Alaska Administrative Code
Title 5 - Fish and Game
Part 3 - Game
Chapter 92 - Statewide Provisions
Article 6 - Possession and Transportation
5 AAC 92.165 - Sealing of bear skins and skulls

Universal Citation: 5 AK Admin Code 92.165

Current through August 30, 2024

(a) Sealing is required for hides and skulls of brown bear taken in any unit in the state, hides and skulls of black and brown bear taken in any unit in the state before the hide or skull is sold, hides and skulls of black bear of any color variation taken from January 1 through May 31, and skulls of black bear of any color variation taken from June 1 through December 31 in Units 1 - 7, 14(A), 14(C), 15 - 17, and 20(B). The seal must remain on the skin until the tanning process has commenced. A person may not possess or transport the untanned skin or skull of a bear taken in a unit where sealing is required, or export from the state the untanned skin or skull of a bear taken anywhere in the state, unless the skin or the skull, or both as required in this section have been sealed by a department representative within 30 days after the taking, or a lesser time if requested by the department, except that

(1) Repeled 7/1/2019

(2) in Unit 8, brown bear taken may not be transported from that unit until sealed;

(3) in Unit 9(B), all drainages in Unit 9(E) that drain into the Pacific Ocean between Cape Kumliun and the border of Unit 9(D) and Unit 9(E), Unit 17, Unit 18, that portion of Units 19(A) and 19(B) downstream of and including the Aniak River drainage, Unit 21(D), Unit 22, Unit 23, Unit 24, and Unit 26(A), brown bear taken by a resident hunter under a subsistence registration permit is not required to be sealed unless removed from the area described in the permit or presented for commercial tanning within that area; before a brown bear skin or skull is removed from the area described in the permit or presented for commercial tanning within that area, the skin or skull must first be sealed by a department representative.

(b) A person who possesses a bear taken in a unit where sealing is required for both the skin and the skull shall keep the skin and skull together until a department representative has removed a rudimentary premolar tooth from the skull and sealed both the skull and the skin. A person who possesses a bear taken in a unit where sealing is required only for the skull shall keep the skull until a department representative has removed a rudimentary premolar tooth from the skull and sealed the skull. The department may require that the skull of the bear be skinned and that the skin and skull not be frozen at the time of sealing.

(c) Except as provided in (a)(3) and (d) of this section, a person who takes a bear in a unit where sealing is required must personally present the skin or the skull, or both, as required in (a) of this section, to a department representative for sealing within 30 days after the taking, or a shorter time if requested by the department, and must sign the sealing certificate at the time of sealing.

(d) A person who takes a bear in a unit where sealing is required, but is unable to present the skin or skull, or both, as required in (a) of this section in person, must complete and sign a temporary sealing form and ensure that the completed temporary sealing form, along with the bear skin or skull, or both, as required in (a) of this section, are presented to a department representative for sealing within 30 days after the taking.

(e) If a person takes a brown bear while on a guided hunt or while hunting with a resident relative under AS 16.05.407, the hunter, and the guide or resident relative who accompanied the hunter, must sign the sealing certificate. If a temporary sealing form is used, the hunter, and the guide or resident relative who accompanied the hunter, must sign the temporary sealing form.

(f) A person may not falsify any information required on the sealing certificate or temporary sealing form provided by the department.

(g) As used in this section,

(1) "sealing certificate" means a form used by the department for recording information when sealing a bear;

(2) "temporary sealing form" means a form available at department offices for providing information regarding date and location of bear kill, species of bear, name and address of the hunter, name of the guide, and other information requested by the department on the form.

Authority:AS 16.05.255

AS 16.05.258

AS 16.05.370

AS 16.05.920

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alaska may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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