Federal Subsistence Board Extends Unit 12 Moose Season and Closes Federal Public Lands in Unit 13B to Moose Hunting by Non-Federally Qualified Users for 2024 and 2025 Seasons

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) approved Temporary Wildlife Special Action WSA24-04 to extend the fall moose season by 10 days in the portion of Unit 12 within the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge and those lands within the Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve north and east of a line formed by the Pickerel Lake Winter Trail from the Canadian border to Pickerel Lake (FM1203 hunt area). The season will now close September 30 for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 regulatory years. The Board stated that additional harvest opportunity during a 10-day extension is not expected to increase harvest beyond sustainable levels and would provide more meaningful opportunity for federally qualified subsistence users, many of whom reported having difficulties harvesting moose due to warmer fall temperatures.

The Board also approved Temporary Wildlife Special Action WSA24-06 with modification, closing Federal public lands in Unit 13B to moose hunting by non-federally qualified users for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 regulatory years. The submitted request asked for closure of all Federal public lands in Unit 13 to non-federally qualified moose hunters; the Board modified the request to only close Federal public lands in Unit 13B. The Board stated that due to conservation concerns, and heavy harvest pressure in Unit 13B, the closure is warranted for both the conservation of healthy populations of moose and to allow for continuation of subsistence uses as outlined in ANILCA Section 815(3).
 

Additional information on the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.