Copper River Delta moose hunt closes six weeks early at 24 of 25 bulls

Bull moose hunting on the Copper River Delta ends at 11:59 pm Wednesday, about six weeks earlier than the season was scheduled to run, because hunters have nearly filled the quota.

The state allowed 25 bulls to be taken in Unit 6B this season. Twenty-four have been reported. Rather than risk going over, Fish and Game is closing the hunt, which had been published to run through Oct. 31. Hunters already camped in the field have roughly one more day.

The unit's moose population is small enough that the margin matters. A 2023 estimate put about 260 moose in the portion of the unit east of the Copper River Delta, including the Martin River Valley.

It's the same mechanism the department has used repeatedly this season: set a harvest cap in advance, track the count as reports come in, and close the hunt as the number approaches the limit. The bow hunt at Eklutna Lake closed after two bulls against a three-bull cap. A hunt in Unit 22D closed in late August, and another west of the Darby Mountains shut down Sept. 13.

All other Unit 6 moose regulations stay as they are.