5 Alaska Admin. Code § 92.085 : Fish and Game — Game — Statewide Provisions — Methods and Means — Unlawful methods of taking big game; exceptions

The following methods and means of taking big game are prohibited in addition to the prohibitions in 5 AAC 92.080:

(1) with the use of a firearm other than a shotgun, muzzleloader, or rifle or pistol using a center-firing cartridge, except that

(A) in Units 23 and 26, swimming caribou may be taken with a firearm using rim fire cartridges;

(B) the use of a muzzleloader is prohibited unless the firearm is a shoulder mounted long gun, 45 caliber or larger, with a barrel that is either rifled or smoothbore, and discharges a single projectile; and

(C) the use of a muzzleloader equipped with a scope, or a muzzleloader using smokeless powder as a charge, during any permitted, registered, or special season hunt for muzzleloaders only, is prohibited;

(2) repealed 7/1/2000;

(3) with a longbow, recurve bow, or compound bow, unless the

(A) bow is not less than

(i) 40 pounds peak draw weight when hunting black-tailed deer, wolf, wolverine, black bear, Dall sheep, and caribou;

(ii) 50 pounds peak draw weight when hunting mountain goat, moose, elk, brown/grizzly bear, musk ox, and bison;

(B) arrow is tipped with a broadhead and is a minimum of 20 inches in overall length and is a minimum of 300 grains in total weight;

(C) repealed 7/1/2012;

(D) repealed 7/1/2014;

(4) with the use of bait for ungulates and with the use of bait or scent lures for any bear, except that bears may be taken with the use of bait or scent lures as authorized by a permit issued under 5 AAC 92.044;

(5) with the aid or use of a dog, except that

(A) one leashed tracking dog, under the direct control of the handler, may be used to track wounded big game; and

(B) a dog may be used to hunt black bear by a permit issued at the discretion of the department; the department may issue a nontransferable permit to an individual who qualifies under the permit conditions established by the department in 5 AAC 92.068;

(6) with the use of a trap or snare;

(7) while a big game animal is swimming, except that a swimming caribou may be taken in Unit 23;

(8) a person who has been airborne may not take or assist in taking a big game animal and a person may not be assisted in taking a big game animal by a person who has been airborne until after 3 :00 a.m. following the day in which the flying occurred, and from August 10 through September 20 aircraft may not be used by or for any person to locate Dall sheep for hunting or direct hunters to Dall sheep during the open sheep hunting season, however, aircraft other than helicopters may be used by and for sheep hunters to place and remove hunters and camps, maintain existing camps, and salvage harvested sheep. The Board of Game finding 2016-213- BOG, dated March 17, 2016, is adopted by reference. This prohibition does not prohibit any lligbt maneuvers that are necessary to make an informed and safe landing in the field. Restrictions in this paragraph do not apply to

(A) taking deer;

(B) repealed 7/1/92;

(C) a person flying on a regularly scheduled commercial airline, including a commuter airline;

(D) repealed 7/1/2015;

(E) repealed 7/1/2009;

(F) repealed 7/1/2008;

(G) a hunter taking a bear at a bait station with the use of bait or scent lures with a permit issued under 5 AAC 92.044, and if the hunter is at least 300 feet from the airplane at the time of taking;

(H) a hunter taking a black bear in Unit 16 from October 1 through August 9 if the I hunter is at least 300 feet from the airplane at the time of taking;

(9) from a boat in Units 1 - 5; however, a person with physical disabilities, as defined in AS 16.05.940, may hunt from a boat under authority of a permit issued by the department;

(10) with the following archery equipment or devices in a restricted weapons hunt that authorizes taking by bow and arrow:

(A) any type of electronic device, or light attached to the bow, arrow, or arrowhead, except a non-illuminating camera or a lighted nock on the end of an arrow, or a scope or electronic sight that does not project light externally;

(B) scopes or other devices attached to the bow or arrow for optical enhancement;

(C) repealed 3/17/2001;

(11) the use of artificial light to illuminate deer from a motorized land vehicle in Units 1 - 5;

(12) shooting black bear from a boat in Unit 6(D); however, a person with physical disabilities, as defined in AS 16.05.940, may hunt from a boat under authority of a permit issued by the department;

(13) repealed 7/1/2008;

(14) taking moose with the use of an electronic call;

(15) with a crossbow, unless

(A) the bow peak draw weight is 100 pounds or more;

(B) repealed 7/1/2016;

(C) the bolt is tipped with a broadhead and is a minimum of 16 inches in overall length and weighs at least 300 grains;

(D) the crossbow has no attached electronic devices, except for a scope or electronic sight that does not project light externally; and

(E) it is a shoulder-mounted crossbow;

(16) with the aid or use of domestic goats ( Capra spp.) and sheep ( Ovis spp.) as pack animals for sheep, goat, or muskox hunting.

(17) with a slingbow.

(18) with an airbow.

(19) with the use of an airgun; however, airguns that are at least .35 caliber or larger and pre-charged pneumatic, including arrow shooting airguns capable of producing 250 feet per second with broadheads 7/8 inches or greater, are allowed for the take of deer and caribou.

5 AAC 92.085

Eff. 7/5/85, Register 95; am 8/8/87, Register 103; am 8/14/88, Register 107; am 8/20/89, Register 111; am 3/14/90, Register 113; am 8/10/90, Register 115; am 8/12/90, Register 115; am 8/10/91, Register 119; add'l am 8/10/91, Register 119; am 7/1/92, Register 122; add'l am 7/1/92, Register 122; readopt 5/13/93, Register 126; am 7/7/94, Register 131; am 1/13/95, Register 133; am 4/25/96, Register 138; am 7/1/96, Register 138; am 8/1/96, Register 139; am 7/26/97, Register 143; am 7/1/99, Register 150; am 7/1/2000, Register 154; add'l am 7/1/2000, Register 154; am 3/17/2001, Register 157; am 7/1/2001, Register 158; am 8/22/2001, Register 159; am 7/1/2002, Register 162; add'l am 7/1/2002, Register 162; am 12/22/2002, Register 164; am 5/1/2003, Register 166; am 7/1/2003, Register 166; add'l am 7/1/2003, Register 166; am 7/1/2004, Register 170; am 7/1/2006, Register 178; am 9/1/2006, Register 179; am 7/1/2007, Register 182; am 12/1/2007, Register 184; am 7/1/2008, Register 186; am 7/1/2009, Register 190; am 7/1/2012, Register 202; add'l am 7/1/2012, Register 202; am 7/1/2013, Register 206; am 7/1/2014, Register 210, July 2014; am 7/1/2015, Register 214, July 2015; am 7/1/2016, Register 218, July 2016; am 7/1/2018, Register 226, July 2018; am 6/23/2022, Register 242, July 2022; add'l am 6/23/2022, Register 242, July 2022

Authority:AS 16.05.255

AS 16.05.258

AS 16.05.270

AS 16.05.790

AS 16.05.920