Deanna Garrison, KRBD – Ketchikan
The state board of game will take up Southeast hunting and trapping management issues during a five-day meeting in Ketchikan starting Friday.
Of the 48 proposals the board is slated to consider, a handful seek to limit bear hunting in popular tourist locations in and around Ketchikan.
One such proposal would close the Margaret creek drainage area to bear hunting. The area, located within Traitors cove is a popular bear viewing destination for tourists.
A similar proposal submitted by the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary seeks to close the Eagle creek/Whitman lake hatchery area to bear hunting.
As it stands now, resident hunters may harvest two black bears and non-residents one black bear during the bear hunting season.
The Ketchikan fish and game advisory committee has voted in opposition of the proposed hunting restrictions in the bear viewing areas.
Fish and Game is floating its own proposal that would change the black bear hunting seasons and bag limits within Southeast.
The department is recommending reducing the resident black bear bag limit from two to one in Units 1, 2, 3 and 5.
Fish and Game is recommending the changes due to concerns about black bear populations, saying the present harvest may not be sustainable in some areas of southeast.
The board will take up other issues. A complete packet of all of the hunting and trapping proposals are available on the state fish and game website.
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