Hunting and fishing in Alaska
Encyclopedia
Hunting and fishing in Alaska are common both for recreation and subsistence.
destination. Hunters come from all over the world to hunt big game animals such as the brown bear, black bear, moose, and caribou. Mountain goat hunts are also quickly becoming a rising interest to hunters. The reason as to why Alaska is such a popular hunting destination is because it owns some of the world’s largest big game animals. Alaska’s species of brown bear and moose are the largest in the world. According to the Boone and Crockett Club
, Alaska has a rich history of world record brown bear, moose, and caribou, taken by various hunters. Hunters are able to partake in an Alaskan hunt by obtaining hunting licenses and game tags, and also following the areas laws and regulations. The most common weapons among hunters are rifle
s, large handgun
s, and bows
.
. The two most popular are salmon fishing and halibut fishing. Other common types of fishing are saltwater fishing, fly fishing
, and ice fishing
. Fishermen have a variety of fish that they can catch including: Salmon, Trout, Northern Pike, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, and Grayling. Fishing Licenses are required by law in Alaska for both residents and non-residents.
Hunting
Alaska is a popular huntingHunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
destination. Hunters come from all over the world to hunt big game animals such as the brown bear, black bear, moose, and caribou. Mountain goat hunts are also quickly becoming a rising interest to hunters. The reason as to why Alaska is such a popular hunting destination is because it owns some of the world’s largest big game animals. Alaska’s species of brown bear and moose are the largest in the world. According to the Boone and Crockett Club
Boone and Crockett Club
The Boone and Crockett Club conservationist organization, founded in the United States in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt. The club was named in honor of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, whom the club's founders viewed as ethical hunters and honest men who loved the outdoors and earthly pursuits...
, Alaska has a rich history of world record brown bear, moose, and caribou, taken by various hunters. Hunters are able to partake in an Alaskan hunt by obtaining hunting licenses and game tags, and also following the areas laws and regulations. The most common weapons among hunters are rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s, large handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s, and bows
Bow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
.
Fishing
With a land area of 586412 square miles (1,518,800.1 km²), not counting the Aleutian islands, Alaska is one-fifth the size of lower 48 states, and as Ken Schultz notes in his chapter on Alaska "Alaska is a bounty of more than 3,000 rivers, more than 3 million lakes, and some 34,000 miles of coastal shoreline — numbers that stagger the imagination, underscore the wealth of opportunities for anglers, and translate into some of North America’s premier fishing." A greater percentage of Alaskans fish than residents of any other state. Alaska features several different types of fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. The two most popular are salmon fishing and halibut fishing. Other common types of fishing are saltwater fishing, fly fishing
Fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
, and ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
. Fishermen have a variety of fish that they can catch including: Salmon, Trout, Northern Pike, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, and Grayling. Fishing Licenses are required by law in Alaska for both residents and non-residents.