The Alaska Department of Fish & Game has declared an emergency order to close the moose hunting season at 11:59 this evening in Unit 22(C), covered under registration permit hunt RM840.
Fish & Game biologist Letty Hughes said that’s because the bag limit for moose is expected to be reached for that area.
“We have a regulatory quota of nine bulls,” said Hughes. “That quota is expected to be reached by the end of the day, when this emergency order takes effect.”
Fish & Game established the harvest quota of 9 nine bulls for this regulatory year in order to improve the bull-to-cow ratio in Unit 22(C) and to prevent an excessive harvest of bulls. Ten years ago, 52 bull moose were taken in 22(C).
However, Hughes said the season closure in effect tonight only applies to Unit 22(C) under RM840.
“The season closure does not affect the hunt areas still assigned to RM840, which is the portion west of the Unit 22B west of the Darby Mountains, Unit 22D Kuzitrin Drainage and Unit 22D southwest,” said Hughes.
Pending further emergency closures, Fish & Game said the RM840 season in those remaining areas will be open until September 14. All other moose hunting regulations in Unit 22 remain unchanged.
