State Closing Resident, Nonresident Moose Hunt In Northwest Alaska Unit 22C

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

State Closes Nonresident and Resident Moose Hunt RM840 in Unit 22(C)

(Nome) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announces an emergency order to close the State resident and nonresident moose hunt by registration permit RM840 in the Unit 22(C) hunt area. The State resident and nonresident hunting season for bull moose by registration permit RM840 in Unit 22(C) closes at 11:59 p.m. on September 2, 2024. The fall harvest quota of 25 bulls is expected to be reached by the season closing date announced in this emergency order and no further harvest is warranted.

The Alaska Board of Game established a moose registration permit hunt in Unit 22(C) which is administered with a quota to prevent overharvest. The moose population in the combined Unit 22(C) and Unit 22(B) survey area increased at a rate of 5% annually between 2016 and 2022. Additionally, bull:cow ratios obtained from composition surveys in Unit 22(C) completed in 2018 and 2021 were estimated to be 31B:100C during both years.

For regulatory year 2024-2025, the Department established a harvest quota of 25 bulls in Unit 22(C) in response to the observed population increase and bull:cow ratios consistently above the management objective of 20B:100C. The fall harvest quota of 25 bulls is expected to be reached by the season closing date announced in this emergency order and no further harvest is warranted.

The closure in Unit 22(C) is additive to the RM840 season closure announced for Unit 22(D) Remainder. This closure does not affect the remaining registration permit hunt RM840 hunt areas: Unit 22(B) West of the Darby Mountains, Unit 22(D) Kuzitrin Drainage, and Unit 22(D) Southwest.

All other moose hunting regulations in Unit 22 remain unchanged by this emergency order.