08-07-2006, 09:18 AM
Latest On Russian Hunting Season
Plus, A Warning About Magadan Air
If you are booked to hunt Russia this fall, don't let rumors about a delay in the season opener scare you. According to Vladimir Melnikov, chief of the game department in Russia, everything is on track for an August 1 opener on snow sheep, followed by moose and brown bear shortly afterward.
You may recall there was some question earlier in the year whether there would be a fall season at all due to Russia's new system of setting game quotas. Last year, the Russian government required the Ministry of Agriculture, which oversees hunting, to submit hunting quotas and game survey results to the Ministry of Natural Resources for review and confirmation before the hunting season could be opened. The new requirements caused the cancellation of last spring's bear season and played havoc with hunters' plans for the fall season. This year, thankfully, the spring bear season went off as planned, though with a reduced quota, and now the fall season is expected to open as scheduled.
"Quotas are set and all the necessary documentation was sent to the Ministry of Natural Resources last week," Melnikov told The Hunting Report. "Everyone I have spoken with at Natural Resources says the submitted quotas look good and should be confirmed without any great changes."
He went on to explain that many of the problems encountered last year are not an issue this time because everyone involved now knows what the process is and how to move things forward. Melnikov was 99 percent certain the paperwork would be signed for an August 1 opening. It's worth noting that representatives of FORT, the Federation of Hunting and Angling Tourism, tell us they are also optimistic about the season opener.
As for quotas, Melnikov said there were no significant changes in quota numbers or allotments for sheep. Moose numbers are also good. Fall bear quotas should be more than sufficient for most operators.
There is one problem buried in all this good news: namely, Mavial/Magadan Airlines that provides air service between Anchorage and Petropavlovsk has gone belly up. That is sure to complicate the travel plans of many hunters headed toward the eastern part of Russia.
We learned about the airline bankruptcy from contacts in the international fishing community, which we cover for subscribers to our sister publication, The Angling Report.
The bankruptcy has left more than 500 fisherman booked to fish the Kamchatka Peninsula this summer without a convenient way of getting there. At this writing, fishing outfitters are working to arrange charter flights for their clients through a company called Gas Prom Avia, a charter airline used by Shell Oil and other major petro-chemical companies to fly employees to the Far East. It is not clear at this point whether the flights can indeed be arranged and, if so, whether they would be suitable for hunting clients. No hunting officials we spoke with were bullish on the idea at all. Clearly, hunters headed to Russia this season should pretty much plan on having to fly through Moscow or Seoul.
Hunters booked for the 2007 season, however, my have better options. Sources tell us the Anchorage/Petropavlovsk route is a lucrative one and that several airlines are positioning themselves to take over the route by next spring. Among them are Sibir Air and Aeroflot, whose representatives say they will aggressively pursue the route from either Anchorage or Seattle. An American carrier is also said to be entering the competition. - Barbara Crown.
Mvh
Kim
Jeg er ikke fejlfri,men det er så tæt på at det skræmmer mig.
Plus, A Warning About Magadan Air
If you are booked to hunt Russia this fall, don't let rumors about a delay in the season opener scare you. According to Vladimir Melnikov, chief of the game department in Russia, everything is on track for an August 1 opener on snow sheep, followed by moose and brown bear shortly afterward.
You may recall there was some question earlier in the year whether there would be a fall season at all due to Russia's new system of setting game quotas. Last year, the Russian government required the Ministry of Agriculture, which oversees hunting, to submit hunting quotas and game survey results to the Ministry of Natural Resources for review and confirmation before the hunting season could be opened. The new requirements caused the cancellation of last spring's bear season and played havoc with hunters' plans for the fall season. This year, thankfully, the spring bear season went off as planned, though with a reduced quota, and now the fall season is expected to open as scheduled.
"Quotas are set and all the necessary documentation was sent to the Ministry of Natural Resources last week," Melnikov told The Hunting Report. "Everyone I have spoken with at Natural Resources says the submitted quotas look good and should be confirmed without any great changes."
He went on to explain that many of the problems encountered last year are not an issue this time because everyone involved now knows what the process is and how to move things forward. Melnikov was 99 percent certain the paperwork would be signed for an August 1 opening. It's worth noting that representatives of FORT, the Federation of Hunting and Angling Tourism, tell us they are also optimistic about the season opener.
As for quotas, Melnikov said there were no significant changes in quota numbers or allotments for sheep. Moose numbers are also good. Fall bear quotas should be more than sufficient for most operators.
There is one problem buried in all this good news: namely, Mavial/Magadan Airlines that provides air service between Anchorage and Petropavlovsk has gone belly up. That is sure to complicate the travel plans of many hunters headed toward the eastern part of Russia.
We learned about the airline bankruptcy from contacts in the international fishing community, which we cover for subscribers to our sister publication, The Angling Report.
The bankruptcy has left more than 500 fisherman booked to fish the Kamchatka Peninsula this summer without a convenient way of getting there. At this writing, fishing outfitters are working to arrange charter flights for their clients through a company called Gas Prom Avia, a charter airline used by Shell Oil and other major petro-chemical companies to fly employees to the Far East. It is not clear at this point whether the flights can indeed be arranged and, if so, whether they would be suitable for hunting clients. No hunting officials we spoke with were bullish on the idea at all. Clearly, hunters headed to Russia this season should pretty much plan on having to fly through Moscow or Seoul.
Hunters booked for the 2007 season, however, my have better options. Sources tell us the Anchorage/Petropavlovsk route is a lucrative one and that several airlines are positioning themselves to take over the route by next spring. Among them are Sibir Air and Aeroflot, whose representatives say they will aggressively pursue the route from either Anchorage or Seattle. An American carrier is also said to be entering the competition. - Barbara Crown.
Mvh
Kim
Jeg er ikke fejlfri,men det er så tæt på at det skræmmer mig.