed out another common problem on applications. "By regulation, you are only allowed to apply for three hunts per species per regulatory year," he said. That means if you apply for a Koyukuk moose permit now, you can only apply for two other moose hunts during the May application period. The regulatory year runs from July 1 to the following June 30.

Remember, double-check your application and good luck.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist living in Big Lake. Send your comments and ideas to editor@frontiersman.com, or call (907) 352-2268 and leave a message for Howard.