The muskox population in Unit 26B has remained at the population threshold of 300 animals since 2018 and there is currently sufficient harvestable surplus to allow a limited registration hunt east of the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area.
Four permits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis: two permits will be issued in Kaktovik at 2:00 p.m. on 9 October, and two permits will be issued in Nuiqsut at 4:00 p.m. on 10 October. Note that these dates are slightly later than those published in the regulation book.
Muskox were reintroduced to the North Slope in 1969 and 1970, with the population peaking at 500-650 muskox. However, by 2004, the population fell below 300 muskox and the hunts were suspended. Since 2004, the population has stabilized and began to slowly grow and by 2018 was above 300 muskox and has remained above since.
Starting in 2023, the hunt was reinstated for the first time since 2004 using the same hunt structure established in regulation. This includes 4 Tier II permits (TX108), 4 registration subsistence permits (RX110), and 4 drawing permits (DX112). This Advisory Announcement is only in reference to RX110.
RX110 is a subsistence-only hunt that further restricts hunters by limiting transportation, requires trophy destruction, and limits permits to one per household. Hunters are prohibited from using aircraft for muskox hunters, muskox, or muskox hunting gear. Trophy destruction is required if the horns are transported out of Unit 26. Trophy destruction involves cutting through both horns within 2 inches of the eye, and hunters must submit the distal (end portion) of the horn to ADF&G in Fairbanks within 3 days of leaving Unit 26.
The bag limit is one muskox, and the season runs from Dec. 15, 2024, to Mar. 31, 2025.