Hot-spot hunt makes positive impact for moose management

WASILLA — Valley residents hoping to bag a moose in a special hot-spot hunt have until March 30 to see their permits chosen, but those who missed out may have another chance next winter.

That’s because local wildlife officials are urging the state Board of Game to renew the hot-spot hunt for Game Management Subunit 14A, which includes much of the Valley’s core area, said Olin Albertson, an area wildlife biologist for the state Department of Fish and Game’s Palmer office. Renewing the hunt, which opened Dec. 1 and is aimed toward reducing the incidents of moose-vehicle collisions in problem areas, is one of several things local officials will ask the Board of Game for when it meets Feb. 8-15 at the Best Western Lake Lucille Inn in Wasilla.

“They’ve been going well,” Albertson said of this year’s hot-spot hunts. “We’ve issued up to about 110 permits now, and the last I looked I think we had about 67 percent success rate. It’s been going well. Hunters are getting out there and definitely reducing moose in those high-collision areas.”

The hot-spot hunt was implemented following a 2011-2012 winter that saw record numbers of vehicle-moose collisions in the Mat-Su Borough. Overall, 455 collisions were reported last winter, well above the 280 average, Albertson said. In contrast, this winter has been milder with less snow, so much of the local moose population hasn’t been forced to forage along the roads, he said. That equates to about 145 vehicle-moose collisions in the Valley so far this season.

Because there was concern about how last winter’s record snowfall would affect the local moose population, last year’s antlerless hunt was canceled, Albertson said. But the moose seem to have weathered the winter better than expected. The estimated population of about 8,000 moose is still well above the area’s objective of 6,500-7,500, he said.

“When all was said and done, our moose population didn’t get hit like we thought it would be,” he said. “We canceled the antlerless hunts last year because they didn’t know how last winter would affect the die-off. … If we were at a low population point, we would have lower moose densities and we wouldn’t have a need for (the hot-spot hunt).”

The more than 200 people participating in the hot-spot hunt now registered last October, Albertson said. Throughout the term of the hunt, permits, which were randomly numbered, are awarded to applicants. That means the current hunt is closed to new applicants, but those wanting in on the action can apply come October if the Board of Game renews the hunt.

The areas open for the hot-spot hunt through March 30 include:

• Near the Glenn Highway from Farm Loop to the Chickaloon River.

• Knik-Goose Bay Road from just outside Wasilla city limits south to about the Point MacKenzie turnoff.

• Parks Highway around the area of Church and Pittman roads.

• Parks Highway from the Big Lake turnoff to Nancy Lakes State Park.

For more information about the Board of Game’s Wasilla meetings, visit 1.usa.gov/VAdWMG. The board will open the week of discussion at 8:30 a.m., Friday with introductions and an overview of the purpose of the meeting, followed by agency reports and public comment.

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.