Hunting & Fishing

One of the most exclusive animal hunts in the United States happens on a small corner of Alaska on the Bering Sea. On two subarctic islands live herds of a large, prehistoric mammal that roamed the tundra during the last Ice Age. Muskoxen are prized for their fatty, flavorful meat and soft, warm fur. Every year, thousands of people apply online for less than 200 winter permits to hunt them in Alaska. Or, for the truly devoted, you can travel to Bethel to sign up in person. KYUK talked to some of the men who slept in a parking lot during the darkest and coldest part of the winter to get their names on that short list.

Mary Peltola, Executive Director of the Kuskokwim Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, spoke with KYUK’s Christine Trudeau last week about the importance of maintaining a link to Yup’ik cultural values in her life. The former House District 38 Representative feels that keeping a positive outlook is especially important when facing potential challenges in the times ahead. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Caribou are and have been an important resource for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta for at least 28 years. On Christmas Eve, KYUK takes time to learn about the reindeer’s close cousin: the caribou.

A man from Massachusetts has pled guilty to what a state prosecutor is calling “one of the worst Fish and Game violations the state has seen this year.” The man is convicted of leaving an entire bull moose in the field and taking only the antlers.

It’s illegal to sell big game meat in Alaska, but sales of subsistence foods are a constant presence on the social media site and regulations governing the trade of these foods can be inconsistent and confusing. Recently, a Bethel man has been ordered to appear in court for advertising moose meat for sale on Facebook.

Fall means hunting and berry picking on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. KYUK’s Petra Harpak talked to Esther Green, one of the oldest ladies out picking on the tundra.

It was moose season this week on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and I went to one of my favorite spots to check out both the moose and the hunters.

Christine John lists all the fish they have in Crooked Creek: “We have king salmon, dog salmon, silvers, and reds.”

I asked Mishka Andreanoff, aka Johnny Boy, “What’s your quota?”

Johnny Boy replied, “As much as I can eat.”

That’s Mishka Andreanoff and Christine John speaking with KYUK’s Petra Harpak during her trip up the Kuskokwim River this summer. They are among the many voices on the third and final edition of a program about upriver fishing.