Last Unit 22 bull moose hunt closes early as quota fills

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed the last open RM840 area, Unit 22B west of the Darby Mountains, at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 13, ending the fall RM840 season across Unit 22. The 30-bull quota there cut the season short of its planned Sept. 14 close.

Three earlier emergency orders closed the hunt piece by piece. Unit 22D Remainder closed Aug. 28 after hunters took 17 bulls and biologists flagged low bull-to-cow ratios. Unit 22C closed Sept. 2 at its 30-bull quota. The Kuzitrin Drainage and 22D Southwest closed Sept. 3, just three days in, after 27 bulls were harvested.

"The harvest quota of 30 bulls is expected to be reached by the season closing date announced in this emergency order and no further harvest is warranted," Area Biologist Sara Henslee wrote in the Unit 22C order.

RM840 permits are built to close automatically once a quota fills. ADF&G estimates about 6,700 moose in Unit 22, within the department's objective range of 5,100 to 6,800 animals. No hunter reaction was available.

A winter RM843 hunt in Unit 22B west of the Darby Mountains is planned to open Jan. 1, 2027.