State Closes Important Subsistence Caribou Hunt After Quota Reached

Here’s more from the Anchorage Daily News about the Denali Highway subsistence caribou hunt that was quickly closed after its quota was reached:

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Wednesday morning that the Tier 1 subsistence hunt would shut down at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, with hunters expected to fulfill the harvest quota less than 10 days after it opened on the first of the month. For the last few seasons, the hunt has been split into two periods, and the first opening in August lasted just a week.

It’s a stark contrast to the last couple years, when managers have had to extend hunting opportunities all the way into September and through the winter to try fulfilling those quotas.

The main reason for the quick closures this year is that there are not as many Nelchina caribou as there have been in recent years, just 1,250 animals available for harvest, targeted by more than 10,000 permitted hunters.