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Nelchina Herd Hunting Seasons Changed Tier II subsistence hunters need to be aware of several important regulation changes regarding Nelchina caribou, including a shorter season and either-sex permits. The season will be Aug. 10-Sept. 20 and Oct. 21-March 31. The change is a return to a more traditional opening date. The season was moved earlier with the advent of a Tier I primitive weapons hunt. With Tier I no longer in effect, the Board of Game agreed it would be better to give the herd the first 10 days of August to utilize the last of the summer forage and disperse across the northern portions of Game Management Unit 13. That dispersal was interrupted by an Aug. 1 opening. Glennallen area wildlife biologist Bob Tobey believes that while scattering the animals, the change actually should make caribou more available to hunters across a wider stretch of the Denali Highway. The other major change is that permits will be for either sex instead of changing the bag limit between the fall and winter seasons. Some harvest of cows is essential as Tier II hunters traditionally have selected bulls by an overwhelming margin and the bull:cow ratio is dropping steadily. The harvest objective for bulls is 1,500. When that number is reached, the remaining unused permits will be valid for cows only. In the unlikely event 500 cows are taken first, then the remaining unused permits would be good for bulls only. Nelchina hunters will need to pay close attention to the harvest numbers. ADF&G will widely announce the change when a harvest objective is met, but hunters should double check before going into the field. Recorded information about the herd, including updated harvest numbers, can be heard at any time by calling the Nelchina Herd Hotline at (907) 267-2304. Glennallen area staff can be reached at (907) 822-3461 for answers to specific questions. The harvest objectives reflect the numbers obtained from a mid-June composition count which downgraded the population estimate to 33,000 and put the cow:calf ratio at 32:100 -- the lowest ever recorded for the Nelchina herd. Poor calf productivity and survival mean fewer calves "recruited" into the adult population next year. Biologists believe the low calf:cow ratio is due mainly to poor range conditions last summer, and, to a lesser extent, wolf and bear predation. ADF&G -- July 22, 1999
Delta Bison Plan Up For Review The Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the
Delta Bison Working Group citizen's advisory panel would like your comments on the draft
Delta Bison Management Plan 1999 – 2004. This plan is the most recent in a series of
5-year management plans for the Delta Bison Herd (DBH) near Delta Junction in Game
Management Unit 20D. Randy Rogers If you have any questions or need additional
information please contact Steve DuBois at steve_dubois@fishgame.state.ak.us or
907-895-4484 or Randy Rogers at randall_rogers@fishgame.state.ak.us or 907-459-7335. Steve DuBois & Randy Rogers -- July 16, 1999 Welcome to the Delta News Web If this is your first visit, welcome. We've been in operation since the first of June. Our purpose is to provide community information for the Delta Junction area. Unlike most web sites, this one is designed to be interactive:
We have designed this to be a "start" or "home" page if that is helpful to you. The search engine box at the top allows you to first check the community news and then jump into search. There are instructions at the bottom of the page that tell just how to make it your home page. Finally, we are always open to suggestions: webeditor@deltanewsweb.com David Johnson -- July 15, 1999  Back in "south Delta" again....here's some Delta folk in Valdez harbor just back from a fishing trip. Recognize anyone? Photo by David M. Johnson Free Classified Advertising If you have a product or service that would interest people around Delta, we invite you to advertise on the Delta News Web's classified ads page.We don't have classifications yet, but as the number of advertisements increases, we'll begin sorting them by type. While the non commercial ads are free, we do ask that you send them to us by e-mail only. Ads must contain 80 or fewer words. We can include a hyperlink if you want one. Please let us know when the ad should be stopped. David Johnson -- July 8, 1999
A DELTA HOMESTEADERS WELCOME IN 1959 After 30 days on the road from New Jersey, our caravan, consisting of a Dodge sedan, a Ford flatbed truck and an International Dump truck pulling a 40' house trailer, was approaching Delta Jct. on April 27, 1959. There were 10 of us: 5 adults and 5 children. Chuck and Jean Hortman with children Tom, Lynda and Bobby, my wife Jo and I with children Barbara and Jim, and Dave Cheesesman, a friend who came along for the adventure. We were heading for Ken Taylor's trailer court. Just before we reached the end of the long straight stretch of the Alcan, a pickup came toward us and the driver got out and waved us down. We stopped, thinking he needed help. He introduced himself as Norm Cosgrove and the first thing he said was "Where have you been, we've been expecting you for a week?" He invited all of us out to his homestead for dinner after we got squared away. It seems that his mother was the postmaster and my wife's mother had sent a full-page story from the Trenton (NJ) Times concerning our trip and she had posted it in the post office. We received the same friendly welcome from Ken and Dorrie Taylor at the trailer court. According to information that we got from the Fairbanks News-Miner and the BLM, Delta had a population of approximately 380 people. I think that included the homesteaders at Clearwater. After getting our homesteads started, we started meeting other homesteaders and people in the junction. Everyone, with the exception of 1 or 2 business people, were friendly and helpful and had that Alaska attitude of self reliance and willingness to help strangers. We became good friends with our closest neighbors, Norm and Lois Cosgrove, Bill and Eula Diviney and Russ and Marilyn Seidler. They taught us a lot about the country and we cut wood together and had many hunting and fishing trips. We went to Chitna when the road was no more than a goat trail and caught and canned our fish right there. Our homesteads were a mile west of Diviney's corner on an old "cat" trail that went back to the lake. The Jack Warren road now goes between our homesteads. At that time it was only a blazed section line. Since we all lived in the trailer, we parked it across the section line. One of the requirements for proving up on the homestead was living on your claim. The BLM accepted our original date of entry. After we got moved to our permanent locations, we got some old military phones and wire and connected our houses to Diviney’s. We put the lines in the trees but apparently not high enough. Moose would take them down fairly often. Most of the time the kids walked a mile out to Diviney’s to catch the school bus but when we drove them out, Bill and Eula always had a pot of coffee on a challenge for a chess game. Bill is the only man I know who could pour coffee of a steaming pot and drink it down. I don't remember beating him at chess either. We took any job that we could get and Chuck, Dave and I worked for Russ Diehl when he was pouring concrete for his store in 1959. "Pal" Sager, who owned the Bay Hotel, got me a job taking the census in 1960. I covered from Harding Lake to Paxson and down to Dot Lake on the Alcan. I think the total was a little over 800 people. Corky Sager, who taught himself to fly down at Riverside, flew me out over the Goodpaster and we air dropped census forms to homesteaders there. I also worked for Ed Crutchfield at the Buffalo gas station with Jack Adams and Hank Ward. "Mac" McLaughlin was the State Police officer stationed at Delta. We had gone in and introduced ourselves right after we got there to find out about Alaska laws and regulations. A couple of months later, I got a job hauling gravel in my truck. As I was going through the junction, Mac pulled me over because of the New Jersey plates on the truck. He told me to follow him back to the office. I could see our grocery money going to pay a fine. I knew I was illegal with out of state plates and I didn't try to alibi my way out. Mac then proceeded to remind me of the regulations, took out his personal checkbook and wrote me a check to cover the license plates and said to pay it back as soon as I was able. This completely stunned me, a stranger and police officer helping and trusting another stranger. I thought then that if this is the kind of law enforcement they have in Alaska, I'd like to be part of that organization. First I had to prove up on my homestead and that would take 3 years. I joined the Alaska State Police in 1962 and was stationed in Delta from 1965 to 1972. I replaced Ernie Beaucamp and worked with Joe Hollar in some interesting experiences. Dick Dubell Colville, WA. -- July 10, 1999 
A Clearwater Evening As is so often the case for Alaskans in the summer, Linda and I enjoyed a visiting relative this week. My mother's sister, Shirley, had never been to Alaska, and this week she came to see where we live. Monday was her last day here, and we wanted to finish the trip off with something memorable. Our friends Ralph Miller and Jim Weidner had invited us to join them on one of their Deltana Outfitters wildlife tours on the Clearwater. We left the Clearwater campground boat landing at about 7 PM and headed down river in their jet boat. It was a nice evening, but a bit smoky....too bad because there are some spectacular views of the Alaska range at several places along the trip. Now normally, a red squirrel isn't a big deal as far as wildlife viewing goes. Monday night it was. Ever seen a squirrel swimming? We thought at first it was a baby beaver....but it turned out to be a red squirrel swimming for all he was worth towards the east bank. Ducks were everywhere, of course. The Clearwater and adjacent waters are great breeding areas for waterfowl. Lots of little ducks showed up in various places along the way. We stopped for a few minutes at the old roadhouse at the mouth of the Delta Clearwater. Pilings are still visible for the old trail that came out of Rika's and headed east toward Tok. The roadhouse is still in good shape because of the metal roof which is made out of ....... well, I'll let you figure that out when you see it. It's pretty impressive. Clearwater Lake was up a couple of feet from usual due to the summer high of the Tanana. That suited us because we were able to poke our nose into some of the little coves that are harder to get into at low water. We saw several cow moose feeding in the lake. Feeding in the lake has got to be pleasant for a moose. After feeding mosquitoes all day long, there has to be a certain satisfaction to drowning them while going for a bite on the lake bottom. Shirley clicked away madly with her camera, stopping a few times to changes lenses. Other wildlife we saw at the lake included five adult swans, nesting gulls, arctic terns, violet-green swallows and more. As we rounded a bend on the way back, we saw the bald eagle that Ralph says usually hangs out on the lower river. The jet boat made good time, and we got back around 10:30 PM. Deltana Outfitters has a concession at the Clearwater campground, and you can find them there from 4-10 PM on weekdays and 10-10 on weekends. In addition to wildlife tours, they rent canoes and take fishermen out in the jet boat. The wildlife tours are reasonably priced, and if you have a relative or a friend who's never seen the river....or maybe you would like to just go yourself....give these guys a call. I think you will enjoy it just as Linda, Shirley and I did. Deltana Outfitters office phone is (907) 895-5006. Their cell phone at the campground is (907) 378-9278. Their e-mail address is deltana@knix.net Ralph says they will be in operation through about mid-August this year. David Johnson -- July 6, 1999
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Report of the Deltana Borough Steering Committee On July 13, the following action was taken:
The next meeting will be held July 27. The agenda will include:
Carlene Smith -- July 16, 1999
Music at the Delta Visitor Center Silver voiced Delta resident Toni Rae Beito is singing at the Delta Visitor Center three days a week, according to the Delta Chamber of Commerce. Beito is singing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 - 1. She sings pop and country & western music. The performances are free, and Delta residents are invited. David Johnson -- July 14, 1999
Delta has a new ISP Wildak.net formally announced that it is providing internet services to the Delta Junction community, making it the third local dialup Internet Service Provider in the community. The new ISP joins the Delta Greely School District, which provides Internet signal to students, faculty and district employees, and knix.net, which provides signal to hundreds of individuals and businesses locally. America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy, AT&T, WebTV and others also provide internet access, but generally through long distance dialing. Wildak.net owner Robert Anderson says he is offering service for $30 per month with no setup fee. The service comes with 2 independent e-mail accounts, 5 mb of web space, 56K access, news groups, local dialup in ten Alaska communities, and more. David Johnson -- July 10, 1999 Knix.net rewards referrals Knix.net is offering a new customer referral program. According to owner Clint Knix in his July 1999 newsletter, they are offering $10 cash for a referral that results in a new account. Knix said "there is no limit, so if you like our service, feel free to help us grow." He said that already much of their business comes through referrals. To make their offer even more attractive, he said they are offering a free copy of Norton Anti-Virus to the person that refers the most new customers. David Johnson -- July 10, 1999 Nelchina Subsistence Caribou Permits
Federal Subsistence caribou permits for Nelchina caribou are available in Delta today (7/17) at the community center. This is a federally run hunt in small portions of GMU 13 south of Delta. If not picked up today, permits must be picked up at the BLM office in Glennallen. The state of Alaska has no voice in this hunt, and is not issuing permits. David Johnson -- July 16, 1999
 The circus was in town last night (7/12/99). Photo by Clint Knix.
Delta Area Stories Wanted, Too Just like photos, stories and information about the Delta area are also high on our list of desirable material.One former Delta resident suggested readers may be interested in stories about the community as it was 10, 20, 30 or 50 years ago. We think that's a great idea! If you have a good yarn about Delta way back when....send it on! David Johnson -- July 6, 1999
An Invitation to Submit Since the beginning of June, the community news section of the Delta News Web has been more or less dominated by fire news and items about the Delta News Web. We appreciate Carlene Smith's update on the Delta Borough Steering Committee, and we hope others will use this space in the same way. We visualize this Community News space as a place to report on activities of your organization or provide more detailed information about an issue of interest to Delta/Greely people. It's easy to send us a news item. If it's already in your computer, you can simply copy the text and paste it into our easy-to-use submission form. You can also send it to us via e-mail, but we prefer the form because we can obtain all the information we need in that way. David Johnson - June 25, 1999
Delta Forestry also said that their firefighters suppressed a small fire on the Goodpaster River on Wednesday. The fire was under an acre, and was started by lightning earlier in the week. It has been declared out. Firefighters continue to work on the Donnelly Flats fire, which is now contained. Some pockets of unburned material may continue to flare up from time to time, foresters say, especially with warmer, drier conditions. Crews are now rehabilitating firelines. David Johnson -- noon 7/1/99 updated 7/2/99 |
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