A proposal to increase the nonresident bag limit in the Sitka area from two bucks to four deer each year will be considered at an upcoming Alaska Board of Game meeting in Wrangell later this month.
For years, the nonresident limit was four deer for Unit 4, which includes Baranof, Chichagof and Admiralty islands. That number was increased to six at the Board of Game’s 2019 meeting, before being cut back to two bucks in 2023.
In its new proposal, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game says deer populations in Unit 4 are currently robust and “at the highest densities anywhere in the state.” They also say interest in hunting deer in Unit 4 by nonresidents is low, due to its difficulty to access.
During the ten seasons preceding the 2023 bag limit change, an average of 209 nonresident hunters harvested 150 deer annually in Unit 4, according to the proposal. That’s just over 6% of the hunters and less than 3% of the annual harvest in the area.
The department says although the majority of nonresident hunters in Unit 4 take up to two deer, the current population can handle a small handful of nonresidents taking additional deer.
The board will consider nearly 70 proposals during its Southeast Alaska meeting on Jan. 23-27, seven of which deal with hunting regulations specific to Game Management Unit 4. Members of the public have until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, to submit comments to the state board regarding any of the proposals on its agenda.
