Chisana caribou subsistence hunt opens Aug. 10 with six-bull quota

Permits became available July 20 for the 2026 federal subsistence hunt of the Chisana caribou herd, with the season opening August 10 and closing September 30 or when six bulls are taken.

Acting Wrangell-St. Elias Superintendent Joshua Scott is the designated federal manager for the hunt. The National Park Service said the harvest quota of six bull caribou "has been the same since 2023" and is consistent with the cooperative management plan for the herd.

Eligibility is narrow. Only permanent residents of Unit 12, Chistochina, Dot Lake, Healy Lake, and Mentasta Lake may apply. Permits are available at the Slana Ranger Station, the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge office in Tok, or by contacting park staff at (907) 822-7284 or [email protected]. The hunt area is federal public lands in Unit 12 east of the Nabesna River and Glacier and south of the Winter Trail running southeast from Pickerel Lake to the Canadian border.

Hunters must report a harvest within three days of taking an animal. Those who finish the season without a harvest must report an unsuccessful hunt at the end of the season.

The Herd

The Chisana herd had a fall 2022 population estimate of approximately 582 animals and lives on the Klutlan Plateau and near the headwaters of the White River in Yukon Territory and Alaska. In Alaska, its range is primarily within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The Park Service said the population currently appears stable, and the three-year average calf-to-cow and bull-to-cow ratios for 2023 through 2025 are above population objectives.

The harvest quota was developed through the cooperative management plan for the herd, which the Park Service said is designed to support long-term conservation while providing subsistence hunting opportunities.