The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announces an emergency order to open the State resident winter season for antlered bull moose by registration permit hunt RM844 in Unit 22(A) Central now through January 31, 2021 with a harvest quota of 20 antlered bull moose. This winter season will close January 31, 2021 or by subsequent emergency order if the harvest quota is reached before the season closing date.
The RM844 hunt area includes that portion of Unit 22(A) within the Unalakleet River drainage and all drainages flowing into Norton Sound north of the Golsovia River drainage and south of the Egavik Creek drainage. The winter season will close January 31, 2021 or by emergency order when the harvest quota of 20 antlered bulls is reached. This hunt is open to Alaska residents only and registration permits will be available in person from the license vendor in Unalakleet or online at hunt.alaska.gov. The department will be monitoring the harvest closely and all successful hunters are required to report their harvest within 48hrs of the kill, unsuccessful hunters must submit their hunt report by February 15th, 2021. The department is also requiring that successful hunters submit a mandible from the lower jaw of their harvested moose as a specimen to aid in the development of a research project to investigate the influence of immigration on population dynamics
in the area.
Moose hunting seasons in 22(A) Central were closed 2005-2007 in response to declines in moose abundance. During this time, the population grew and in November of 2007 the Alaska Board of Game adopted regulations establishing a registration moose hunt with a harvest quota to prevent overharvest. Since that time, the population continued to grow with an estimated 9% annual rate of growth between 2012 and 2017. The 2017 spring moose abundance survey estimated 840 observable moose (90% CI: 747-933). The department plans to complete an abundance survey in the area in February/March of 2021 to monitor the population and guide future management.
For regulatory year 2020-2021 the department set a fall harvest quota of 50 bull moose for this portion of Unit 22(A) and a record high harvest of 47 bull moose was taken during the fall 2020 season. However, the results of a post-hunt moose composition survey completed in 22(A) Central November 28-30th, 2020 indicated that the bull:cow ratio remains well above the management objective and further harvest is warranted at this time.