There were fewer moose harvested illegally on the Kenai Peninsula this season than in previous years, according to state data.
Christopher Jaime, a lieutenant with the Department of Public Safety in Soldotna, said that 9.6% of moose were shot unlawfully during the fall hunting season. That equated to 37 of the 386 total harvested moose.
In the last five years, Jaime said, illegal moose harvest has ranged from 10% to 16%.
He said he’d attribute the decrease to better educational campaigns by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, as well as proactive enforcement by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers and general compliance of the hunters.
The large majority of moose this year were harvested from the Kasilof River South area, with most of the rest coming from the Kasilof River North.
Jaime said he hopes to continue to see the number of illegally taken moose decline.
