State closes Unit 22B West moose hunt early as 30-bull quota nears

Hunters west of the Darby Mountains have until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, to take a bull under registration permit RM840. Emergency Order R5-08-26, issued at Nome on Friday, closes the state resident fall hunt in Unit 22B West a day ahead of the scheduled Sept. 14 close.

"The harvest quota of 30 bulls is expected to be met by the season closing date announced in this emergency order and no further harvest is warranted," the order said. It supersedes the moose seasons and bag limits in 5 AAC 85.045(a)(20). Sara Henslee, area wildlife biologist for Game Management Unit 22, signed it under delegation from Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang.

ADF&G's management objective for the combined Unit 22B West and Unit 22C survey area is 1,500 to 1,800 moose. Quota-based closures like this one are meant to keep harvest from pushing the population below that range.

The Unit 22B West closure completes the RM840 closures already announced across the region. Unit 22D Remainder closed Aug. 28 at a 17-bull quota; Unit 22C closed Sept. 2 at 30 bulls; and Emergency Order R5-07-26 closed the Kuzitrin Drainage and Unit 22D Southwest areas Sept. 3 at 27 bulls. The Alaska Board of Game established the Unit 22B West permit hunt, administered under guidance from the Northern Norton Sound Advisory Committee.

Resident-hunter advocates argue frequent emergency closures reduce opportunity and may be overly conservative when moose numbers are stable or increasing. Alaska Native advocates counter that closures and conservative quotas in Unit 22 cut into customary and traditional harvest that rural communities rely on for food security.

The department plans winter registration permit hunt RM843 beginning Jan. 1, 2027, with a quota that will depend on the final reported fall RM840 harvest. All other Unit 22 moose regulations remain unchanged.