An Emergency Order issued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed the permit moose hunt RM445 in Unit 14C. The closure went into effect Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m.
In 2011, the Eklutna Lake Management Area moose population was estimated at 80, including 18 bulls, 50 cows, and 12 calves. In 2013, a survey was flown of neighboring Thunderbird Creek and numbers were found to be consistent with previous years.
Weather conditions the last several winters have precluded flying surveys, but harvest and roadkill numbers have remained relatively steady, indicating that the population is unlikely to have decreased substantially.
To maintain appropriate “bull:cow” ratios and the overall population objective, the department has determined the harvest from the Eklutna Lake Management Area should not exceed four bulls. As of the release of the Emergency Order, five bulls had been taken in this hunt with hunters remaining in the field. This prompted the Department of Fish and Game to determine that no further harvest is warranted from this population.