Alaska does require the shooting proficiency test for most bowhunting only areas. However, if you are a non-resident coming up to hunt a bowhunting only area, all you need is the basic IBEP or NBEF course, not the shooting portion.

I am on the fence line about the testing. In one way I think it is a great idea, but I think it is biased to single out bowhunters since just as many gun hunters wound game. I believe the Alaska Bowhunters Association inacted the proposal to mandate a proficiency shoot in Alaska. I'm not 100% certain on where or why it was derived from, but with all the complaining and whining you hear from hunters up here about unethical archers, you would think the class is worthless. Hunters spend so much time complaining up here, that they feel they need to be proactive and start limiting hunters even more by closing areas, marking arrows, limiting seasons and so on. I would encourage a more proactive stance if the citations by the game wardens proved that problems exist, but rather these people are scrambling by word of mouth.
It's a touchy subject in Alaska right now, but I strongly feel that creating more laws, and more restrictions will only hinder us as a whole, and our key to cleaning up whatever mess is out there is by enforcement. They say this area is a highly visible area, and lots of folks are seeing several violations on a single outing, yet only 2 or 3 citations were handed out to bowhunters with up to 5 wardens patrolling this "highly visible" area. Then other folks that routinly hunt this same area see no violations, no problems and enjoy the experience and the accessibility to this area. Something that other archers seem to want to limit. My thinking is if they don't like hunting there, don't go there! If people are being unethical to others, yet legal, the only way we are going to hurt ourselves it to whine about it. I don't think you can regulate ethics in this case, but some folks sure are trying!

Enough rambling about this. I just get tired of seeing more regulations, stipulations, examinations and laws put in place to limit hunters. However, I think it is a good idea to make hunters prove that they are proficient with their weapons. Can't make everybody happy in this case