Derek Meissner has plenty of help carving up a moose he'd shot upriver on the season's opening day, September 15. The family brought it down to Reliance Harbor's dock the next day to prepare their harvest for the freezer.
Undaunted by pouring rain, hunters in the Wrangell and Petersburg areas have been bringing in their fill of moose for the 2017 season.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported a total of 47 bulls have so far been shot since the season's opener on September 15. Of these, only three have so far been confirmed as noncompliant specimens.
"We've got a couple that we're looking at," ADFG wildlife biologist Rich Lowell added. The department investigates the carcass in conjunction with the State Troopers, and the two agencies tend to consult one another before making a ruling. "It's nice to have a number of different eyes looking at it."
The number of illegally harvested moose is so far lower than last year's which saw seven of 35 flagged in the first week. About 10 percent of the total harvest is what is typically seen for RM038.
The midway point for the season will be on Friday, and already the 47 moose taken so far are just one shy of the eight-year average, Lowell pointed out.
Most moose have been taken from the Stikine River area, at 18. Hunters on Kupreanof Island are just behind them with a count of 16; last year the island saw the lion's share of the harvest, with 50 of the record season's 110 total.
Other counts include six moose on Mitkof Island, three around Thomas Bay, and one apiece from Farragut Bay, Wrangell Island, Zarembo Island and Kuiu Island.
Since 2009, the annual harvest has averaged 92 moose per season, and has included the three highest years on record for the local hunt.
All hunting permit holders are reminded to complete and submit a report, even if they did not participate in hunting. Reports can be filed at the nearest ADFG department offices in Wrangell, Petersburg, Douglas, Kake or Sitka, or online at http://hunt.alaska.gov. Failure to do so can result in ineligibility for permits next year.
The department encourages hunters who have already taken a moose but do not plan to hunt for the remainder of the season to turn in their hunt reports sooner rather than later, while the information is still fresh in their minds.
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