The Alaska Board of Game (BOG) is responsible for making decisions regarding wildlife management in Alaska, including population and harvest objections and hunting regulations, which are then acted upon by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG). Decisions are made off of proposals, which are submitted and deliberated upon by region on a rotating basis, with a three-year cycle (watch our whiteboard video to learn more!). This year Board accepted proposals for the Central and Southwest Region, which include the areas around Glennallen, Palmer, King Salmon, and Dillingham. A public comment period was held prior to the Board deliberation meeting.
Alaska Wildlife Alliance attended the Central and Southwest Board of Game Meeting as a voice for Alaska’s wildlife, giving testimony, mobilizing public comment on proposals, and watching deliberations.
Overall, AWA submitted comments on 37 proposals. The Board of Game voted with us on 22 of those proposals, for a 59% success rate, and voted against us on 15 proposals, for a 41% failure rate.
Alaska Wildlife Alliance attended the Central and Southwest Board of Game Meeting as a voice for Alaska’s wildlife, giving testimony, mobilizing public comment on proposals, and watching deliberations.
A notable success at the Board meetings was the unanimous passing of AWA’s Proposal 82, which asked the Board to establish a 50-yard trapping setback along specific trails in the area, particularly ones that are heavily used for recreational purposes. AWA and Alaska Trappers Association testified together in support of the proposal.
There were also several disappointing outcomes, including the failure of Proposal 11, which would have shortened the brown bear hunting season near Katmai, and the failure of Proposal 29, which requested a review of the Mulchatna caribou herd population goals.
Proposal 75, which called for the aerial gunning of wolves, brown bears, and black bears in Unit 16 outside of Denali, passed unanimously despite overwhelming opposition from the public, including more than 18,000 public comments against the proposal.
Read on for an overview of the proposal deliberations. The proposals are grouped by area, starting east and heading west.
Region-Wide
The Southwest and Central region is highlighted in red.
Region-wide victories against bear-baiting. There were two bear baiting regulation victories for the Central and Southwest region, including the failure of Proposal 2, which would have opened two bear baiting seasons in the region, and the failure of Proposal 3, which would have allowed the use of cellular cameras for the hunting black and brown bear over bait in the units.
The Board of Game also failed numerous proposals that would have allowed same-day airborne hunting of brown bears in the Denali and Dillingham areas. A proposal to lengthen the spring and fall brown bear hunting seasons in the northern Alaska Peninsula also failed.
Glennallen Area - Units 11 and 13
Bears
Brown bear limit doubled. Despite AWA’s opposition, the Board passed a proposal to increase the hunting bag limit from one brown bear every year to two brown bears every year. ADFG supported the proposal, despite the brown bear population in Unit 13A (Glenallen area) declining after 1998. They noted that the recent Unit 13A population index suggests that the population is no longer in decline and has, at a minimum, stabilized.
Wolves
A big win for wolves. The Board of Game failed a proposal to reduce the minimum wolf population goal in Unit 13 from 135 wolves to 100 wolves. ADFG commented in opposition to the proposal, saying that reducing the minimum number of wolves would not likely have a measurable effect on Nelchina caribou population recovery and that Unit 13’s Intensive Management plan is for moose, not caribou. AWA also opposed this proposal.
The Board agreed with AWA and failed two proposals to lengthen trapping seasons for both wolves and coyotes in Unit 11 (Wrangell St. Elias area).
Moose and Caribou
Mostly reduced harvest objectives for moose. The Board voted to reduce harvest objectives for Units 13C and 13E (Paxson area and south of Cantwell). ADFG submitted the proposals, stating that the current population and harvest objectives are unrealistic given the estimated moose habitat and desired density of moose. The current harvest objectives have rarely been met in the last 40 years. AWA hopes that reduced objectives will create more realistic management plans that don’t require constant predator control.
The only sour note was that increased moose population objectives for moose in Unit 13C (Glenallen-area) passed 4 to 2 without much discussion on intent. AWA opposed the proposal as it could allow for more frequent, active wolf predator control in the unit.
A rough outcome for caribou herds. The Board failed a proposal to enact a 6-year no-hunting moratorium on the harvest of the Nelchina caribou herd. AWA supported this proposal because the Nelchina herd has crashed well below its population goals. Hunting is currently closed by Emergency Order year-to-year, but we agreed with the proposer that a 6-year moratorium would provide clarity for hunters who rely on subsistence foods and would give the Nelchina herd the break they need to recover.
Palmer Area - Unit 14
Trapping setbacks secured for the Mat-Su. In May 2024, AWA submitted Proposal 82, which called for 50-yard no-trap setbacks in the Mat-Su area. The proposal asked the Board to establish trapping setbacks along specific trails in the area that are heavily used for recreational purposes. The setbacks would help keep dogs and people safe from incidental trapping.
The Alaska Trappers Association and Alaska Wildlife Alliance testified together in support of the proposal. The Board deliberated and approved Proposal 82 unanimously, and praised both the proposal itself and the collaboration between AWA and the Alaska Trappers Association. Read Proposal 82 here.
50-yard trap setbacks will be enacted in the 2025–2026 trapping season. In the meantime, check out AWA’s Map the Trap platform and explore the map for recent and historical trap encounters in Alaska.
Bears
Extended brown bear hunting seasons. Despite AWA’s opposition, the Board voted to extend the brown bear hunting season near Palmer from May 31 to June 30. ADFG supported the proposal, saying it hasn’t identified a biological concern for bears in the area.
However, AWA is concerned about this extended season. This region has seen wide-scale salmon collapses, which often correlate to a subsequent decline in bear populations as they lose access to summer food. ADFG mentioned this concern during deliberations, stating that they’ll need to keep a closer eye on bear populations, but only intend to do so through harvest reports, not a population study.
We also worry this extended season would disrupt summer foraging, habituate young bears to bait stations and lead to more DLP (defense of life or property) bear fatalities. Further, the brown bear management objective is to maintain a population that can sustain an annual harvest of 25 bears, 50% of which are male. The 10-year average harvest from 2013 to 2022 was 20 bears, with an average of 57% male— already close to the 25-bear goal and exceeding the male harvest management goal.
The proposal passed 5 to 1, with the one opposition vote citing concerns about liberalizing the brown bear hunting season amidst salmon declines. With the proposal passed, AWA strongly recommends ADFG track the harvest closely to determine if the harvest exceeds the 25-bear goal and share those findings with the public and the Board at the 2028 meeting.
Wolves
No break for Valley wolves. While Glennallen wolves got a respite, Palmer wolves weren’t so lucky. The wolf trapping season was extended by 30 days to April 30. The Board cited that the proposal was “not expected to increase wolf harvest substantially”, and ADFG commented that there is “currently no biological concern for wolves in Unit 14A”. However, AWA opposed the proposal because of the relatively easy access in the area, and wolves trapped during the breeding season produce furs of poor quality. Most importantly, we believe wolves should not be subject to trapping while they’re nursing and raising pups - they need a break.
Denali Area - Unit 16
Wolves, brown bears, and black bears face aerial gunning outside Denali. Despite overwhelming opposition, Proposal 75 passed unanimously. The proposal adds ADFG removal of wolves, brown bears, and black bears (ie aerial gunning from helicopters) to Unit 16’s Intensive Management Plan, opening the area outside Denali to potential future aerial gunning programs that could mirror the current Mulchatna predator control program in Units 17 and 18 (Dillingham area).
The goals set out in ADFG's plan are to reduce the Unit 16 brown bear population by 60% and to reduce black bears by 80%. The wolf reduction goal is between 73%-80%. If ADFG does not reach these goals through public hunting and trapping, they now have the authority to do it themselves from helicopters.
During the 10 minutes of deliberation, the Board noted that the proposal had “received a lot of comments” and that “this is a housekeeping proposal” where predator removals are "likely necessary to achieve and maintain the Unit 16 population objectives” and the Board wanted to "make sure ADFG had the tools they need to meet predator reduction goals". There was no presentation on current bear populations in Unit 16, and there are no harvest tickets for brown bears in the unit.
With the passage of this proposal, ADFG can conduct aerial gunning on wolves and/or bears in Unit 16, effective January 16th, 2025. They have not released any aerial gunning plans, however, ADFG does not have to publish an aerial gunning plan before it occurs. The goals set out in ADFG's plan are to reduce the Unit 16 brown bear population by 60% and to reduce black bears by 80%. The wolf reduction goal is between 73%-80%.
Predator control programs (in red) now exist in an east-to-west band across almost the entire state.
AWA strongly opposes Proposal 75, and does not believe that most people would see the aerial gunning of bears and wolves as “housekeeping”. Large carnivore management in Alaska should be based on rigorous science including the status and trends of carnivore populations. This program does not meet those standards.
AWA will track this issue and notify members if and when an aerial gunning program begins for wolves or bears in Unit 16. We greatly appreciate all the support; incredibly, the proposal received over 18,000 comments in opposition, including comments from thousands of individuals, dozens of nonprofits and wildlife viewing operators, the Chickaloon Village Traditional Councils, and many other groups!
You can always email the Board of Game members and the ADFG managers about your concerns. Board member emails are available here; Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang is available at douglas.vincent-lang@alaska.gov and Ryan Scott, Director of Wildlife Conservation is available at ryan.scott@alaska.gov. One recommendation is that you ask that the Department provide public notice if/when an aerial gunning program is announced.
Learn more about Proposal 75 here. If you would like to listen to the deliberation, click here, select 1-15-2025, then scroll to the 1:58pm time block to listen.
AWA’s Position Paper on Predator Control and Intensive Management clearly lays out our position on these programs, as well as our recommendations.
Southwest Alaska, Dillingham and King Salmon - Units 9 and 17
Bears
Katmai brown bears face a full-length season. Proposal 11, which would have shortened the spring and fall brown bear seasons in Unit 9C (state land surrounding Katmai National Park) by one week, back to their previous length prior to 2022, failed.
The author of the proposal noted that with the current, longer season, sport fishermen and wildlife viewers on the rivers are being dropped off in the same places as hunters. AWA supported Proposal 11, as it would alter the season to reduce user conflicts and increase public safety, and give bears time to move away from the rivers before being exposed to sport hunting. Katmai is arguably the most famous bear viewing area in Alaska, and AWA believes that reducing conflicts between hunters, wildlife viewers, and sport fishers would be a wise decision.
Year-round bear hunting across Southwest. Brown bears in Unit 17 near Dillingham can now be hunted year-round. ADFG supported this proposal, citing that public harvest has been increasing since 2016, and the harvest objective has been exceeded for 12 years; in short, ADFG believes the bear population has grown. ADFG and Proposal 32 also mentioned bear-human conflict in Unit 17 remote camps, with 17 bears killed through Defense of Life and Property between 2011 and 2023.
AWA opposed the year-round hunt, as Unit 17 is already home to the Mulchatna Predator Control Program which has killed 200 bears in the last 2 years and is set to run until Spring 2028.
It wasn’t all bad news for the Southwest bears, however. The Board of Game failed numerous proposals that would have allowed same-day airborne hunting of brown bears (and wolves) in Southwest, and also failed a proposal to lengthen the spring and fall brown bear hunting seasons in the northern Alaska Peninsula.
Moose and Caribou
Reduced objectives for moose in Southwest. A proposal to reduce population and harvest objectives for moose near Dillingham passed. The current harvest objectives have only been met twice in the last 40 years. AWA hopes that reduced objectives will create more realistic management plans that don’t require constant predator control.
Three-year moratorium on struggling Mulchatna herd denied. AWA supported proposals that sought to implement a three-year hunting moratorium on the Mulchatna caribou herd, citing concern for the herd’s precipitous decline in recent years.
Unfortunately, these proposals also failed; the Board opposed and deferred to the State Emergency Order which has closed the entire range of the Mulchatna herd to hunting for the last three years
No population review for the Mulchatna caribou herd. One of the proposals AWA was keeping a close eye on was Proposal 29, which called for a review of the population and harvest objectives for the Mulchatna caribou herd after a habitat assessment and associated analyses had been performed. The proposal failed.
AWA supported this proposal, as minimum objective numbers have not been met in over 20 years and the caribou herd remains at less than half of the lower population objective. A review would have allowed for setting lower population and harvest objectives, which could have helped abate the State’s attempt to increase the caribou herd through predator control, which has killed 200 bears in the last two years.
ADFG commented that current objectives should not be changed until predator control operations are concluded, and an updated population objective and habitat assessment would likely be revisited at a later date.
Small Game, Birds, and Other Furbearers
Shortened trapping seasons for wolverines in Southwest. The Board agreed with AWA and approved two proposals to shorten wolverine trapping seasons to the last day of February. Wolverines near both Dillingham and King Salmon will be given a rest during the spring while raising their young.
A break for birds and bunnies in Southwest. Proposal 23, which would have lengthened the nonresident hunting season for Emperor geese in Units 9 and 10 and increased the number of permits allocated to nonresident hunters, failed. In their comments, ADFG noted that the 2025 Fall/Winter hunt of emperor geese is closed due to low population and is unlikely to reopen in the near future.
Alaska hares also received a break when the Board voted to close the season for both residents and nonresidents in Southwest. ADFG submitted the proposal, citing conservation concerns. Recent research efforts and anecdotal information from Southwest communities indicate very low hare density— a 2024 survey in Unit 9 (King Salmon) found 22 Alaska hares and a 2022 survey in Unit 10 (Dillingham) found 2. Predator tracks, such as coyotes, have not been seen near radio collars, and natural predation is not thought to be a factor in the population decline. There was a move to defer the proposal to the statewide BOG meetings to consider a closure of the entire Alaska hare range, but this amendment failed and the closure passed.
What’s Next
The statewide Board of Game meetings will be held in Anchorage in March. AWA will be in attendance.
To learn more about the proposals we’ll be watching in March, come to our virtual Wildlife Wednesday: Statewide Board of Game Proposals presentation on February 19. Stay tuned for Action Alerts to learn more about the Statewide proposals and ways you can use your voice for wildlife!
Additional Resources
Central & Southwest Region Overview for the Division of Wildlife Conservation
Overview of the ADFG Foraging Ecology and Wildlife Nutritional Analysis Lab
Population Status of Arctic Hares
Mulchatna Caribou Herd Intensive Management Report
Mulchatna Caribou Herd Nutrition and Disease Study
