Species Management Policies
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: ; ' j I . • ALASKA WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLANS , SPECIES MANAGEMENT POLICIES 1 • _1980,==========:1- ALASKA WILD LIFE MANAGEMENT PLANS SPECIES MANAGEMENT POLICIES STATE OF ALASKA Jay S. Hammond, Governor DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME DIVISION OF GAME Ronald 0. Skoog, Commissioner Ronald J. Somerville, Director December 1980 Financed in part through Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, Project W-20-2 I FOREWORD These Species Management Policies are the principal policy base upon which the Game Division's Wildlife Management Plans are developed. Originally published in 1973 as the Alaska Game Management Policies, and subsequently revised and expanded by the addition of species background narratives, these policies were reviewed and endorsed by the Alaska Board of Game in 1980. These policies reflect current Department and Alaska Board of Game philosophy on the management of Alaska's wildlife. They are not intended to replace or constrain the authorities or prerogatives of the Board and the Department in promulgating regulations or taking administrative actions to safeguard the resource or beneficial public uses of wildlife. Rather, they should provide guidance and a basis against which decisions and actions by the Board and Department can be considered. It is hoped that publication and distribution of these species policies will help the general public, organizations, and other agencies interested in the welfare or use of Alaska's wildlife and other resources to understand the Department's wildlife management philosophy. These policies will require periodic updating and revision as new information becomes available and as human needs and legal mandates change. ' ' CONTENTS FOREWORD . i BLACK BEAR MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • I-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies . • • • • . • • • I-3 Species Use Management Policies . • • • • • • • I-4 Problems . I-6 BROWN/GRIZZLY BEAR MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background . • • • • • • • • • • . • . • • • II-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies . • • • . • • II-3 Species Use Management Policies . • • • • • • • • . • It-4 Problems . .. II-6 BISON MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • . • • . • . • • . • • • • III-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies • • • . • • • III-2 Species Use Management Policies • . • • • . • . III-3 CARIBOU MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • . • • • • • • . • • • IV-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies • • . • • IV-4 Species Use Management Policies • • • . • • • • • • • • IV-5 Problems . IV-7 DALL SHEEP MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • . • • • . • . V-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies . V-2 Species Use Management Policies • • • • • • • . V-3 Problems . V-4 SITKA BLACK-TAILED DEER MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • VI-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies ••...•... VI-4 Species Use Management Policies • • • • . • • . • • • VI-5 Problems . VI-6 ELK MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background . • • • • . • • . • • • • • • . • VII-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies . • • • • . • VII-3 Species Use Management Policies • . • • • • • • • . • • VII-4 Problems . VII-5 MOOSE MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . VIII-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies • • • • • • • VIII-3 Species Use Management Policies • • • • • • • • • • • VIII-4 Problems . • • • • • • • • • VIII-6 ii ' I. MOUNTAIN GOAT MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • IX-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies . • • • • • • IX-3 Species Use Management Policies • • • • • • • • • IX-3 Problems . • • • • IX-5 MUSKOX MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • X-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies • • • • • • • X-2 Species Use Management Policies . • • • • • • . • X-3 Problems • . • • • • • • • • • • . • . • . • • • X-4 WOLF MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • XI-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies ••••.•••• XI-4 Species Use Management Policies • . • . • • • • • • . XI-5 Problems . XI-6 FORBEARERS MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background . • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • XII-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies . XII-13 Species Use Management Policies . • • • • .• XII-15 Problems . XII-16 SMALL GAME MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • . • • . • • • • • • • • • XIII-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies • • . • • • • XIII-4 Species Use Management Policies • • • • • • • XIII-4 Problems . • XIII-6 WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • XIV-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies . • • • . XIV-3 Species Use Management Policies • • • • . • • • . XIV-4 Problems . • • • • XIV-5 UNCLASSIFIED GAME MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background • • • • • • • • • • • . • . • • . XV-1 Species and Habitat Management Policies • • • • . • XV-8 Species Use Management Policies • • . • • . XV-9 Problems . • • • • • XV-10 iii BLACK BEAR MANAGEMENT POLICIES Species Background Black bears (Ursus americanus) are widely distributed in Alaska, with the highest densities occurring in southeastern Alaska, Prince William Sound, and coastal mountains and lowlands in southcentral Alaska. Black bears are absent from the islands north of Frederick Sound, the Alaska Penin sula and the north slope of the Brooks Range. Interior and western areas have low to moderate densities of bears. Distribution of black bears in Alaska coincides closely with that of forests, but seasonal variations in habitat use are apparent within this vegetative zone. Black bears prefer open forests rather than dense stands of timber, and the highest densities of black bears generally occur in areas having interspersed vegetation types. Semi-open forested areas with understories composed of fruitbearing shrubs and herbs, lush grasses and succulent forbs are particularly attractive to black bears. Extensive, open areas are generally avoided. In spring, black bears are frequently found in moist, lowland areas-or coastal beaches and alder slides where early-growing, green vegetation is available. In July and August, coastal black bears congregate along streams to feed on spawning salmon, although abundant berry crops may attract bears away from salmon streams. In interior areas some use of spawning salmon occurs, but opportunities for such use are limited. Berries are an important food item in late summer and fall, and bears move into alpine and subalpine areas where berries are plentiful. Most black bears have relatively small annual home ranges, especially in coastal areas where seasonal movements are altitudinal in nature. However, black bears are capable of traveling long distances and have shown a remarkable ability to return to their home ranges when transplanted to other locations. Little information is available regarding natural controls on black bear populations and the degree of population fluctuations. Deep, long-lasting snows are thought to cause mortality of adults and cubs by slowing emergence of hibernating bears from dens and delaying availability of new green vegetation after emergence. Such mortality may cause significant annual fluctuations in bear numbers. Some bears are killed by other bears and occasionally by wolves, but the importance of such losses is unknown. Parasites and diseases do not cause significant mortality. One parasite of concern to man, Trichina, is present in some bears and is transmissible to man when raw or partially cooked bear meat is eaten. Available information indicates little cub I-1 mortality through the first eight months of life. Cubs are precocious; instances are known in which orphans as young as five months of age have survived without maternal care. Most human use of black bears in Southeastern, Southcentral and Interior Alaska is recreational hunting for skins and meat. In addition, some bush residents in these regions utilize black bears to meet subsistence needs whenever bears are available. Despite traditionally liberal hunting seasons and bag limits, the harvest of bears remains relatively small except near some coastal communities where large increases in hunting pressure have occurred. In western Alaska, subsistence use is the primary use although the relative scarcity of bears in much of the area makes such use opportunistic. Black bears have long been considered nuisance animals by some Alaskans, particularly during years in which populations have been high and bear-human encounters more frequent. Increased interest in black bears as game animals has been evident in recent years, particularly as opportunities to hunt other species have become more limited. Black bear hunting is popular in spring when bears are one of the few species of big game that can be taken legally. Hunters seek bears shortly after the bears emerge from winter dens, when the hides are less likely to be rubbed. Hide quality deteriorates as the winter hair is shed and rubbed spots appear, and therefore most sport hunting ceases by mid-June. The harvest of males is greatest in spring because they leave the den before females and because females accompanied by cubs are protected by regulation. Recreational hunting of bears resumes in September when hides have improved in quality and continues until bears den for the winter. Black bears provide considerable use at this time, but many of the bears harvested are taken incidental to hunts for other species. The proportion of females