Regulatory year?

As most here are aware, the various licenses, permits, tags, etc., can be confusing. I am considering a proposal to the BOG to align ALL to be effective on a regulatory year, (July 1- June 30).
It is way too cumbersome to manage the various papers, and most seem to be antiquated.
What say you, Alaskans?

How about making the regulatory year January 1 to December 31. I think that would be easiest for everyone.
Maybe I'm missing something, but for anything other than trapping why wouldn't the calendar year be good for everything including seasons, licenses, etc.?

Hunting seasons start in the fall and end in the spring. Summer is the break, not winter. There is logic to this. The hunting license not carrying over after December is problematic when seasons and permits carryover.

Fishing is already licenced to the calendar year. Make the rest of the licenses the same.
So what if it expires during season? Just like my fishing license expires during crab season when my pots are.... No different, to me.

I want in-put from all angles. I don't think, personally, that it matters if it is January1, or July 1. I would like to see one drop-dead day.
The penalties for "forgetting" to report this permit, or that is serious, and puts an otherwise compliant person in jeapordy of law enforcement showing up. I have to carry 5 black bear tags in an area that is limited to 2, 6 deer tags where we are allowed 4, last years trapping license, various crab permits, now shrimp permits, bear locking tags that are calander year, but permit is regulatory year, etc., ad-nauseum.

Go for it. Sounds good to have licenses go till June 30. Trapping license already is good till around then.
mt

AV, good idea. I guess if I had a choice I'd go with a regulatory year for the same reasons you mentioned, but either date would be better than the mixed up mess we have now.

I like this idea . Many trappers are opportunistic small game hunters and a trip to town in the middle of the season just for a new liscense could be impractical.

I think the regulatory year is the way to go.

I recall several years back...one New Year's day I was checking traps with the dog team. I came upon a solitary caribou bull. I shot him.

While gutting him I realized that while my trapping license was valid, that same license that allowed hunting had expired the day before. Of course I had no way to get a new license either. So I think the regulatory year would eliminate issues like that

I'm pretty sure you shot that caribou on the 31st of December. Glad I could help you with the paperwork. You're welcome!

I'm not from Alaska but we had that in Mississippi for most of my life until a few years ago. Going away from it was the worst thing they ever did. Ours went from the 1st of June to the end of may. All our licenses started and stopped at the same time. It made it so simple and easy to remember without a bunch to keep up with. I guess someone complained cause they didn't feel like they were getting a full year if they purchased after June first. I really don't see the difference because none of the seasons changed so you don't really gain anything by changing it to the new system that we have now. The only thing that changed was making it more confusing. You folks would be better with the system you are proposing. Just my 2 cents

AV I like the idea can’t recal how many times over the years I haven’t been able get a license in town prior to internet licenses or realized it was Jan and no I couldn’t shoot those patarmigain or a caribou because I had neglected to get new license a few times in yrs past like White I was in a cabin and I would have had to fly to town to get. license this was pre internet days. I would support it

You're no doubt correct. You know how easy it is to forget which day it is living in the bush !

I think having them all go June - May and expire in late Spring would be best. But at least get all of them aligned....

Pete

I will see when the next state-wide meetings are. Will probably need joint boards.

Looks like we have plenty of time. Next state-wide is 2021.

We have a 3 year hunting and fishing license option you might think about.

Whatever is done I think both the regulatory year and license year should begin and end at the same time; just seems to be common sense.

I think the Dept. will balk at this due to shifting gears so to speak. If this were to be implemented they would have to issue new licenses both at the start of calendar year and again at the start of regulatory following, correct?

Great Idea AV! Living in the bush myself I've been surprised on January 1st. I would support this.

Claude

I don't follow your thinking there Mike

I think he means that if the regulatory year starts June 1'st, for example, licenses issued prior to that time would expire on May 31, rather than December 31.
I think that a transition could be seamless, with some consideration, though.

Mike, the logical way to do it would be the year it went into effect issue the license on Jan 1st as usual with the stipulation that it expires on June 30th. The next year would be issued on July 1st and expire on June 30th.
But, i'm sure the bureaucracy could figure out something much more complicated.

undoubtedly.

I suppose the state could set it up so that your license is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. I'm sure there would be a lot of guys that forget to renew but at least then it would be up to you to have some control on when your license expires.

I can also see room for a lot of abuse in that scheme.

So the first license would be good for eighteen months or I would have to purchase two in the same year?
One scenario is logical to me, but the Department won’t go for it.
The other would without a doubt be acceptable to the Department.

Yes, transition license would be good for 18 months. If the money changers couldn't abide that then there is no reason the transition license cost couldn't be prorated by the month. $45 per year would be $3.75 per month, so it would be $67.50 for an 18 month license. (and here we go off down that bunny trail, hold on to your hat).

Give up 1 years dividend for a permanent license or turn 60.

The license is only part of it though. There's also that 25 dollar brown bear tag that expires Dec 31. It's only good if you also have a brown bear permit which expires May 31.
You can buy a hunting/trapping/fishing license all on one piece of paper that expires Dec 31 except the trapping license part of it which expires June 30, and the ptarmigan hunting season ends march 30 unless you are on the north bank of the river in which case it ends Jan 31, but spruce hen season ends March 31 on both sides of the river. You can not shoot a marmot under a hunting license but you can shoot a marmot under a trapping license, and meanwhile you can shoot three black bear if you have a harvest ticket of which you will be given a total of 5 but you can only use 3 of them and from Jan 1 to May 31 you have to salvage all the meat but on June 1 you don't have to salvage the meat but regardless you have 30 days to get the hide or meat to the ADFG to have them sealed provided you can beg someone there into actually sealing them for you.
Your hunting license is only good for waterfowl if you also buy a duck stamp which is only good if the duck has 50 inch antlers or at least one..., or no, wait thats moose, I'm getting confused here.......!

Exactly, Spek.

Entropy

How are those moose hunting orientation classes?

Joints.... now thats something i can support...

Hoopy, have you been led astray? Fish will be running, soon. Hang in there!

Well, licenses must be purchased before tags can be issued. My thoughts were to fix the licensing part first. Tags are add on’s or so to speak. Or do the tags need to be dealt with first?

Is this a BOG thing or something that needs dealt with at a legislative level?

Oh look, bright shiny object....

It is getting expensive to hunt anymore. What with having the bring along your attorney on every hunt.....!

Pete

Yes it is Pete. When I'm out in the woods I'm always pretty sure I'm breaking a law, but I don't know for the life of me which one!!!

Back when I was on the BOG, I had a sticker on my brief case that read: "Simplify Game Regulations." It is something I tried to keep in mind every time we deliberated.

While I understand the need for detailed regulations at times, I would also argue that many times our laws/regulations are unnecessarily complicated. And when the laws/regulations are so complicated that people cannot follow/ understand them, much less comply, it breeds contempt for the whole system.

Many times the bureaucracy sees the regulatory process as a way to make THEIR jobs easier. Not so! It is for the good of the resources and the benefit of the people, and making bureaucrats life easy should not be a priority. And that goes for AST, not just the biologists.

If bureaucrats were more concerned with SOLVING problems and less concerned with making life difficult for the rest of us, the system would hum along more smoothly and ultimately the resources would benefit.

Pete

Good post Pete.

I'll add my 2 cents here. Nevada just changed how there License system works last year, We were on a Jan 1st to Dec 31st system now its 365 day from date of purchase and must have a current lic to receive a tag during the draw. So for myself my hunting lic is renewed every year in February when I apply for turkey tags and then good till the following year. They also raised the prices $4 or $5 and did away with state issued stamps ( ie like duck or upland bird stamps). I think where Ak draw app is so much earlier then ours the July date would make it easier. Nevada also did the same with fishing license and stamps small increase for all and did away with the endorsements like 2 rods and trout stamps. Our trapping lic is still July 1 to June 30 but it really isn't a big issue as when I buy it or my new Lic it shows on the new one with dates that its good for.