State Extends Moose Hunting Season In And Around Unalakleet River Drainage Through Friday

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

Emergency Order 05-07-23

Effective Date: 12:01 a.m. October 3, 2023

EXPLANATION:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Issued at Nome, Alaska October 2, 2023

Expiration Date: June 30, 2024

 

This emergency order re-opens the State resident fall season for bull moose by registration permit hunt RM841 in Unit 22(A) Central from October 3rd through October 6th, 2023. The hunt area covered by this extension includes Unit 22(A) that portion in the Unalakleet River drainage and all drainages flowing into Norton Sound north of the Golsovia River drainage and south of and including the Egavik Creek drainage. The current reported harvest of 46 bulls is below the estimated harvestable surplus and additional hunting opportunity is warranted.

REGULATION:

Therefore, the following regulations in 5 AAC 85.045 (a) (20) HUNTING SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS FOR MOOSE are superseded by this emergency order, and the following provisions are effective for hunting moose in a portion of Unit 22(A):

Units and Bag Limits

(20) …

Unit 22(A), that portion in the Unalakleet River drainage and all drainages flowing into Norton Sound north of the Golsovia River drainage and south of and including the Egavik Creek drainage

1 bull by registration permit only; or …

All other moose hunting regulations in Unit 22 remain unchanged and are not affected by this emergency order.

Resident
Open Season (Subsistence and General Hunts)

Nonresident Open Season

Sept. 1 – Sept. 30

Oct. 3 – Oct. 6

No open season

Emergency Order No. 05-07-23 October 2, 2023

JUSTIFICATION:

By delegation to:

Doug Vincent-Lang Commissioner____________

Sara Germain Area Biologist

Moose hunting seasons in Unit 22(A) Central were closed from 2005-2007 in response to declines in moose abundance. During this time, the population grew and in November of 2007 the Alaska Board of Game adopted regulations establishing a registration moose hunt with a harvest quota to prevent overharvest. Since that time, the population continued to grow with an estimated 9% annual rate of growth between 2012 and 2017. The 2017 spring moose abundance survey estimated 840 moose (90% CI: 747-933). The department completed a moose abundance survey in Unit 22(A) Central in the spring of 2021 resulting in an estimated abundance of 766 moose (90% CI: 643-888), with 10% recruitment. These results suggest that the population has remained stable 2017-2021.

Post-hunt fall moose composition surveys completed in Unit 22(A) Central in 2016 and 2020 indicated that the bull:cow ratio is well above the management objective and additional harvest from the area is warranted.

During RY23 the department administered registration permit hunt RM841 September 1- September 30. Based on the average reported harvest RY2017-RY2021 and recent estimates of sex ratios within the hunt area, the RM841 registration moose hunt was administered without a harvest quota in RY21-RY23. This further liberalized the fall hunting opportunity following a trend of incremental liberalizations that have been adopted through time since the RM841 registration moose hunt was first administered.

The current reported harvest following the completion of the fall RM841 registration permit hunt is below the estimated harvestable surplus for the hunt area and the department has determined that providing additional harvest opportunity is available.