Stay in the hunt

It’s that time of year! Beginning this past Nov. 1, applications for the 2012-2013 drawing permit hunts began being accepted by the Department of Fish and Game. The application period runs through Dec. 31. Let’s discuss some of the rules for applying and some of the changes for this and future year’s applications.

If you are applying using the paper application, that application must be postmarked on or before Nov. 30, just a few days from now. Only checks and money orders will be accepted with paper applications. Paper applications postmarked after Nov. 30 will not be accepted. This is the last year paper applications can be used; beginning in 2012, the only method of applying for drawing permit hunts will be online. If you want to submit a party application for this current drawing period, that can only be done online – no paper applications for party applications even exist.

If you decide to apply online, you can do so anytime between Nov. 1 and 5 p.m., Dec. 31 and use your credit card for payment. Only VISA or Mastercard will be accepted with your online applications. If you need to make a change to your application, it can only be done to online applications and only before Dec. 25. You must make any changes yourself. No changes can be made to the paper form of the application.

You can only apply for up to three hunts per species, including all online, paper or party permit applications you submit. You can only apply for a particular hunt once per year, and if you drew a permit for that hunt last year, you are ineligible to apply for the same hunt this year. If you failed to return any permit hunt reports (drawing, Tier I, Tier II or registration) from last year, even if you claim the post office lost the reporting form, you are ineligible to apply for any permit hunts this year, regardless of type. You can receive only one drawing permit per species per regulatory year.

One other small item is required to apply for a drawing permit. Unless you are an Alaska resident between the ages of 10 and 15, you must obtain or have applied for an Alaska hunting license prior to applying for the drawing permits. For us geezers, the PID card issued by the department serves as the hunting license.

Since I mentioned age, a hunter must be 10 years old or older by the starting date of the hunt to obtain a permit. Hunters ages 10 to 17 who have successfully completed a basic hunter education certification, or youth under the age of 10, are allowed to hunt on behalf of an adult permit holder. They must be under the direct and immediate supervision of that adult. This adult permit holder must be a licensed hunter age 16 or older and is responsible for ensuring that all legal requirements of the permit hunt are met.

The 2012-2013 Alaska Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement contains all the above information and additional requirements regarding nonresident/guide agreements and situations where a guide is required by law. The supplement discusses the difference between guides and transporters, what’s involved in proxy hunting on drawing hunts, and the situation with permit re-issuing for deployed military who have won permits. Information on hunter education requirements for applicants is contained on the bottom of the front page of the supplement.

I would strongly suggest you get a copy of the supplement and read it thoroughly before submitting any drawing permit applications. If you can’t find a hard copy at your favorite outdoor store or sporting goods section, you can go online to the Fish and Game website and download a copy by following the prompts at: www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=home.main. Look under “highlights” at the top of the page.

Make sure you use the correct code for the specific hunt you apply for and make sure you send the correct amount of money for the applications you submit. Failure to use the correct hunt number, to return last year’s permit reports, applying for more than three hunts per species or for the same hunt twice or submitting less than adequate funds are the most common mistakes applicants make. These mistakes will cause your application to be removed from consideration for any drawing hunts, so make sure your numbers are correct before submitting the application. Again, this stuff is covered in the supplement, along with more discussion of potential ways to screw up an application.

There are a bunch of new black bear hunts in Southeast and a few new mountain goat hunts (one in Southeast and two in Unit 14). Unit 20A has a bunch of new antlerless moose hunts scheduled, but for the most part, the hunts listed are the same as previous years’ offerings. Good luck and good hunting if you’re one of the chosen few to receive a drawing hunt permit. A listing of winners will be available online by the third Friday in February at http://hunt.alaska.gov.

You’ll probably need a new rifle for your anticipated permit hunt next year. Stop by the third annual Grouse Ridge Rangers Christmas Gun Show scheduled for the Menard sports complex Dec. 10-11. The Saturday show runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., while Sunday’s offering runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Five dollars gets you in the door. For more information or a table, call 373-0961.

If you buy a CZ brand rifle, check out the custom scope rings being manufactured in Big Lake by Alaska Arms LLC. The company’s website is alaskaarmsllc.com.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.