Fish and Game extends Unit 9B resident moose hunt through Sept. 30

Resident moose hunters in Unit 9B get five more days in the field. Emergency Order R4-6-26 extends the RM272 resident-only season from Sept. 25 to 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30, 2026. The order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.

High water, repeated periods of poor travel, and heavy rain in early September rendered many creeks impassable. The rain also made travel along the north shore of Iliamna Lake challenging, and the department said conditions made boat travel unsafe or difficult. Because many hunters in the unit rely heavily on boat access, the department said the open season delivered fewer usable days than usual. Reported harvest came in lower than recent years.

The 2025 survey of bulls and cows put Unit 9B at 69.5 bulls per 100 cows. The management objective for low-density areas, under 0.5 moose per square mile, is 25 bulls per 100 cows.

Other moose orders this fall closed hunts when quotas filled. In Unit 9B, the quota was not the constraint. The weather was.

Registration permits are available at hunt.alaska.gov or in person in Unit 9B villages and in King Salmon. The bag limit stays one bull. Anyone who takes a bull during the extension forfeits eligibility for the RM272 winter season, which runs Dec. 15 through Jan. 15. Harvest must be reported to the King Salmon ADF&G office within 10 days, by phone at (907) 246-3340, in person, or online.

Meat taken before Oct. 1 must remain on the bones of the front and hindquarters until it is out of the field or processed for consumption. The department said the emergency order does not affect any other moose hunting regulations in Unit 9. Questions go to Manny Eichholz at (907) 861-2103.