Alaska Hunting Seasons

Regional Weather, Vegetation, and Landforms in Alaska

Southeast (GMUs 1–5)

  • August–Sept Weather: Temperatures are mild and may be warm. Skies are typically overcast, with some sunny days. Drizzle and rain is normal.
  • April–May Weather: Temperatures are cool to warm. Sunny days are normal, but some rain can be expected.
  • Vegetation: The region is heavily forested with large trees and dense undergrowth. Alpine areas and muskegs are open.
  • Landforms: Nearly the entire region is comprised of mountains and fjords with many islands.

Southcentral (GMUs 6, 7, 11, 13–16)

  • August–Sept Weather: Temperatures are normally mild, but may be cold at night. Weather tends toward rainy, but there will normally be many sunny days. Snow is possible in September and likely in October.
  • April–May Weather: Temperatures are cool. Sunny days are the norm, but rain can be expected at times. Snow is possible, especially in April.
  • Vegetation: Vegetation varies widely from heavy forests in river valleys to open hillsides with low-growing alpine and sub-alpine shrubs.
  • Landforms: Much of the region is hilly or mountainous. There are a number of large river valleys and basins.

Southwest (GMUs 8–10, 17)

  • August–Sept Weather: Weather is typically cool, wet and windy. Snow is possible in October storms.
  • April–May Weather: Temperatures gradually warm during the spring. Cool, wet and windy is also the norm at this time of year.
  • Vegetation: Forest cover is limited in much of this area. Shrubs and low-growing plants replace trees to the north and west.
  • Landforms: Small mountain ranges punctuate the landscape, but much of the area is low rolling hills.

Interior (GMUs 12, 19–21, 24, 25)

  • August–Sept Weather: Weather is typically cool and occasionally cold. Precipitation is not great, but August and September are among the rainiest months. Snow is possible in September.
  • April–May Weather: Temperatures range from below freezing at night to highs in the 60s late in the season. The sky is typically clear with limited precipitation. Snow is possible, especially at higher elevations.
  • Vegetation: Forest cover is extensive in river valleys, but gives way with increasing altitude to sub-alpine and alpine vegetation.
  • Landforms: With the exception of large river flats with many small lakes, much of the area is dominated by hills, which grow to high peaks in the Alaska Range, the Brooks Range and other lesser ranges.

Western (GMUs 18 & 22)

  • August–Sept Weather: August can be warm, but tends toward rainy and cool. Cool, rainy conditions are normal in September with storms coming off the Bering Sea.
  • April–May Weather: Break up is earlier in GMU 18, with winter conditions persisting into April in GMU 22. Snow travel conditions are typically poor in GMU 22 in May.
  • Vegetation: Trees are sparse or absent over much of the area. Low-growing shrubs, grasses and sedges dominate. Trees occur in the eastern portion of both units.
  • Landforms: Much of GMU 18 is wet lowland, rising to mountains in the north and east. GMU 22 is mostly hilly, rising to low mountains in places.

Arctic (GMUs 23 & 26)

  • August–Sept Weather: Expect cool weather during the day and cold temperatures at night, especially in September.
  • April–May Weather: Prepare for cold weather and snow. Weather becomes cool in May.
  • Vegetation: There is very little forest cover in the Arctic. The vegetative cover consists largely of low-growing shrubs, grasses and sedges.
  • Landforms: The arctic coastal plain is made up of low hills and many small lakes. The hills to the south rise to the Brooks Range.

A Hunter’s Calendar for Alaska

Get Your Alaska Hunting Licenses Here!

Please see the current Alaska Hunting Regulations for details of specific seasons.

  • Jan: New hunting licenses, resident brown/grizzly bear locking-tags, nonresident big game locking-tags needed.
  • Feb: Plan your hunting trip. Call for information. Drawing and Tier II permits awarded.
  • Apr: Alaska Board of Game prepares regulations for the next hunting season. Most spring bear seasons open.
  • Jul: Regulatory year begins. New hunting regulations booklets available. New harvest tickets for the regulatory year.
  • Aug–Sept: Most fall hunting seasons begin. Some Dall sheep, caribou, deer, and moose seasons open. Obtain harvest tickets and/or registration permits for big game before hunting. Turn in harvest reports within 15 days of the close of the season.
  • Nov: Drawing and Subsistence permit materials available. Some late winter moose hunts open.
  • Dec: Drawing and Subsistence permit applications accepted November 1 – mid-December only.

 

Alaska Board of Game Changes: Regulatory Year 2023-2024

This is a summary of changes adopted by the Alaska Board of Game for the regulatory year 2023-2024. This is not a comprehensive list of all the detailed changes. It is your responsibility to read the Alaska Hunting Regulations carefully for complete information. Changes to existing hunts and new hunts are shown in red throughout this regulation book.

BEAR BAITING

  • Unit 1D: Extended the baiting season from April 15-June 15 to April 15-June 30.

BROWN BEAR

  • Unit 9C, 9D, 9E, RB368: Extended season from Oct 7-Oct 21 to Oct 1-Oct 21.
  • Unit 9C, 9D, 9E, RB370: Extended season from May 10-May 25 to May 10-May 31.
  • Unit 14C remainder: Extended season from Sept 1-May 31 to Sept 1-June 15.
  • Units 7 and 15, RB300: Extended season from Sept 1-May 31 to Aug 10-June 30.

CARIBOU

  • Unit 8: Changed from general season hunt to registration hunt and changed bag limit from one caribou to one bull.

DEER

  • Unit 1A remainder: Extended season from Aug 1-Nov 30 to Aug 1-Dec 31.
  • Unit 3, Petersburg Management Area: Extended season from Oct 1-Dec 15 to Aug 1-Dec 15.
  • Unit 4: Reduced nonresident bag limit to two bucks.
  • Unit 8 remainder: Reduced nonresident bag limit from three deer to one buck.

GOAT

  • Units 1, 4, and 5: Added hunter orientation requirement.
  • Unit 1A remainder: Increased resident bag limit from one to two goats.
  • Unit 1C, RG015: Extended resident season from Sept 1-Nov 30 to Aug 1-Nov 30.
  • Unit 1C, RG014: Changed the hunt boundary.
  • Unit 1D: Restricted resident hunters that harvest a nanny in Unit 1D from taking a goat in Unit 1D the next regulatory year.
  • Unit 1D: Changed the nonresident bag limit from one goat to one billy.
  • Units 7 and 15: Restricted hunters to possess not more than one goat registration permit at the same time.

Check the ADF&G Website for current changes!