September hunting seasons for Nelchina caribou in Game Management Unit 13 have been extended by emergency order from Sept. 20 through Sept. 30.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the extension on Sept. 15, offering the extension to provide added opportunity for permitted hunters who had not yet harvested a caribou.
Early fall caribou harvests in unit 13 remain below quota and the caribou remain in the unit’s more remote central portion, which is not easily accessible.
The early fall hunting season extension aims to increase hunter odds of encountering Nelchina caribou, which typically migrate out of Unit 13 following the rut in late September and early October.
Mild winters and relatively low predation have combined to boost herd numbers above the fall management objective of 35,000 to 40,000 animals.
Recent analysis of data from a photo survey in July places the 2016 population near last year’s estimate of 48,700 caribou.
To help bring herd numbers closer to healthy management goals, ADF&G is encouraging hunters to harvest females.
For more information, call the Nelchina Caribou Hotline at 1-907-267-2304 or contact Ken Marsh at 1-907-267-2892, or ken.marsh@alaska.gov
