Fellows I'm going to be submitting some proposals to the game board for the spring meeting. The deadline for proposals is the 9th of December I believe, around that date anyway, need to check with fish and game if you want the exact date. Any one that wants to make a proposal can do so by getting the form on line or by contacting Fish and Game.
First of all: The predation rate for the 40 mile herd is high. I can't find the exact figures right now, but the main predator is Grizzlies, then Wolves. One of the main problem is few people are hunting Grizzlies. F&G has raised the limit to two bears a year, no tag required, and even are letting people bait them. Still no results, and think about it, once a person has a Grizzly hide hanging on the wall he does not want the expense of doing another. And that is the only thing one can do with a Grizzly hide period. BUT If bears were classified as fur animals, then the hide could be sold as with other fur animals. There is a market waiting, and all it takes is for it to become legal. I'm going to propose that bears be reclassified as fur animals. I'm also going to propose that the Wood River Control Use Area be either deleted or restrictions on motorized vehicles eased. There is no biological reason for this controlled use area, it was solely a political move made by an old hunting guide so he could have an exclusive hunting area with no competition. He is now deceased, (killed by one of his own boobytraps to keep others out of his area), and the political climate has changed. We average alaskans are locked out of enough of this state, we don't need to have these large controlled use areas locking more of us out. Any support you fellows can give by getting in touch with your local Fish and Game Area Advisory Committees, would be doing yourself a favor. Pro or Con I don't care, just get involved. Rog
