Board preserves Nelchina subsistence caribou hunt
CARIBOU: Fish and game board denies Mat-Su residents' proposal to get rid of Tier II permits and expand the harvest.
By JAMES HALPINjhalpin@adn.com
Published: October 9, 2007 Last Modified: October 9, 2007 at 06:47 PM
A proposal that had many rural Alaskans outraged at a perceived attack on their hunting rights failed to pass muster at a state board meeting Monday.
The Alaska Joint Board of Fisheries and Game decided by a thin margin to kill a proposal to open a swath of land south of the Alaska Range, where the Nelchina caribou herd roams, to more hunters.
By killing the proposal, the board kept one of only a few road-accessible caribou herds in the state off-limits to those ineligible for so-called Tier II subsistence permits.
"I see people concerned because they feel like their birthright is being ripped out from underneath them," said Game Board Chairman Cliff Judkins, who supported the proposal.
The proposal came from Mat-Su residents who advise the boards. They pitched the idea as a fix for the legally troubled system for dividing the popular caribou harvest.
The years-old debate focuses on whether some hunters are being treated fairly because they don't qualify for the same hunts as other Alaskans.
All Alaskans are considered subsistence hunters under state law. When demand for a resource is particularly high, the state can limit access to Tier II hunters, who are chosen under point systems that consider such factors as place of residence, cost of living and alternative resources.
The Nelchina caribou fall under a Tier II hunt.
Thousands of the Nelchina caribou are killed each year in the area covered by the proposal, though only about 13 percent of successful hunters live in the Copper River basin, on the eastern side of the hunt area, according to Department of Fish and Game numbers presented at the meeting.
"Why is it likely to benefit current nonsubsistence users and hurt subsistence users?" asked Game Board member Ben Grussendorf, who opposed the proposal. "That should get one to start thinking pretty seriously about what our duty is by law."
The state's permit system has been the subject of controversy for years.
To assuage the complaints in 2005, the board considered a similar proposal that would have opened the easy-access hunt for everyone, though with a few catches.
People who signed up for the hunt wouldn't be allowed hunt or trap anywhere else in Alaska. They would have had to salvage every scrap of meat, and couldn't use certain motorized vehicles -- including airplanes, RVs and some ATVs -- during their hunts.
That proposal failed, and today applicants receive points based on their responses to questions including how much food and gas cost in their towns, how many days they fished or hunted during the previous year and the number of years they have hunted the animal.
Last year, the state added income level to the requirements for drawing a permit to hunt in the Copper River area, though that condition is being challenged in court.
The land in question is located between the Parks, Glenn and Richardson highways. That its borders are roadways where people live was also of concern to opponents.
"It's just too extreme to advance," Grussendorf said.
The process of changing the regulations has already dragged on for years, Grussendorf said, "and all we've done is make people more and more upset with us."
Much of the Copper River basin traditionally belonged to the Ahtna Athabascans, though only about 25 percent of the residents there were Natives in 2000, according to Department of Fish and Game statistics that were presented.
"There will always be a certain number of residents in these communities that are going to be completely dependent on subsistence hunting," said board member Paul Johnson.
Last year, 3,740 people stalked the Nelchina herd, with 277 of them from the Copper River basin. In previous years, as many as 13,000 have hunted the herd, and the number of basin residents involved has always been a fraction of the total.
Ending the Tier II hunting simply won't solve the problem, Johnson said, because subsistence lifestyles are the norm in rural Alaska, even if the residents live on the road system.
The basin had a population of about 3,362 in 2006, and many of those people rely on a mixed subsistence-cash economy, according to the report. Year-round employment is the exception.
"It's a dire need for us," said Wilbur Joe, who attended the meeting to represent his village of Kluti-kaah. "We were all holding our breaths. It's a serious matter for us; our subsistence is our lifestyle."
In 1999, 52 percent of adults in the basin were not working, and 16 percent were unemployed, according to the report. More than a third of the households made less than $25,000 a year.
And surveys conducted during the past 20 years have shown more than 90 percent of basin households harvest and use wildlife for personal use, the report said.
"I don't think another year is going to produce some new information that's going to change anything," said member Vince Webster.
Backwoods Home Magazine
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Witches Boob Part 2
This Morning The temperature here in North Pole was -47.
Yep That is not a typo. It was that cold. We are in for another night of - 45 to - 50.
Then up to 0 on Sunday and Monday with snow.
It is hard to believe that it is almost February.
Yukon Quest begins February 9
Check It Out
http://www.yukonquest.com/servlet/viewnewslist
XXOO
Jason
Yep That is not a typo. It was that cold. We are in for another night of - 45 to - 50.
Then up to 0 on Sunday and Monday with snow.
It is hard to believe that it is almost February.
Yukon Quest begins February 9
Check It Out
http://www.yukonquest.com/servlet/viewnewslist
XXOO
Jason
Saturday, January 19, 2008
We got snow.
Boy did we get some snow. It warmed up here. To about 10 above actually.( Yes that is considered warm around here, this time of year) And we woke up to about 8 inches of snow thursday morning.
It's funny too, that here when discussing the temperature it's ALWAYS described as above or below. Such as right now it's 9 above zero so it's " 9 above". Because it really does get cold such as 42 below( which we have felt twice so far). I just thought that little fact was interesting.
I hope to have some snow pictures up soon. Anyway, here's the story:
(Published By the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Biggest snowfall in years blankets Fairbanks
By Tim MowryStaff WriterPublished January 18, 2008
Fairbanks dog musher Shannon Erhart went to sleep Wednesday night hoping the National Weather Service’s forecast for an inch or two of new snow overnight would be right.
She wasn’t disappointed to wake up Thursday and find out they were wrong.
“I woke up quite happy this morning; I think all dog mushers in the Interior did,” said Erhart, who serves as president of the Alaska Dog Mushers Association. “This should fill in all the dips (in the trails).”
Residents awoke Thursday to find 8 to 10 inches of new snow on the ground. It was the biggest single snowfall in Fairbanks in several years and ended what so far this winter has equated to a snow drought in Alaska’s second-largest city.
The heavy snow came as a surprise to residents as well as meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.
“We were not expecting that kind of snow to develop,” meteorologist Bob Fischer said.
A cold front stalled over Fairbanks and mixed with an unstable air mass aloft to produce what Fischer called a “very localized” snowfall. The snow fell over such a small area — within about a 50-mile radius of Fairbanks — that it was practically impossible to predict.
“Smaller scale things like this the models aren’t able to pick up,” he said. “The resolution is just not there.”
Not that Erhart and other outdoor types who prefer ample quantities of snow were complaining. Prior to the overnight dump, only 23.2 inches of snow had fallen in Fairbanks, which is half the normal snowfall for the season.
“This will be pretty sweet,” said Scott Chesney, president of the Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association.
The snow fell just in time for a 100-mile race the club is holding this weekend and should make things easier on both dogs and mushers, given the rough trail conditions that have prevailed up to now.
“This will help a lot,” he said. “Everybody won’t be getting slammed around now.”
The National Weather Service did not have an exact measurement on the snowfall because the official measurement is taken at Fairbanks International Airport at midnight, but Fischer said most reports around town put the total at about 8 inches. Snow started falling around 9 p.m. Wednesday, and 3.5 inches had fallen at the airport by midnight. The rest fell between midnight and 9 a.m.
“An 8-inch snowfall in Fairbanks is about a once in 10-year event,” said Fischer. “Even a 4-incher is a big one by Fairbanks standards. Most of our snow comes down in 1- and 2-inch trickles.”
The last time Fairbanks had that much snow in one dump was two years ago on Feb. 25-26 when 8.7 inches of snow fell, said meteorologist Mike Richmond. But that snowfall occurred over the course of two full days, while Wednesday night’s dump all came within 12 hours.
“For a single event for 12 hours or less I would say this is the heaviest dump we’ve had in several years,” said Richmond, who was looking forward to hitting the ski trails on his day off Friday.
The weather service tracks snowfall by calendar day, from midnight to midnight. The 8 to 10 inches of snow that fell overnight in Fairbanks Wednesday will go down as a two-day snowfall, Fischer said.
The record one-day snowfall in Fairbanks is 16.0 inches on Feb. 11, 1966, the first of three straight days of heavy snow in Fairbanks that year. Another 10.9 inches fell on Feb. 12 that year for a record two-day total of 26.9 inches, and 7.7 inches fell on Feb. 13 for a three-day record total of 34.6 inches of snow.
The second heaviest one-day snowfall in Fairbanks was 15.5 inches on Jan. 19, 1937. Another 10.5 inches fell on Jan. 20 for a two-day total of 26.0 inches, which ranks second on the list of heaviest two-day snowfalls.
Crews from the state Department of Transportation and city public works department were scrambling to clear the main roads around Fairbanks before the end of the work day Thursday, according to Dan Schacher, acting Fairbanks district superintendent for DOT’s northern region.
“We’re not doing anything except getting roads open,” he said. “We’re trying to make it safe so we don’t have those big two-foot berms in the middle of the road.”
City crews were “coping with it the best we can with the resources we have,” said Kevin Fitzgerald at the public works department on Thursday morning. The city had ceased snow removal operations and was focusing on getting main streets cleared, he said.
“We have teams of graders scattered throughout town trying to open up the main arterials first,” Fitzgerald said. “From there we move into residential areas.”
Fitzgerald asked residents to be patient and not to put snow from their driveways into the streets. Doing so is illegal.
Downhill ski area operators were happy to see the snow. Until now, slopes have had grass and brush sticking up through the snow. Only 4 to 6 inches of snow fell at Mount Aurora Skiland on Cleary Summit about 20 miles north of Fairbanks, but Brenda Birdsall said it will improve conditions greatly.
“This is beautiful,” she said. “I wish we were open today.”
Moose Mountain Ski Resort owner Roger Evans, meanwhile, was skiing in Snow Basin, Utah, and wishing he was back in Fairbanks.
“Below zero, windy and no new snow,” is how Evans described conditions in Utah. “It sounds like Fairbanks is going to have a better weekend than Utah.”
Even though winter is half over, snowmachine shops around town are hoping the snow will help spur what have been slow sales so far this winter.
“This is what we needed in the fall,” said Bill Larry at Alaska Fun Center on College Road.
On Thursday, customers seemed to be more interested in snow-removal equipment than snowmachines, Larry said.
“I’ve had some guys come in for plows for four-wheelers,” he said. “They were hoping they could get away without buying one until today.”
The same was true at Northern Power Sports on Van Horn Road.
“We had a guy waiting at the door this morning who wanted a four-wheeler with a plow,” said David Baldwin, a salesman at Northern Power Sports. “We’ve sold lots of (four-wheeler) plows already this morning.”
The snow is a lot better for business than the 40 degree below temperatures earlier this week, Baldwin said.
“People come in when it snows; when it’s 40 below, nobody comes in the store,” he said.
The forecast wasn’t calling for more significant snowfall until possibly early next week.
It's funny too, that here when discussing the temperature it's ALWAYS described as above or below. Such as right now it's 9 above zero so it's " 9 above". Because it really does get cold such as 42 below( which we have felt twice so far). I just thought that little fact was interesting.
I hope to have some snow pictures up soon. Anyway, here's the story:
(Published By the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Biggest snowfall in years blankets Fairbanks
By Tim MowryStaff WriterPublished January 18, 2008
Fairbanks dog musher Shannon Erhart went to sleep Wednesday night hoping the National Weather Service’s forecast for an inch or two of new snow overnight would be right.
She wasn’t disappointed to wake up Thursday and find out they were wrong.
“I woke up quite happy this morning; I think all dog mushers in the Interior did,” said Erhart, who serves as president of the Alaska Dog Mushers Association. “This should fill in all the dips (in the trails).”
Residents awoke Thursday to find 8 to 10 inches of new snow on the ground. It was the biggest single snowfall in Fairbanks in several years and ended what so far this winter has equated to a snow drought in Alaska’s second-largest city.
The heavy snow came as a surprise to residents as well as meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.
“We were not expecting that kind of snow to develop,” meteorologist Bob Fischer said.
A cold front stalled over Fairbanks and mixed with an unstable air mass aloft to produce what Fischer called a “very localized” snowfall. The snow fell over such a small area — within about a 50-mile radius of Fairbanks — that it was practically impossible to predict.
“Smaller scale things like this the models aren’t able to pick up,” he said. “The resolution is just not there.”
Not that Erhart and other outdoor types who prefer ample quantities of snow were complaining. Prior to the overnight dump, only 23.2 inches of snow had fallen in Fairbanks, which is half the normal snowfall for the season.
“This will be pretty sweet,” said Scott Chesney, president of the Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association.
The snow fell just in time for a 100-mile race the club is holding this weekend and should make things easier on both dogs and mushers, given the rough trail conditions that have prevailed up to now.
“This will help a lot,” he said. “Everybody won’t be getting slammed around now.”
The National Weather Service did not have an exact measurement on the snowfall because the official measurement is taken at Fairbanks International Airport at midnight, but Fischer said most reports around town put the total at about 8 inches. Snow started falling around 9 p.m. Wednesday, and 3.5 inches had fallen at the airport by midnight. The rest fell between midnight and 9 a.m.
“An 8-inch snowfall in Fairbanks is about a once in 10-year event,” said Fischer. “Even a 4-incher is a big one by Fairbanks standards. Most of our snow comes down in 1- and 2-inch trickles.”
The last time Fairbanks had that much snow in one dump was two years ago on Feb. 25-26 when 8.7 inches of snow fell, said meteorologist Mike Richmond. But that snowfall occurred over the course of two full days, while Wednesday night’s dump all came within 12 hours.
“For a single event for 12 hours or less I would say this is the heaviest dump we’ve had in several years,” said Richmond, who was looking forward to hitting the ski trails on his day off Friday.
The weather service tracks snowfall by calendar day, from midnight to midnight. The 8 to 10 inches of snow that fell overnight in Fairbanks Wednesday will go down as a two-day snowfall, Fischer said.
The record one-day snowfall in Fairbanks is 16.0 inches on Feb. 11, 1966, the first of three straight days of heavy snow in Fairbanks that year. Another 10.9 inches fell on Feb. 12 that year for a record two-day total of 26.9 inches, and 7.7 inches fell on Feb. 13 for a three-day record total of 34.6 inches of snow.
The second heaviest one-day snowfall in Fairbanks was 15.5 inches on Jan. 19, 1937. Another 10.5 inches fell on Jan. 20 for a two-day total of 26.0 inches, which ranks second on the list of heaviest two-day snowfalls.
Crews from the state Department of Transportation and city public works department were scrambling to clear the main roads around Fairbanks before the end of the work day Thursday, according to Dan Schacher, acting Fairbanks district superintendent for DOT’s northern region.
“We’re not doing anything except getting roads open,” he said. “We’re trying to make it safe so we don’t have those big two-foot berms in the middle of the road.”
City crews were “coping with it the best we can with the resources we have,” said Kevin Fitzgerald at the public works department on Thursday morning. The city had ceased snow removal operations and was focusing on getting main streets cleared, he said.
“We have teams of graders scattered throughout town trying to open up the main arterials first,” Fitzgerald said. “From there we move into residential areas.”
Fitzgerald asked residents to be patient and not to put snow from their driveways into the streets. Doing so is illegal.
Downhill ski area operators were happy to see the snow. Until now, slopes have had grass and brush sticking up through the snow. Only 4 to 6 inches of snow fell at Mount Aurora Skiland on Cleary Summit about 20 miles north of Fairbanks, but Brenda Birdsall said it will improve conditions greatly.
“This is beautiful,” she said. “I wish we were open today.”
Moose Mountain Ski Resort owner Roger Evans, meanwhile, was skiing in Snow Basin, Utah, and wishing he was back in Fairbanks.
“Below zero, windy and no new snow,” is how Evans described conditions in Utah. “It sounds like Fairbanks is going to have a better weekend than Utah.”
Even though winter is half over, snowmachine shops around town are hoping the snow will help spur what have been slow sales so far this winter.
“This is what we needed in the fall,” said Bill Larry at Alaska Fun Center on College Road.
On Thursday, customers seemed to be more interested in snow-removal equipment than snowmachines, Larry said.
“I’ve had some guys come in for plows for four-wheelers,” he said. “They were hoping they could get away without buying one until today.”
The same was true at Northern Power Sports on Van Horn Road.
“We had a guy waiting at the door this morning who wanted a four-wheeler with a plow,” said David Baldwin, a salesman at Northern Power Sports. “We’ve sold lots of (four-wheeler) plows already this morning.”
The snow is a lot better for business than the 40 degree below temperatures earlier this week, Baldwin said.
“People come in when it snows; when it’s 40 below, nobody comes in the store,” he said.
The forecast wasn’t calling for more significant snowfall until possibly early next week.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas Cookie Baking
Here are pictures from our Christmas Eve. We spent the afternoon at Miss Rose's house baking cookies and watching movies, before going to church that evening. Christmas Miss Rose came over to feast and watch movies.
Thank To Pop and Gmom from the Cool Dollhouse and Mega Blox
Thanks to Grandma Sue and Grandpa Jerry for the Cool Fleece and Other cool stuff
Thanks to Grandma Jan and Papa for The cool Castle
Thanks to Grandpa Briggs For The Cool Fishin Stuff.
Thanks to Rob Ken and Mhari for the Cool Puzzles.
Thanks to Grandma Bev for all the Clothes
Thanks to Mike Diana and the boy for the books.
Sorry for the late post. A Shake up at work. Sean the Chef is leaving. Jason will be takin on more duties and Jess will be getting more hours.
Love
The Alaskan Rivers
Thank To Pop and Gmom from the Cool Dollhouse and Mega Blox
Thanks to Grandma Sue and Grandpa Jerry for the Cool Fleece and Other cool stuff
Thanks to Grandma Jan and Papa for The cool Castle
Thanks to Grandpa Briggs For The Cool Fishin Stuff.
Thanks to Rob Ken and Mhari for the Cool Puzzles.
Thanks to Grandma Bev for all the Clothes
Thanks to Mike Diana and the boy for the books.
Sorry for the late post. A Shake up at work. Sean the Chef is leaving. Jason will be takin on more duties and Jess will be getting more hours.
Love
The Alaskan Rivers
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Can we say cold!
- 41 Degrees
That is our current temperature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now That Is Freakin Cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At -41 Things that you do not think would freeze up. Freeze up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A warming trend for Saturday -20
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In other news Me and the girls got what mommy got. So another day at home while mommy works for me. We are not sure if it was food poisoning or viral. I am thinking a combo of both.
Love
Jason
That is our current temperature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now That Is Freakin Cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At -41 Things that you do not think would freeze up. Freeze up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A warming trend for Saturday -20
HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In other news Me and the girls got what mommy got. So another day at home while mommy works for me. We are not sure if it was food poisoning or viral. I am thinking a combo of both.
Love
Jason
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Colder than a Witches Boob in a Brass Brazier
That statement is severly underestimated.
= 30 f for the last three days.
Most or the United states coldest Temperatures are what we call "Unseasonably Warm".
This is a thinking mans or womens cold. You have to think before you go out in this cold. Trailblazer Barely started this morning. I got my first feeling of frostbite just trying to plug the truck in. Exposure in real. Believe it or not we still saw people out in shorts and and No Jackets. Can we say stupid. People need to rethink there ways.
Fortunatly we have not succumed to the stupidity. Beanies and Hat and ski bib and Jackets on.
But in all this we are staying warm and cozy in our little apartment. Jess had a Good bout of food poisoning from a restaurant up in Fairbanks. So we spent the day taking care of Mommy. We are getting ready for Christmas.
Peace and Joy to you all
Love
Jason
= 30 f for the last three days.
Most or the United states coldest Temperatures are what we call "Unseasonably Warm".
This is a thinking mans or womens cold. You have to think before you go out in this cold. Trailblazer Barely started this morning. I got my first feeling of frostbite just trying to plug the truck in. Exposure in real. Believe it or not we still saw people out in shorts and and No Jackets. Can we say stupid. People need to rethink there ways.
Fortunatly we have not succumed to the stupidity. Beanies and Hat and ski bib and Jackets on.
But in all this we are staying warm and cozy in our little apartment. Jess had a Good bout of food poisoning from a restaurant up in Fairbanks. So we spent the day taking care of Mommy. We are getting ready for Christmas.
Peace and Joy to you all
Love
Jason
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!
Just wanted to send a big Birthday Shout-Out to Grandpa Jerry. So...... Happy Birthday Grandpa Jerry!!!!!!!!!!! Hope it's GREAT!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Subsistence Diet 1899
Checkout this Article on Native Diet in 1899. Very interesting
Love
Jason
http://www.pbs.org/harriman/1899/subsistence.html
Love
Jason
http://www.pbs.org/harriman/1899/subsistence.html
Friday, December 07, 2007
Ice Alaska
North Pole Alaska will be hosting an Christmas On ice.
This is a Warm Up(Pun Intended) to the *2008 World Ice Art Championships*
Feb. 26-Mar. 23, 2008
Check Out The Link and Pictures
Ice Alaska
Love
Jason
This is a Warm Up(Pun Intended) to the *2008 World Ice Art Championships*
Feb. 26-Mar. 23, 2008
Check Out The Link and Pictures
Ice Alaska
Love
Jason
Something I have never had to think about before
( As published in The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Wolf pack strikes again in Two Rivers
By Tim Mowry
Staff Writer
Published December 6, 2007
A wolf pack that has been commuting between North Pole and Two Rivers for the past month, eating pet dogs as they go, has apparently struck again, this time at 16.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road.
Long-time Two Rivers resident Bill Blizzard said he discovered his 11-year-old Labrador/Chesapeake Bay retriever mix, Chesie, missing at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when he went out to feed his three dogs chained up about 200 feet from his home.
“All there was was a couple chunks of collar sitting on top of three or four pieces of intestine,” said Blizzard of what remained of his 70-pound pet. “Everything is gone. It looks like they ate her right there.”
He isn’t sure when the wolves struck but suspects it was early Tuesday morning.
“I think they hit around 6 a.m. (Tuesday) because my neighbor said her dogs went off around 6 a.m.,” Blizzard said.
Chesie’s two siblings, Buster and Banjo, who were chained up in the same area, weren’t touched and gave no warning wolves were in the yard.
“They didn’t make a sound,” Blizzard said. “How do they eat a dog with two other dogs in the yard and you don’t hear nothing? That’s how quiet they were.”
State wildlife officials with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game suspect its the same pack of wolves that have been roaming the area for more than a month and have killed and eaten at least two other dogs, one at 19.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road on Nov. 23 and one in North Pole on Oct. 31. The wolves have also been spotted several times by residents living along the first 20 miles of Chena Hot Springs Road.
After hearing of reports about the wolves in the area, Blizzard said he was laying in wait for the wolves when they evidently struck.
“I was laying next to the door with my 18-inch barrel Mossberg with a flashlight and my bunny boots; I was ready,” said Blizzard, a former dog musher who has lived in Two Rivers for more than 30 years. “The wind was blowing, and I didn’t hear nothing.”
Blizzard reported the incident to the Department of Fish and Game but spokeswoman Cathie Harms said at this point there isn’t much the department can do because the wolves are gone by the time anyone gets there and they don’t know where they will strike next.
“The chances of us being in the right place at the right time in the hundreds of square miles this wolf pack roams is near impossible,” Harms. said. “The people that are going to have a chance to take action are the people that live there.”
The department is trying to work with trappers to catch the wolves but that’s tough to do in a residential area where loose dogs can also be caught in traps, she said.
There is a rumor that a trapper in Two Rivers caught or shot three wolves in the area but department officials have not been able to confirm that, Harms said.
State wildlife officials initially thought there were five or six wolves in the pack, but no more than three wolves have been seen at a time, Harms noted.
Even if they were able to find and tranquilize the wolves, which is unlikely, Harms said relocating them is not an option.
“We don’t have any place to move them,” she said. “Our only option would be shoot them.”
So far, the wolves have carried out their attacks on dogs under the cover of darkness and have not approached people, Harms said.
“Every report so far indicates these wolves are pretty leery of people,” she said.
Harms advised residents to take precautions by keeping their pets in a fenced-in area or inside a house or building. Even plastic fencing like the orange mesh used at construction sites might keep wolves away, she said. Another possibility is stringing rope around your yard with rags attached that can flap in the wind. Soaking the rags in something with a strong scent, such as Chlorox, ammonia or urine isn’t a bad idea, either, she said.
“Something that holds a scent for a long time,” Harms said.
Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.
Now this was not meant to scare anyone, I just thought I would share on what's happening up here. Just thought I better put that in there.
Merry Christmas!!!! Jess
Wolf pack strikes again in Two Rivers
By Tim Mowry
Staff Writer
Published December 6, 2007
A wolf pack that has been commuting between North Pole and Two Rivers for the past month, eating pet dogs as they go, has apparently struck again, this time at 16.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road.
Long-time Two Rivers resident Bill Blizzard said he discovered his 11-year-old Labrador/Chesapeake Bay retriever mix, Chesie, missing at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when he went out to feed his three dogs chained up about 200 feet from his home.
“All there was was a couple chunks of collar sitting on top of three or four pieces of intestine,” said Blizzard of what remained of his 70-pound pet. “Everything is gone. It looks like they ate her right there.”
He isn’t sure when the wolves struck but suspects it was early Tuesday morning.
“I think they hit around 6 a.m. (Tuesday) because my neighbor said her dogs went off around 6 a.m.,” Blizzard said.
Chesie’s two siblings, Buster and Banjo, who were chained up in the same area, weren’t touched and gave no warning wolves were in the yard.
“They didn’t make a sound,” Blizzard said. “How do they eat a dog with two other dogs in the yard and you don’t hear nothing? That’s how quiet they were.”
State wildlife officials with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game suspect its the same pack of wolves that have been roaming the area for more than a month and have killed and eaten at least two other dogs, one at 19.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road on Nov. 23 and one in North Pole on Oct. 31. The wolves have also been spotted several times by residents living along the first 20 miles of Chena Hot Springs Road.
After hearing of reports about the wolves in the area, Blizzard said he was laying in wait for the wolves when they evidently struck.
“I was laying next to the door with my 18-inch barrel Mossberg with a flashlight and my bunny boots; I was ready,” said Blizzard, a former dog musher who has lived in Two Rivers for more than 30 years. “The wind was blowing, and I didn’t hear nothing.”
Blizzard reported the incident to the Department of Fish and Game but spokeswoman Cathie Harms said at this point there isn’t much the department can do because the wolves are gone by the time anyone gets there and they don’t know where they will strike next.
“The chances of us being in the right place at the right time in the hundreds of square miles this wolf pack roams is near impossible,” Harms. said. “The people that are going to have a chance to take action are the people that live there.”
The department is trying to work with trappers to catch the wolves but that’s tough to do in a residential area where loose dogs can also be caught in traps, she said.
There is a rumor that a trapper in Two Rivers caught or shot three wolves in the area but department officials have not been able to confirm that, Harms said.
State wildlife officials initially thought there were five or six wolves in the pack, but no more than three wolves have been seen at a time, Harms noted.
Even if they were able to find and tranquilize the wolves, which is unlikely, Harms said relocating them is not an option.
“We don’t have any place to move them,” she said. “Our only option would be shoot them.”
So far, the wolves have carried out their attacks on dogs under the cover of darkness and have not approached people, Harms said.
“Every report so far indicates these wolves are pretty leery of people,” she said.
Harms advised residents to take precautions by keeping their pets in a fenced-in area or inside a house or building. Even plastic fencing like the orange mesh used at construction sites might keep wolves away, she said. Another possibility is stringing rope around your yard with rags attached that can flap in the wind. Soaking the rags in something with a strong scent, such as Chlorox, ammonia or urine isn’t a bad idea, either, she said.
“Something that holds a scent for a long time,” Harms said.
Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.
Now this was not meant to scare anyone, I just thought I would share on what's happening up here. Just thought I better put that in there.
Merry Christmas!!!! Jess
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Weather
Well, It is getting cold here. It's either -11 or -14 depending on where you look. I am in the process of adding a weather widget on here. But haven't quite figured out how. So here is a link to the Artic Cam as well :http://arcticcam.com/cam/
We haven't had any new snow for a while. But the old stuff has never left. Most of the main roads are clear though. The rest are a nice ice rink at this point. And did you know that we can't use salt on the roads here, because it gets too cold for it to work? I didn't even know that was possible. So there is sand and small gravel used instead.That's all for know folks!
I know it's early but, Merry Christmas! With Love, Jessica
We haven't had any new snow for a while. But the old stuff has never left. Most of the main roads are clear though. The rest are a nice ice rink at this point. And did you know that we can't use salt on the roads here, because it gets too cold for it to work? I didn't even know that was possible. So there is sand and small gravel used instead.That's all for know folks!
I know it's early but, Merry Christmas! With Love, Jessica
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Sunrise Sunset
Sunrise 10:15 AM
Sunset 3:00 PM
The Sun has become a precious comodity as of late. Today the low was -9F. Way Chilly.
Still enjoy seeing the Sunrise
Still enjoy seeing a Sunset
Makes me think of my life as of late.
There is always a Sunrise
There is always a Sunset
But the best part is.......
There is Always another Sunrise
Love
Jason
Sunset 3:00 PM
The Sun has become a precious comodity as of late. Today the low was -9F. Way Chilly.
Still enjoy seeing the Sunrise
Still enjoy seeing a Sunset
Makes me think of my life as of late.
There is always a Sunrise
There is always a Sunset
But the best part is.......
There is Always another Sunrise
Love
Jason
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I know I am a Dork,..or would Redneck be more fitting????
Okay, SO maybe I am a dork or a Redneck. I don't really know exactly what to call it or I guess me.......
For weeks now Jason has been trying to fiqure out the perfect Christmas gift for me.But has been having trouble.(This seems to happen every year) He asks me and I end up listing off things for him, the kids, the truck or our little apartment.Very few things for me , just me. The one thing I can think of that would be just for me would be a nice, rather big diamond ring. My dream ring. Somehow I don't see that happening anytime in, like the next 5 years. Spending 2 grand on a diamond ring not really logical at this point in our lives.Surely not worth going in debt for.
So, we had been out doing some shopping at Fred Meyer's for groceries and some Christmas presents.(We picked a good time to leave, it was about 5:30pm and starting to get insane there) After some of our daily errands. And decided to stop at Frontier Outfitters on our way home looking for ideas on a good jacket for me.(I want something nice and feminine and warm, very warm....not the ones I currently have that are well mens, mens coats seem to be the only ones out there to fit me correctly or be in my price range. But I look well, Butch for lack of a better word)
Okay, back to my story.No luck. But for a few months now we , especially Jason, have been looking for the perfect rifle for me. Something I can take a moose, bear, caribou...whatever, down with and still handle. Not too heavy, too much recoil,etc.All the ones we have now are well his. And mostly too powerful for me.(Women hunting up here, suprisingly common.And I have always enjoyed target shooting.)
We had been going to all our local stores, the many outfitters up here, sporting goods stores, (EVEN FRED MEYER AND WAL-MART sell rifles and hand guns up here) looking at them, holding them, talking to many people. A woman from work even let me take hers out to the range to try it out.One she had taken a moose with.( I have mainly shot pistols in the past.) So we had a good idea what I/we wanted.
We had seen it there before a Ruger 44 Magnum lever action. http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=6301
And the down payment for the lay-a-way plan was in the price range we had planned. So I filled out the necessary paperwork.(This will be our first rifle in my name). Made the down payment.And that's my Christmas present from the family.In a few short months she's all mine. This rifle is a joint Christmas present for me and Jason. So I will let Jason use it of course. No really, I will. Anyhow Jason plans to buy a Rifle for himself with some of our Tax return. 30-06 or 270 I think.
I have never been so excited before over something like this. It is really rather scary. Seriously scary. So what does that make me? A dork, a redneck or something totally different entirely?
With Love to all, Jess
For weeks now Jason has been trying to fiqure out the perfect Christmas gift for me.But has been having trouble.(This seems to happen every year) He asks me and I end up listing off things for him, the kids, the truck or our little apartment.Very few things for me , just me. The one thing I can think of that would be just for me would be a nice, rather big diamond ring. My dream ring. Somehow I don't see that happening anytime in, like the next 5 years. Spending 2 grand on a diamond ring not really logical at this point in our lives.Surely not worth going in debt for.
So, we had been out doing some shopping at Fred Meyer's for groceries and some Christmas presents.(We picked a good time to leave, it was about 5:30pm and starting to get insane there) After some of our daily errands. And decided to stop at Frontier Outfitters on our way home looking for ideas on a good jacket for me.(I want something nice and feminine and warm, very warm....not the ones I currently have that are well mens, mens coats seem to be the only ones out there to fit me correctly or be in my price range. But I look well, Butch for lack of a better word)
Okay, back to my story.No luck. But for a few months now we , especially Jason, have been looking for the perfect rifle for me. Something I can take a moose, bear, caribou...whatever, down with and still handle. Not too heavy, too much recoil,etc.All the ones we have now are well his. And mostly too powerful for me.(Women hunting up here, suprisingly common.And I have always enjoyed target shooting.)
We had been going to all our local stores, the many outfitters up here, sporting goods stores, (EVEN FRED MEYER AND WAL-MART sell rifles and hand guns up here) looking at them, holding them, talking to many people. A woman from work even let me take hers out to the range to try it out.One she had taken a moose with.( I have mainly shot pistols in the past.) So we had a good idea what I/we wanted.
We had seen it there before a Ruger 44 Magnum lever action. http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=6301
And the down payment for the lay-a-way plan was in the price range we had planned. So I filled out the necessary paperwork.(This will be our first rifle in my name). Made the down payment.And that's my Christmas present from the family.In a few short months she's all mine. This rifle is a joint Christmas present for me and Jason. So I will let Jason use it of course. No really, I will. Anyhow Jason plans to buy a Rifle for himself with some of our Tax return. 30-06 or 270 I think.
I have never been so excited before over something like this. It is really rather scary. Seriously scary. So what does that make me? A dork, a redneck or something totally different entirely?
With Love to all, Jess
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thankgiving and Sausage Making
Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to Mom and Jerry, Dad and Sharon, Rob, Ken and Mhari,Mom and Craig,Dad and the rest of our extended family. To all are friends. Peace and Love to you.
Moose has become a new house favorite. We have eaten more moose than I thought we would eat the first year here. Moose is a very easy game meat to work with. We have done Moose Meatloaf (Super yummy) to Chicken fried moose steaks to Green Chili with Moose. So making sausage was pretty logical. Made two batches stuffed in Casing and all. One was my Chorizo Recipe.
8 Ancho Chiles soaked in water
1 Medium Onion
12 Cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon Curing Salt
1 Tablespoon Groung Black Pepper
1 Pound Ground pork
1 Pound Bacon
7 Pounds of Moose
Grind Vegatables all together. Grind Bacon and Brunoise(1/8 Dice) the Moose. Stuff in Hog Casing. No Casing? Grind all the meat and just Bag up and Freeze. No Moose? Use Venison, Lamb, Beef or Pork. ALL YUMMY.
The other was a REALLY HOT Andoullie Sausage
Same Recipe Except:
2 Cups of Red Pepper Flakes for Ancho Chilies
1 Cup Paprika for Color
Need to find a Supply of Beef Middle Casing so I can do some traditional stuff.
Check out this Traditional Smokehouse in Louisana. http://www.cajunsausage.com/ProductDescriptions.htm
Anyhoo. We are off to our friend Roses to eat and relax.
May God Bless You
Love
Jason
Moose has become a new house favorite. We have eaten more moose than I thought we would eat the first year here. Moose is a very easy game meat to work with. We have done Moose Meatloaf (Super yummy) to Chicken fried moose steaks to Green Chili with Moose. So making sausage was pretty logical. Made two batches stuffed in Casing and all. One was my Chorizo Recipe.
8 Ancho Chiles soaked in water
1 Medium Onion
12 Cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon Curing Salt
1 Tablespoon Groung Black Pepper
1 Pound Ground pork
1 Pound Bacon
7 Pounds of Moose
Grind Vegatables all together. Grind Bacon and Brunoise(1/8 Dice) the Moose. Stuff in Hog Casing. No Casing? Grind all the meat and just Bag up and Freeze. No Moose? Use Venison, Lamb, Beef or Pork. ALL YUMMY.
The other was a REALLY HOT Andoullie Sausage
Same Recipe Except:
2 Cups of Red Pepper Flakes for Ancho Chilies
1 Cup Paprika for Color
Need to find a Supply of Beef Middle Casing so I can do some traditional stuff.
Check out this Traditional Smokehouse in Louisana. http://www.cajunsausage.com/ProductDescriptions.htm
Anyhoo. We are off to our friend Roses to eat and relax.
May God Bless You
Love
Jason
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Miss Magoo is 2!
Meghan turns 2 today! Yeah Meghan!!!!!!!!!!!!
And a Happy Birthday to Uncle Ken as well!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Snow Angels
Check Out the street sign Grandpa and Grandma Rivers. The sign is a street right behind our house.
Anyways. We have been doing some winter exploring. In one word Beautiful. Wish people could see it first hand.
Anyways we are off on adventures again.
In our Creators Grace
Love
Jason
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Quiet and Aware
Snow is an amazing thing.
The Beauty is in the Awareness that come on with the first flake.
So many people say I hate the snow. I hate the cold.
People need to stop look and be aware.
To see life in the those little flakes. Amazing
Thank you ABBA for Creation. Thank you for this Life
Love
Jason
The Beauty is in the Awareness that come on with the first flake.
So many people say I hate the snow. I hate the cold.
People need to stop look and be aware.
To see life in the those little flakes. Amazing
Thank you ABBA for Creation. Thank you for this Life
Love
Jason
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