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The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announces an emergency order that establishes a 2-week moose season in fall 2005 for registration permit hunt RM840. The resident season for this hunt will be Sept. 1-Sept. 14 with a bag limit of one bull by registration permit only. The areas affected by this emergency order include: all portions west of the crest of the Darby Mountains in western Unit 22B, all portions of the Kuzitrin River drainage in Unit 22D, and the southwestern portion of Unit 22D which includes the area west of the Tisuk River drainage and west of the west bank of Canyon Creek. This action establishes a uniform season in all hunt areas adjacent to the Nome road system and is intended to reduce chances of over harvest and reduce hunting pressure in areas where serious concerns about declining moose populations exist.
Other changes to the fall 2005 RM840 registration moose hunt include a harvest limit of one moose per household within the registration hunt area and a 40 bull harvest quota in Unit 22C. The one moose per household limit was supported by the Northern Norton Sound Advisory Committee to enable more households to share the limited number of moose available for harvest. The harvest quota in Unit 22C is intended to increase the bull:cow ratio, which fall surveys show dropped to 11 bulls:100 cows, following an all time high harvest of 52 bulls in 2004.
In anticipation of a Board of Game meeting in November 2005, the Department will be working with the local Fish and Game advisory committees and the public to develop recommendations for the long-term conservation and recovery of moose populations in Unit 22.
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