Matt Lichtenstein, KFSK – Petersburg
The wolf-hunting season is open a month longer than usual in parts of central and southern Southeast this year because of concerns over low deer numbers. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says the season will remain open until May 31. Petersburg Wildlife Biologist Rich Lowell says wolf predation is one of the reasons deer populations have declined in game management unit three, around Petersburg and Wrangell.
Lowell says the department’s voluntary hunter survey shows the area’s deer harvests have fallen well short of the state’s objective for the past six years.
He says the Game Board considered the longer wolf season as an alternative to more extensive efforts.
Meanwhile, the state is also trying to get a better handle on deer harvest numbers. Starting this fall, hunters will be required to report their harvest after the season.
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