Actually Jeff, for the number of people that live in our area, our moose are doing pretty darn good. We started with 77 moose in a stretch of river that went 200 miles. After 5 years of no hunting, we had 1000 moose.

I'd love to see our area closed for 2 more years and triple the population.

How can the corp through someone off of a lake? It had to be the feds who did it.

I'm guessing the Sky Hoes were not trophy hunting cows, but I could be wrong. Never guided any trophy cow hunts myself.

I think what will be the saddest thing in the Lower Yukon is went the winter grounds are so over grazed that the moose die off in huge numbers. The lower yukon is kind of unique. Ocean to the west. Tundra to the North and South. When you have moose laying on the beach in Hooper Bay you have to wonder.

They are moving back up river now and were seeing a big population buildup coming up river.
I don't know enough about the biology that surrounds moose winter grounds but I would be willing to bet that at some point were going to see a detrimental affect. They are not allowing such liberal seasons for nothing and nothing they are doing is holding down the numbers.
Guiding will never be looked at favorably on by locals on the Lower Yukon. But there is certainly room for it at this point in time. And although people might find some competition I personally guess it would benefit the lower river moose population in the long run.

Two years ago I flew from Kotlik to Emmo in March. I have never seen such moose numbers. Miles away from the Bearing Sea. Flying back to Mt Village I saw hardly any. In what is a good moose area. I was rather astonished at what must be building up along the coast with no where to go West, North or South to find new unpopulated area. They are over crowed and I am sure now causing problems on the winter ground grazing.

I've seen three moose this fall, you guys sure know how to hurt a guy. Darn Highway!

We have good numbers of moose here, and would like to keep them... as far as a "die off" thats false. I live here year round and fly around all winter buying fur and travel by snowmachine and boat and have never seen a dead moose other than a wolf kill or a human kill.

It is not "over grazed" we have nothing but willow as far as the eye can see, they eat just fine.

My last word is those that want guides in their hunting area thats fine, I dont have a problem with it...even here as long as I dont have to compete with them for meat...they have planes to look for moose I dont.

Dont force it on areas that DONT want it there are plenty of areas that its welcomed.

And Dirt brought up a good point..where is the guide that I have been seeing doing trip after trip all September but now that its cow only..where is he now? no interest in the meat I guess.

I only suggested that there are opportunities for local residents to make some money guiding for an abundant local game population. Not only do you get the meat, you get money.

Yes I know and I agree it could bring some oppportunity for a few folks here..but the attitude is that most if not all dont want it ...having no moose to hunt is within recent memory for alot of folks here including me.

Perhaps someday that attitude will change,..but if the day comes when the planes quit flying..I like to have a back up abundant meat source that could make the differance surviving or not.we dont have caribou or much anything else so its pretty important.

next thing ya know, those Yukon guys and kuskokwim guys are going to be wanting their fish populations to double..

Kodiak Island Alaska Fishing &
Hunting Adventures with Kodiak Combos


About Us
Your skipper and guide Jeff Peterson is a US Coast Guard licensed and insured captain, licensed big game transporter, licensed fishing guide, registered migratory bird guide with over twenty 20 years of professional service in the industry. He was born and raised on Kodiak Island in the village of Old Harbor. Growing up on his father's fishing boat and owning his first boat at the age of 13 makes him one of the most experienced charter skippers on the island. A former US Marine, Jeff understands the importance of being on time and providing you with a top notch service.. He resides on the island and works on the waters year-round, giving you unequal fishing results.

I was in the National Guard with Mr. Peterson on Kodiak back in the early 90's. At the time from my memory he was running a small store and video rental business in Old Harbor. I remember him telling me how all his neighbors hated him. Apparently, he didn't let that stop his ambition.

I call him Mister cause he earned it.

I would rather people call me FRIEND but thats just me

Those guys up in St. Mike and Unalakleet have it figured out. They (native and non native) guide the hunters that want one thing, antlers and hides. They get paid to do what they love, make money at it, and get to keep the meat on top of it. They can have their cake and eat it too. Seems like a win/win to me.

Jeff, this is one time when the Feds and the State agree on something. We all know this is RARE. Call them yourself, but, the prediction is....the moose will eat themselves out of house and home.

The guys in St Mike and UNK are all for it good for them they must want it then they also have a 5 caribou a day limit and year round hunting plus seals whales and wallrus, crab and all speicies of fish so they could do just fine without moose or anything else for that matter,..not so here.

And what ever the state or feds say I dont see it happining..look at Anchorage they have moose in town coming out their ears, cars ,trains hunters,guids all whacking them and still the populations are more than abundant,

Look at Holy Cross still tons of moose around and always have been and I expect their always will be and we have better browse then them since we dont have spruce here..so I dont buy it. FnG is lobbied by the guiding industry if you dont believe me just ask Dirt he was just there asking to increase the moose take in his GMU

The Board of Game is lobbied by everybody. I wrote a proposal to open the unit to non-resident hunting as is allowed for by regulation when the surplus bull population is above 240 bulls. It was at least at 500 to 600. It made so much sense to open it, they did it despite all the political heat they took and all the opposition.

Jeff I did not go into lobby for it. I have people for that.

Guess what the local Advisory Committee supported it ( No I was not there) and the Mat-Su Advisory Committee opposed it.

Dirt...I rest my case

I used to hunt an island by Holy Cross it was in the middle of the river that had 2000 moose on it in the fall. I am sure it still has almost that many if not more..no one is overly concerned about it there and seams to be pleny of moose every year.

Kusko :

The Corp. enforces no trespassing on Corp. land and allotments - which is their right. But sometimes locals get vocal with those they consider outsiders. The key is to have accurate maps depicting land status, which includes BLM lands. Other important criteria are islands, navigable waters, etc. The Corps all have detailed maps, but are sometimes reluctant to give them out. In the past, there was a sign at the entrance to Layman lake. It said private property - keep out. This sign was not accurate ie: the waters are legal to travel and not all the land around the lake is private. So you need to know your land status.

YJ and I both know a longtime village resident who has guided for years. He tried to involve locals and to help them become guides. To many , he is a pariah. None of us want to give up our piece of heaven. But as long as guides are operating on State and Federal land and moose pops are healthy, the State and Feds can't legally stop them. Just ask the refuge manager regarding that one.

Two things Jeff: if closing a moose season fixed your problem then your predator problem was humans. Our predator problem is not humans.

Second: the nutritional health of your moose can be measured, so if you don't want to argue with the biologist about it have them measure the health. Refer GMU20A.

Personally, I would never allow them to have a cow hunt here unless they could prove the moose were suffering from nutritional stress.

I try to make all my decisions, based on what is best for the moose, not me. I don't guide moose hunters and have no desire to.

Pipeniner. I just got a call a few days ago from a trapper in the same village where said guide is living,he brought him up in the conversation,and went on a 10 minn rant about how the guy was applying for a liqure licence and how he was the devil himself.

I personaly know the guy and he is the nicest guy you would ever meet, if I got a guided trip someday he would be the guy I would like to go with.

so if they can turn him into the devil they would rake me through the coals for sure.

Today I was loading the last of my wood off the beach and looked and my boat that was sitting on the beach was gone?..I had to go look for it seams the loader operator took it upon himself to get my 24 ft boat up off the beach and blocked up on high ground safe from the spring ice on corporation land where it will sit all winter, I will have to find out who it was and thank them, thats what friends do in the village..its not worth losing that kind of people over money IMO

And Dirt it was human preditation most likely..this is tough country to survive in especialy without food stamps like in the days gone by..we can now shoot Bulls cows and calves take your pick.

Our moose are healthy no doubt about that we have twin and triplet calving rates and they all survive hardly any wolves to speak of and the moose are all hog fat.

U can't shoot antlered bulls after oct 1 st though right Jeff?

[quote=Kusko]Actually Jeff, for the number of people that live in our area, our moose are doing pretty darn good. We started with 77 moose in a stretch of river that went 200 miles. After 5 years of no hunting, we had 1000 moose.

I'm pretty sure this is impossible without a lot of dispersal into the area from somewhere else. That would be close to a 70% growth rate per year. The largest growth rate measured in Alaska (THAT I'M AWARE OF) was on the predator free and relatively snow free area of Kalgan Island. It was around 33%.