The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is offering opportunities for individuals to participate in black bear baiting in 2023.
The application process to obtain a black bear baiting permit will be similar to 2022. Applications may be filled out at the Refuge Headquarters office on Ski Hill Rd.
Todd Eskelin, Wildlife Biologist with the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge explains the program;
“At the Kenai Refuge we have a black bear baiting program, where we issue permits for exclusive spots ,they’re called cells. Black bear baiters can participate in black bear baiting on the refuge in designated areas and the distribution of those spots is always been kind of a first come, first serve initially; and then, just to institute a little bit more fairness and how we distribute those cells we went to this drawing system. And so, for about a month or so people can come in and put their application in. They have to be licensed hunters in Alaska and put all their contact information and whatnot on the application and then on Saturday April 15th; we conduct a drawing and as people’s names are drawn they select their cell and we cross that out and move on to the next one.”
As in 2022, the 2023 random drawing to determine the order in which bait areas will be selected, will not be in-person. In order to participate in the random drawing, permit applications must be received prior to 4:30 p.m. on April 14, 2023. At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 15, 2023, the random drawing will commence. You must be available via phone when your name is drawn to select a baiting area. Bait areas will be chosen and permits issued in the order drawn. After the drawing, all remaining sites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Any applicants not reachable when drawn may select from these remaining sites. Black bear baiting permits are issued for exclusive one-square mile areas within that portion of the Refuge open to black bear baiting. These permits are issued for the harvest of only black bear over bait.
Eskelin explains that all hunters must take a bear bait class;
“In the state of Alaska in Unit 15, you have to take a bear bait class clinic and those are operated online through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. After they get their permit to black bear bait on the refuge. They also have to register that station with the State of Alaska and the State of Alaska allows you to have two black bear baiting stations anywhere and a person could choose to have both of those in the cell that they bait on the refuge, or they could have one on the refuge and one elsewhere, but they can still only have two state-wide.”
All hunters must have a valid Alaska hunting license and have completed a State of Alaska approved bear baiting clinic in order to get a Refuge bear baiting permit. Archers wishing to take a black bear over bait on the Refuge must have completed a State of Alaska approved bow hunter education course.
Eskelin says that even if you miss the drawing, there’s still a chance to get a spot;
“After the drawing, the rest of the cells are all open first come first serve. And so, we get a lot of folks that just couldn’t make the drawing or missed it or whatever and then they come in the following week and pick what from what’s remaining.”
If you have any questions, please contact Todd Eskelin weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at (907) 398-9553.