Contributors to this thread:
Of course, it never pays to be a violator anywhere doing anything. Alaska has been extremely active in pursuit of violators for decades, but helicopters seem to be getting used with increasing frequency. I've personally had AK troopers fly helicopters into my remote camps and land there to check things...twice. One minute I'm hunting...the next I've got a shiny red Robinson chopper hovering above my area and scrutinizing for clues. Five minutes later I'm pulling my paperwork and handing it to the trooper. I don't enjoy the noise and intrusion, honestly. I DO commend the state for being willing to enforce their game laws far from the roads and hundreds of miles from safety.
From the Fairbanks Newsminer:
FAIRBANKS — Two Interior moose hunters plead guilty to hunting violations in Nenana Court for separate incidents. Milne Ridlington, 54, of Fairbanks, plead guilty Thursday to a charge of shooting an antlered bull when his permit only allowed the taking of an antlerless moose. Ridlington was contacted by Alaska State Troopers on a helicopter patrol Dec. 30 in the Minto Flats area.
Ridlington was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $3,000. His moose was forfeited to the state and donated to charity.
On Dec. 16, Bryan Simpson, 54, of Georgia, plead guilty to charges he failed to salvage all the edible meat from a moose he took several months earlier. Troopers contacted Simpson in Fairbanks on Sept. 9 and discovered he had neglected to fully salvage a moose he had taken in the Tatlanika Creek area. Troopers investigated the kill site by helicopter.
Simpson was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $2,000.
I too have been checked multiple times by CO in Alaska. Once while hunting moose, two guys walked into camp seamingly from no where. They dropped into a lake 7 miles away and walked into the area I was hunting. They could have easily just dropped their float plane onto the lake I was camped near, but chose to sneek in. We talked for a while, they checked my moose and tags and then left.
I was happy another time though when a friend got gored by a moose he had shot. I waved a blaze orange poncho at a distant plane. I was happy to see it bank and come and land at our lake. Two wardens got out and helped fly my friend out for medical attention. Good to have eye in the sky that time. Ha! Mike
Born & raised in AK, never been checked. Then 2-years ago back home hunting my dad dropped me & my sis on a remote high strip for sheep. Evening before season a cub drops in and I'm thinking "great, we'll have competition". Turned out to be F&G checking tags. Super nice guy, all went smoothly, then he sailed back out.
We got checked this past September in a remote area of the Selewik NWR. Couldn't have been a nicer guy, but then again we had all of our ducks in a row and hadn't done anything wrong....
I'm pretty sure I've seen that Cub before.
'My' guy likes a fancier ride:
Their useful and needed I guess, but damn we pay a lot of money to get back there to hunt to lose some time due to troopers.
Man what fun it would be to spend a few days flying with them looking over the country....
When they stop you, tell them they're not allowed to hunt and fly on the same day...
Ha! I gotta remember that one!
I support most law enforcement action. But I'm not particularly happy about being buzzed by an AST helicopter while I'm in the field hunting.
If they suspect some skullduggery is going on, fine. But just landing that little Robertson on hunters in the field to check licenses, tags and harvest tickets seems less than a crucial operation than it is a joy ride for the gung-ho young trooper now piloting it.
In the "old days" wildlife troopers were smart enough to make spot checks at busy hubs. Places like commonly used airstrips, airports, river takeout spots, etc. They also did stake-outs and hiked into remote camps. This got them plenty of face-time with hunters and caused less disruption of wildlife.
Pete
not to mention that cost....3,000 in fines and 10,000 in fuel.....not to smart for just a check of licenses
