The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is encouraging hunters to register bear bait stations online this year and avoid coming into offices.
Similar to spring 2020, the public will again be able to call local Fish and Game offices to register bait sites 15 days before the baiting season opens and will be emailed or mailed the permit.
Hunters registering bait stations must verbally agree to the conditions of the permit. Most offices are open from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday. A complete list of offices and phone numbers is available here.
“The ability to register bait stations over the phone is a temporary measure and we ask for your patience as we implement this procedure,” the department wrote. “It may take a few days to receive your permit in the mail if you choose to have one mailed to you, so do not wait until the day you intend to head into the field to call. For more information on using bait or scent lures to take bears please see pages 26 and 27 of the 2020-2021 Alaska Hunting Regulations, also available at hunt.alaska.gov.”
Why bear bait stations at all? Why not fair chase?
And don’t give me this, “We’d never get a bear if we couldn’t bait it or use dogs,” excuse. Shouldn’t scoring a quarry as awesome as a bear be worth the effort?
Probably the only thing worse is chasing mountain lions with dogs. Anyone can shoot a puma out of a tree. Not everyone can gain one through stealth, and if you can’t, should you be worthy of the cat?
Where has the honor of the chase gone, or is it all just about getting the head on the wall? If so, what does that say about us as ethical hunters?
Greg – please go back to western Oregon, Cali, or NYC – wherever you are from.
AK Fish&Game manages game populations through hunting – to maintain stable numbers versus the boom & bust cycles that nature harshly produces.
Instead of wringing your hands in some “disnyesque” fashion get a copy of the Ak Fish & Game Regulations and see for your self. Some units have larger limits than others based on game numbers – some units shut hunting down all together, for certain species, if the game populations cannot sustain hunting.
Bear baiting in many ways is the most ethical way to hunt – because the close proximity of the game helps to insure a clean, quick kill.
Can’t wait to get this years summer sausage!
I understand the argument made by Greg R and tend to agree with his sentiments, however as Donewithit points out these rules are used to manage game populations for the best yield. An example might be problem Black Bears… these creatures are not unlike rats in how they exist in proximity to human populations. Black Bears in my experience appear to be more intelligent than their Grizz cousins and are very determined predatory hunters. Black Bears relentlessly pursue moose calves and garbage cans. Make no mistake , Black Bears are very dangerous, especially when conditioned by weak minded humans. So while, bear bait isn’t for me or Greg R, I am happy to let others pursue this path if it deletes problem bears.
Hey Greg, is hunting rabbits with dogs not fair chase either?
Do you even hunt or you one of those trolls that got bored on OAN and want to stir the pot here too.
I have hunted with and without bait in Prince William sound for many seasons. With the woods as thick as they are, it is nearly impossible to spot and stalk bears during the spring season. Yup, hunting them in the fall can be easy, but rotten salmon flavored black bear is a waste. Spring Black bear is some of the best eating wild game in AK.
So I guess I will throw fair chase out as I am harvesting meat rather than “sport” hunting and I am fine with that.
I tend to believe that you (Greg) are not a hunter and just using the “fair chase” as way push the animal rights point of view.
Fair chase is an emotional term used by mostly non-hunters. It is used to win an argument when you have nothing else to argue. What is important is that Fish and Game manage the population. When population goes down, tighter restrictions are implemented, i.e. no bear baiting. Populations are good, hunting restrictions are loosened, i.e. bear baiting is allowed. For me, it is all about the meat however I get it. Nothing better than spring black bear. It will be steaks, roasts and little ground meat.
You are so right
Hunt bears your way and let others do it as they like, please.
Why do you use a hook and line or net to catch fish? Why don’t you dive in and catch them with your teeth like otters, sea lions, bears, etc?
Craig, you hit the nail right on the head. THANK YOU!
Black bear is great and anyone who says different, has not had it!
I prefer them over bait as I can positively identify between males and females along with making sure there are no cubs. It is also cool to just watch them a while before deciding which one to harvest.
A nice collection of rationalizations from hunters too lazy to do the work that makes hunting a noble sport. But I’m not talking about chasing foxes using dogs, horses, and fancy costumes, which is the excuse the nobility used when they wanted to go out and party. If you want to do that, you all have come up with a number of arguments in support. The only real difference is you are touting doing it the Alaska way.
Truly, can anyone, except maybe subsistence hunters, say that hunting for meat is economical financially or as a return on the time spent doing it? It’s much more practical to go to the meat market.
The BOG (talk about a swamp) argument is ridiculous. It is run by hunters and trappers whose only interest is increasing target populations to make their lives easier or more profitable, or both.
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