Nelchina caribou could be hunted again in 2027 under a state proposal

Alaska hunters who have not been able to pursue Nelchina caribou since a 2023 emergency closure would get a limited opening under a proposal from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game: 150 bulls set aside for Tier II permit holders in the 2027 regulatory year, carved out of a total harvest cap of 335 bulls. That cap represents 2.5 percent of the minimum adult count from this summer's survey, and it is not final. The department is collecting public comment through local advisory committees.

The 2026 Nelchina survey counted more than 17,800 caribou, over 13,400 of them adults, and a population model projects the herd may surpass 19,000. ADF&G said calf survival data from 2025 and early 2026 suggest ratios exceeding 40 calves per 100 cows and 40 bulls per 100 cows this fall. The department credited the herd's growth and bull-to-cow ratio partly to the hunting closure since 2023 and to relatively mild winters. Federal harvest in Unit 13 is expected to stay below 185 animals, leaving the 150 for state Tier II hunters. The hunt will be listed as "May be Announced" in the upcoming subsistence hunt supplement, which is not a confirmed opening.

ADF&G closed all state caribou hunts in Unit 13 by emergency order on June 30, 2023, and none has run since. Federal subsistence analysts found the herd "has declined precipitously" to 6,983 caribou in October 2023, "the lowest estimate since 2003." The state's own population objective is 35,000 to 40,000 animals. A 2024 Glennallen-area proposal to the Alaska Board of Game asked the board to "close caribou hunting for six years or until the herd reaches the midpoint of the management objective of 37,500." Tier II hunts are the state's tool for when there is not enough game to satisfy all subsistence needs; they give priority to the households that depend on it most.

At more than 17,800 caribou, the 2026 count remains below that objective. ADF&G describes its proposed harvest approach as conservative.

Contact and meeting information for local advisory committees is posted on the ADF&G advisory committee page. The announcement lists no comment deadline.