State extends Unit 9B resident moose season to Sept. 30 after bad weather limited hunting

Moose hunters in the Iliamna Lake area are getting five extra days after a wet, windy September kept many of them from reaching their hunting grounds.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game extended the resident-only RM272 moose season in Unit 9B through 11:59 pm Wednesday, Sept. 30. The season was set to close Friday. The extension starts at 12:01 am Saturday.

Many hunters in the unit rely on boats to get to hunting areas, and the department said wind and water often made boat travel difficult or unsafe this season. High water cut off traditional hunting spots. Heavy rain made many creeks impassable and made travel along the north shore of Iliamna Lake hard going, and unseasonably warm weather in early September made hunting tougher. Fewer successful hunts have been reported than in recent years.

The department says the herd can support the extra days. Its 2025 survey found moose numbers in the unit stable, with about 70 bulls for every 100 cows, well above its goal of 25. That leaves a surplus of bulls that can be hunted, the department said.

The hunt is open to Alaska residents with a state hunting license and an RM272 registration permit, available at hunt.alaska.gov or in person in Unit 9B villages and in King Salmon. The limit is one bull. Hunters who get a moose this fall can't hunt in the RM272 winter season, Dec. 15 to Jan. 15.

Successful hunters must report their harvest to the King Salmon Fish and Game office within 10 days, by phone at 907-246-3340, in person or online. Meat taken before Oct. 1 must stay on the bone in the front quarters and hindquarters until it's out of the field or processed for eating.

The order doesn't change any other moose hunting rules in Unit 9. Questions go to the King Salmon office at 907-246-3340.