The Unit 1D moose hunt opened Thursday, Sept. 15 and the hunt manager said there’s likely plenty of moose available to hunt—a good sign as last year saw the fewest moose harvested since 2008.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist Carl Koch surveyed the lower valley from an airplane on Dec. 20, 2021. Weather prevented him from surveying the upper valley, north of the Klehini bridge, but he was able to view 37% of the collared moose that fish and game scientists are tracking for a population study.
“Which means there was a lot more moose out there than what we were seeing. If the upper valley is similar, there’s probably a lot more moose out there,” Koch said. “I think the population is probably doing well.”
Koch said it’s been difficult to get a good bull-to-cow ratio survey for the past several years due to inclement weather.
Between 2013 and 2020, 20 to 25 bulls were harvested each year. Last year’s hunt ended with only 14 reported bull moose harvested, the first year the season was extended beyond Sept. 30. The hunt started slow due to poor weather conditions.
Koch was in town Monday for a moose hunt meeting and told participants that the harvest management objective is 20 to 25 moose.
“Some of that depends how far along we are in the season and how many moose are down and how many are sublegal,” Koch said. “If it becomes a more typical year, we’ll let it go closer to twenty-five.”
“Fall weather’s always tough. Last year hunters were telling me they were in the field and it was howling wind and really nasty,” Koch said. “I think it definitely had some effect. Possibly there were fewer legal bulls.”
Craig Loomis said last year was the first time he’s never hunted a moose. He said he’s not optimistic for the opening of this year’s hunt because of the weather forecast. He also said he’s skeptical 20 to 25 moose will be hunted and that hunters have shot too many smaller bulls in the past.
“It was the first time in my entire life I got skunked,” Loomis said of last year’s effort. “I’m going to play it day by day. Because of the warm weather and rain, the swamps are totally full. They’re probably up high. It’s so bloody wet. My expectation is I’m going to go hunting. We’ll see what happens.”