Outdoors/Adventure

Caribou and crowds. Ready for another Nelchina hunt?

MACLAREN RIVER — Welcome to another season of confusing Nelchina caribou regulations. If you're an Alaska hunter eagerly awaiting the Aug. 10 opener, you'll find that you're not the first hunter on the tundra. Federally qualified rural residents, those living in federally designated rural areas, began hunting Aug. 1.

Fortunately for Anchorage, Fairbanks and Kenai hunters, most of the 700,000-plus acres controlled by federal authorities have only few caribou roaming at this time.

There's no doubt that Nelchina caribou is one of Alaska's most-popular hunts, partly due to road access. Last season, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, there were 12,793 applications for 5,000 permits in Game Management Unit 13, where those caribou roam.

Tangle Lakes and the Gulkana River corridor fall within federally managed lands. Additionally, there are a number of federal parcels along the Richardson Highway between Miles 129 and 227. One of the most confusing sections is the Sourdough Controlled Use Area, which has portions open to federal hunting. However, access is controlled by the state, which has some motorized restrictions.

More confusion is added by the Paxson Closed Area, a narrow section of that area controlled by federal regulations and only open to federally qualified hunters. State of Alaska hunters will have to stand and watch while their neighbors shoot. There will be both federal and state game enforcement on the ground, and both should be able to help decipher the boundary lines, though hopefully not by ticketing those who get it wrong.

A brief synopsis of the Nelchina hunt:

*Federal subsistence hunters started Aug. 1 and continue through the end of September.

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*The state of Alaska Tier I hunt begins Aug. 10 as does the community hunt.

*Those of you who paid your money and took your chance in the drawing hunt must wait until Aug. 20 to start.

In its infinite wisdom, the Alaska Board of Game decided to retain the requirement that Tier I caribou hunters are only allowed to hunt moose in Unit 13, thus assuring Unit 13 users of another season of overcrowding on an extremely limited trail system.

On Aug. 10, opening day for most, hunters will find a few caribou along the Denali in the usual locations. The first weekend typically pushes the scattered local animals back from the highway. Hunter activity then quiets somewhat until weather triggers animals to move.

The 2016 season opener found in excess of 100 camps on the Denali between Tangle Lakes and the Maclaren area. Most hunt parties had an ATV or two. Motorized traffic on the few trails in the area was intense. Expect more of the same.

The summer weather has been close to normal. There has been adequate rain, but swamps are not overly wet and the bugs aren't overwhelming. The temperature has not been scorching, though a warm-up this weekend is expected. Consequently, caribou are scattered throughout their customary range. I could not find any lying high on snow patches and glaciers. I did see several cows working through some low-elevation swamps.

The Macomb caribou herd near Delta is at much lower elevation than usual, with several groups of large bulls down in the flats. A lack of pestering insects and adequate rain appears to have provided more browsing opportunities. Expect to see the same pattern with the Nelchina herd.

Generally, hunters love to hunt caribou because caribou are late risers, and typically are more active in early afternoon. The leisurely camp breakfast doesn't harm prospects for success.

Autumn will find caribou picking at various forbes and Alaska cotton. Dwarf birch leaves are also extensively browsed, and fireweed patches are popular. Warm afternoons will find animals on higher windy ridges to avoid bugs. Caribou hate flies. I have seen my reindeer take off running from a single buzzing fly.

Hunters, don't let confusion over regulations send you running. Stick with it. Read the regs carefully so a lack of understanding doesn't ruin your day in the field.

Bring your ATV if that is what moves you. But don't forget your pack frame, either. Many of the trails along the Denali and Richardson highways carry motorized restrictions. Some of the areas require motorized users to remain on the trail proper. Other areas are closed to motorized traffic completely. Remember, even if you are not a federally qualified subsistence user, you still must comply with local federal land use restrictions. Figure out the paper trails at home before heading afield, and your hunt will much more enjoyable.

John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

John Schandelmeier

Outdoor opinion columnist John Schandelmeier is a lifelong Alaskan who lives with his family near Paxson. He is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and two-time winner of the Yukon Quest.

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