State Closes Yakutat-Area (Unit 5D) Mountain Goat Hunt

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

Portion of Unit 5A Closed to Mountain Goat Hunting (RG170)

(Douglas) – Biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announce a closure to a portion of the mountain goat hunting season under the state registration permit hunt RG170 in Unit 5A. The closed area begins on the west shore of Harlequin Lake and the western edge of Yakutat Glacier; then west to Harlequin Lake and Yakutat Glacier to Yakutat Bay and Disenchantment Bay; and south of Russell and Nunatak Fjords. Hunters are reminded that the Nunatak Bench area remains closed to mountain goat hunting.

Aerial surveys conducted during 2006-2011 in this area indicated a significant decline in goat numbers. The following are survey results by year: 2006 (122 goats), 2007 (66 goats), 2008 (57 goats), 2009 (48 goats), 2010 (12 goats), and 2011 (38 goats) observed between Harlequin Lake and Hubbard Glacier. The department and the US

Forest Service conducted a survey in September 2016 and observed 19 total goats, and August of 2019 observed 46 goats. On September 23, 2025, the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe conducted an aerial survey using an A-Star helicopter and counted 75 goats (66 adults and 9 kids;12% kids), but those observations are not directly comparable to past fixed-wing surveys and may not indicate a change in the population trend. More data is needed to ensure the population has recovered and that harvest would be sustainable over time. Harvest of goats in this area could hinder the recovery of this population. Due to the vulnerability of goats in this area, An Emergency Order (R1-2-26) has been issued that will close the mountain goat hunting season in this area on Friday, July 31st, 2026 @ 11:59 pm.

All other mountain goat hunting regulations in Unit 5A, including the Barbazon Range east of Harlequin Lake and Yakutat Glacier, remain unchanged and are not affected by this emergency order.