276 Alaskan Science Conference 



homesteaders, intend to become permanent residents but in- 

 stead move on in a year or two and so far as their relationship 

 to the wildlife population is concerned can be considered tran- 

 sients. Added to the civilians are the military personnel: Air 

 Force, Army and Navy who are rotated usually in two years to 

 posts outside Alaska. Figures on the military strength are not 

 available for this report. In addition there are large numbers 

 of even more transitory workers— the summer temporary em- 

 ployees not included in Alaska census figures. 



Transients are not likely to have the same deep interest in 

 conservation of game, fish and fur as do the long-term residents. 

 Many transients' recreational pursuits included hunting and 

 fishing in the states, many others turn from golf, tennis or base- 

 ball to hunting and fishing because the latter are the chief 

 recreational outlets for them in Alaska. But the expert and the 

 novice have caused a critical upswing in the hunting and fish- 

 ing pressure. 



The resident sportsman is interested in a permanent sheep 

 population in his favorite sheep hills and grayling for all time 

 to come in the nearest stream. Your transient hunter is moti- 

 vated by the souvenir instinct, he must have a brown bear rug, 

 a set of caribou antlers or a goat head to show the folks back 

 home. What matter if he shoots three bears before getting one 

 in the trophy class or if his first two goats are crippled or fall 

 down the cliff. 



Among transients there are careful, conservation-conscious 

 sportsmen as well as many who hunt with the camera instead of 

 the gun. Also it should be recorded that military personnel are 

 individually better disciplined than their civilian contempo- 

 raries. A check made last year in the Anchorage area showed 

 fewer violations of game and fish regulations by the military 

 than for a comparable group of civilian license holders. The 

 fact remains, however, that both because of sheer numbers and 

 through a "get it now— we won't be here tomorrow" attitude, 

 the transient population has caused a serious wildlife manage- 

 ment problem. 



Continued close cooperation between the National Military 



