Hunting is an important, and sometimes necessary, activity in Alaska. It creates revenue for the state government from the tourists and foreign hunters; it provides most of the money for the Division of Wildlife Conservation from the sale of tags and hunting licenses, it creates Federal Aid funds (in the form of Wildlife Restoration dollars) from the sale of ammunition and firearms; it helps feed and shelter several thousand Alaskan residents who rely on subsistence hunting, and it is a pastime and way of life for many Alaskans. For the purposes of our paper, “hunting” refers to the shooting, trapping, or taking of big game such as moose, caribou, Dall sheep, etc.

There are many different types of hunting that address the different needs of the hunters in Alaska. The following include four major types of hunting and their broad definitions:

Subsistence --the hunting and gathering for the sole purpose of providing for yourself and your family. Hunting for survival.

Sport -- hunting for the sole purpose of enjoyment and sport. The secondary benefit is providing for yourself and for your family. Hunting is not your only source of food.

Commercial / Market -- hunting for profit. The sole purpose is economic and/or material gain.

Trophy --hunting for personal recognition amongst peers; i.e., animal head trophies, rugs, fur accessories, and antlers. Hunting not for the food, but for an animal trophy of some sort.

Society requires hunting be a controlled activity and therefore, many laws are needed to regulate and differentiate the many styles of hunting and hunters. There must also be a way for state and government agencies to observe game populations levels in order to enact legislation to manage and control these levels. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act was passed by the federal government. This act, also known as the Alaska land bill, designated specific land in Alaska as refuges and designated wilderness. It provided for comprehensive management by the federal government of these federal public lands, including a provision regarding a rural priority to subsistence hunt. This federal provision gives Alaskans living in rural areas the priority to subsistence hunt when it is necessary to restrict the taking of game.

As originally defined in 1959 by the Alaska State Constitution , the power to regulate hunting in Alaska belonged to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. However, since the implementation of ANILCA and the state’s failure to enact a “rural preference” law, the state and federal government have been sharing this responsibility. This shared responsibility has caused the people in Alaska to become split over legislation regarding subsistence hunting. First of all, there has been no “real” definition of “subsistence” provided by the federal or state government agencies. Second, the vague and unclear legislation that currently exists limits who is allowed to subsistence hunt. Third, there are heated debates over what game the subsistence hunters are allowed to hunt, when they are allowed to hunt, and how much they are allowed to take.