Thoughts for the BOG

We’ll be touching on a few different topics with this column. Hopefully, I won’t confuse or loose you as we jump from topic to topic. Let’s get started.

In last week’s column, I discussed the moose situation in Game Management Unit 14A based on recently completed survey information, with management implications from our area wildlife manager. One item that may not have been clear was the mention of a winter antlerless moose drawing hunt, running from Jan.1 to Feb.28. This was mentioned in the context of the 2012 upcoming permit hunts.

Well, this is 2012 and the date is Jan. 13, so where’s the hunt? That’s my error. The permit drawing hunts being discussed cover fall 2012 and spring 2013. This particular winter moose hunt is scheduled for January through February 2013. I think most folks applying for permit hunts understood that distinction, but others reading the column may not and are wondering about possible ongoing hunts right now. I should have been clearer and referred to that specific hunt as occurring in 2013.

Earlier this past week, a good friend called and wondered how to handle a dead moose on his property. The animal was a small calf and was probably a mortality directly attributable to this winter’s snowfall levels and moderately cold temperatures — a classic example of the so-called “winterkill” of animals we all have heard about. As this is written, we’re waiting to see if an additional foot or more of new, wet snow dumps on us over the next day or so. Apparently, moose calves are dying all over the Valley because of the deeper than usual snow depths and generally tough winter conditions. What should you do if a moose decides your property has become its final resting space?

Call Fish and Game in Palmer (746-6300) and explain your situation. The department maintains a list of trappers who are specially permitted to retrieve carcasses and use them on their traplines. In my friend’s case, his moose situation was handled within 24 hours after he called the department. A trapper showed up at his location and hauled off the carcass, saving him the problem of dealing with a rotting moose carcass this spring and the possible complications of drawing in a bear or other predatory animals looking for an easy meal.

Couldn’t you just call troopers and have the situation handled like a roadkill? Probably, but since the cause of death most likely wasn’t injury or illegal shooting, would you want to risk eating an animal that died from starvation or some disease? And if you just found the animal, do you know how long it may have been dead? Do you still want to try eating it? I wouldn’t, and I’ll eat stuff most people won’t. The best way is to report the dead animal and have a trapper haul off the carcass. That way some good use comes from the carcass and you don’t have to worry about bears in your yard come springtime.

The Alaska Board of Game (BOG) is meeting in Anchorage at the Hilton Hotel beginning today and running through the 17th to deal with a number of proposals affecting statewide regulations. I’ve mentioned this meeting and several of the proposals in prior columns. I hope to be sitting in and listening to the meeting, but a lot will depend on whether that extra foot of snow has fallen and how quickly the roads are cleared.

I would like to testify on the crossbow proposals in front of the board. There are a couple of proposals to define exactly what a crossbow is, since that definition does not yet appear in regulation. The department has proposed a definition, but the wording could be better. Specifically, rather than define a minimum draw length of the bow, as is appropriate terminology for hand-held traditional or compound bows, the term “length of power stroke” could be substituted. The power stroke for a crossbow is the length along the stock where the force of the bow is imparted to the arrow (bolt is the proper term for a crossbow arrow) by the string.

Most of today’s modern hunting crossbows have a power stroke of from about 14 inches to around 17 inches. The length of the power stroke combined with the pound-pull strength of the bow determines the velocity of the bolt. Given equal weight, bolts and bow poundages, the longer power stroke imparts more velocity to the bolt. If a heavier bolt is used, the longer power stroke would impart more energy, translating to faster velocity of the bolt.

Another comment I would like to make to the board is that the two schools of thought in arrow/bolt hunting (handheld bow verses crossbow) have a bitter rivalry that often makes no sense, but is very real. To avoid the handheld bow crowd from objecting to the inclusion of a crossbow in the generic “archery” definition, the board should define what a crossbow is and place it in its own stand-alone category. The board should then establish that weapons-controlled hunts can use either archery or crossbow equipment, or both. This would give game managers another tool to use in managing hunts and would provide additional opportunity to those who enjoy hunting with crossbows.

The BOG is addressing a wide array of topics besides just the crossbow issue. If you can, stop in and listen. You might be surprised at what you hear and what you learn.

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.