ADF&G Emergency Order Reopens Resident-Only, One-Bull Unit 26B Moose Hunt April 1-14

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has issued an emergency order opening a limited moose hunt in Unit 26B on the North Slope from April 1–14, 2026, citing population numbers that exceed management goals. "The moose population in Unit 26B has been steadily increasing since a decline in 2014 and has now surpassed the management objective of 200 moose," ADF&G says, noting "The 2024 population estimate was 390 moose" and adding, "Therefore, we have issued an emergency order to open the hunt from April 1–14, 2026."

Under the emergency order the harvest is limited to one bull moose per hunter under a General Season Harvest Ticket, and the department specifies this is a resident-only hunt. ADF&G requires hunters to possess a valid 2026 Alaska hunting license to participate. The emergency order excludes the Canning River drainage from the harvest ticket hunt and states that the Prudhoe Bay Closed Area is closed to hunting.

Special restrictions apply within the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area in Unit 26B: "If hunting in the DHCMA, moose may be taken by bow and arrow only and bowhunter education certification is required." ADF&G also reminds permit holders of reporting duties: "All hunters who obtain a harvest ticket are required to report either within 15 days of taking the bag limit or within 15 days after the close of the season, even if you did not hunt or did not take an animal."

The department’s announcement reiterates historical context for the Unit 26B herd and management actions that shaped current policy. ADF&G traces moose expansion into arctic riparian habitats in the early 1950s, a peak population near 1,400 in the 1980s, a decline in the 1990s that prompted closures, a rebound and reopening in 2006, a decline and closure after 2014, and a 2023 reinstatement of the same hunt structure with a fall drawing permit and a 14-day late-winter general season harvest ticket hunt. The 2024 estimate of 390 moose sits well above the stated management objective of 200 moose, which ADF&G cites as the basis for the emergency order.

Local outlets have circulated the announcement, with WebCenter Fairbanks and Alaska’s News Source reporting that the emergency order "reopens North Slope moose hunt closed since 2014" or "closed for years," language that should be read alongside ADF&G’s note that hunt structure was reinstated in 2023. ADF&G emphasizes the legal force of its action: "Emergency orders are as legally binding as regulations adopted by the Board of Game and statutes adopted by the legislature."

One sentence in the distributed ADF&G text is truncated: "Hunters that have already harvested a moose during this regulatory year (after July 1, 2025) are not eligible to" — the remainder of that eligibility restriction is not present in the material provided to the public outlets. Hunters planning to take part in the April 1–14 hunt should consult the full emergency order and ADF&G office or the department’s hunting information online for the complete terms, maps of the Prudhoe Bay Closed Area and DHCMA boundaries, reporting procedures, and any additional conditions before heading into Unit 26B.