Alaska sheep hunters must complete orientation course before Aug. 10 opener

Any Alaskan planning to hunt full-curl rams on a general season harvest ticket this fall faces a new prerequisite before the Aug. 10 season opener: a completed sheep hunter orientation course. The rule appears in the 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations booklet, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game posted a corresponding entry on July 1 titled "New Requirement for General Season Sheep Hunters."

The requirement covers resident and nonresident sheep hunters, guided and unguided, across multiple game management units. The regulation states: "Beginning in the 2026 hunting season, a new requirement from the Alaska Board of Game requires sheep hunters to successfully complete a Sheep Hunter Orientation course prior to hunting in any general season harvest ticket hunt between Aug 10-Sept 20, where the bag limit is one ram with full-curl horn or larger." The course is a one-time lifetime requirement; hunters must carry proof of completion on every subsequent sheep hunt. Guides and outfitters working Alaska sheep hunts must account for the orientation prerequisite when booking and preparing clients.

ADF&G says the course targets a documented compliance problem: "The new orientation requirement is intended to help hunters avoid common mistakes, specifically the challenges of judging full-curl sheep in the field." The 2026-2027 booklet also prohibits domestic goats and sheep as pack animals on sheep hunts and restricts aircraft use. From Aug. 1 through Sept. 20, aircraft may only be used to place and remove hunters and camps, maintain existing camps, and salvage harvested sheep; using an aircraft to locate sheep or direct hunters to them during the open season is prohibited.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game can be reached at (907) 465-4190.