Fall Unit 19C (Farewell) Moose Hunt Will Be Limited To 100 Resident Hunters

The following is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

RM653 Farewell Moose Update

(McGrath, AK) – The number of resident registration permits for Unit 19C Farewell (RM653) will be limited to 100 for the fall of 2026. Registration permits will be available on a first come first serve basis both online www.hunt.alaska.gov and in person beginning at 9:00 am on Tuesday August 4th.

The department conducts annual composition surveys in the Farewell Trend Count Area and since 2018 has seen a decline in the bull to cow ratio from a high of 40 bulls:100 cows to only 21 bulls:100 cows in 2025. The 2-year average bull cow ratio is now 23 bulls:100 cows and the recent reduction in both the number of hunters as well as harvest has not been sufficient to stop the decline in the bull cow ratio.

The Farewell moose hunting area in Unit 19C is a very popular destination due to good access and an extensive ATV trail network. Beginning in RY20 the Board of Game implemented a registration permit (RM653) for all hunters to better document the total number of hunters as well as harvest. In RY24 the Board restricted RM653 to residents only and created a new drawing hunt for nonresidents to address both declining bull cow ratios as well as crowding issues. Also, in RY24 20 DM667 permits were issued to nonresidents and the total number of hunters at Farewell decreased from 213 in RY23 to 114 in RY24. Concurrently with this change, harvest also decreased from 96 to 73 moose. Further action by the Board allocated the nonresident drawing permit with a 70:30 split between unguided nonresidents and guided nonresidents. In RY25, 14 DM681 (unguided) and 6 DM682 (guided) permits were issued to nonresidents, while RM653 permits for residents remained unrestricted. In RY24 and RY25 an average of 130 RM653 permits were issued annually to resident hunters. In RY26, 7 DM681 (unguided) and 3 DM682 (unguided) permits were issued to nonresidents.

The department will continue to monitor populations and trends in Unit 19C. Also, as a reminder, proposals affecting Unit 19C can be submitted to the Board of Game by the public by May 1, 2026. Proposals can include suggested regulatory changes that would affect how future allocations are determined.