Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
June 2006

Bear Hunters Share Bear Facts From Hunts

By Riley Woodford

It was the peak of the bear hunting season in Southeast Alaska, and wildlife biologist Neil Barten had just finished measuring a bear skull in a big tent behind the Fish and Game office in Douglas, Alaska. Two more bears awaited measurement and inspection, and before the morning was out, three more would come in. These weren't complete bears, just the heavily salted hides and skulls of bears harvested over the weekend.

Successful bear hunters in Alaska, resident and nonresident, are required ...   Sealing Bears ArticleContinued


Crushing Vegetation to Enhance Moose Habitat

By Staff

Using a bulldozer to crush acres of vegetation may not strike most people as a habitat enhancement project, but moose love it.

Willow, aspen and poplar are nutritious, high-quality forage for moose. These plants can regenerate and thrive after certain kinds of physical trauma, such as fire or crushing. Lush sprouts emerge from the ground level – gardeners refer to them as suckers – and quickly grow.

Wildland fires are a natural part of the Interior Alaska ecosystem, and plants ...   Crushing for Moose ArticleContinued


Deer Pellet Survey: Judging Population Trends

By Riley Woodford

On a sunny spring day in Southeast Alaska, a skiff noses up to a rocky beach on Douglas Island near Juneau and two biologists quickly jump out. The island is popular with deer hunters, and the biologists are hoping to learn how the island's deer population fared during the winter.

Each spring for more than 20 years, state wildlife biologists and technicians have come to this same area to walk a transect line about a mile long, stretching from the beach to the subalpine. The biologists ...   Deer populations ArticleContinued


From the File Cabinet to the Web
ADF&G Publications Soon to be Available On-line

By Amy Carroll

A request for a 1955 crab leaflet was one of the first items to land in my brand new state e-mail account in 2001. I was sure they meant 1995, but I was mistaken. I called someone who told me to call someone else who transferred me and I eventually found this leaflet in Kodiak or somewhere.

At the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Commercial Fisheries, thousands of old publications — some published before statehood — currently reside in seldom-opened file cabinets ...   On-line publications ArticleContinued


Those Vivid Yellow Warblers
Alaska's Tropical Songbirds

By Riley Woodford

Two eye-catching, bright yellow birds spend summers in Alaska, Wilson's warbler and the yellow warbler. This seems to be a banner year for these distinctive, beautiful little birds.

These chickadee-sized warblers are easy to identify. Wilson's warbler has olive-green wings and back, and the face, breast and underparts are yellow. The yellow is eye-catching, even when the birds are on the wing or flitting about the branches of the willow and alder trees they favor. The male has a distinct ...   Vivid Yellow Birds ArticleContinued


Recipe: Lemon Caesar Halibut

By Butch Carber

Lemon Caesar Halibut

Serves 4 to 6 people

2 pounds halibut fillets

½ cup of your favorite Caesar salad dressing

Place halibut in greased, shallow baking dish. Coat fillets with dressing and let stand/marinate 30 minutes.

Lemon Butter Sauce

One egg yolk

A pinch or two of lemon zest

The juice of one lemon (2 to 3 Tbsp)

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp dill (optional)

1/3 cup melted butter

Wisk ...   Lemon Caesar Halibut ArticleContinued