Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- Where can I get a copy of the Alaska Hunting Regulations?
- Where can I obtain maps of Alaska?
- Do I need a guide to hunt in Alaska? How can I
get a list of guides?
- Where can I get my hunting license and big game tags?
- May I use my moose tag to take a caribou?
- What are harvest tickets? Do I need one?
- Do I need a permit to hunt in Alaska? How do I get one?
- I am disabled and cannot hunt. Can someone hunt for me?
- How many moose (caribou, bears, Dall sheep) are taken each year by hunters?
- What employment opportunities are there with the Division of Wildlife Conservation?
- Are wolves endangered in Alaska?
- What animals are endangered in Alaska?
- How can I get a permit to see the bears at McNeil River?
- What's the difference between a brown bear and a grizzly bear?
- What kind of protection do I need from bears?
- Can I bring my gun to Alaska?
- I want to sell an old moose head (bear rug, mounted antlers, etc.) that I have stored up in the attic. What's a fair price to ask?
- Can I bring my pet cobra (wolf hybrid, cougar, llama, hippopotamus, sugar glider, emu) to Alaska with me?
Where can I get a copy of the Alaska Hunting Regulations?
The Alaska Hunting Regulations book is available from all Department of Fish & Game offices, statewide, and wherever hunting licenses are sold (sporting goods stores, etc.). Current hunting regulations are also available on the division website. You may obtain a copy of the regulations book by contacting the Department of Fish and game by telephone (907/465-4190), email (dfg.dwc.webmaster@alaska.gov) or by mail at
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Division of Wildlife Conservation
P.O. Box 25526
Juneau, AK 99802-5526
Where can I obtain maps of Alaska?
Maps of Game Management Units are included in the Alaska Hunting Regulations book. Topographic maps of the state are available by mail order or over the counter in several Alaska locations, or they may be ordered through the USGS website. Some Alaska sporting goods or outdoor stores stock high demand maps. There are retail stores in larger Alaska communities that specialize in maps. The US Geological Survey maintains a map distribution office at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage that can provide fast service over the counter or by mail or telephone for out-of-state hunters:
U.S. Geological Survey
Earth Science Information Center
4230 University Drive, Room 101
Anchorage, AK 99508-4664
Phone: (907) 786-7011
Fax: (907) 786-7050
Do I need a guide to hunt in Alaska? How can I get a list of guides?
Hunters who are not Alaska residents must be accompanied by a registered Alaska guide when hunting brown/grizzly bears, Dall sheep or mountain goats. Or, they must hunt with an Alaskan “resident” who is within the “second-degree of kindred.” Non-resident alien hunters (hunters who are not US citizens and do not live in the United States) must be accompanied by a guide to hunt any species of big game.
A list of licensed Alaska guides is available for $5.00. The list includes names/addresses of master and registered guides, the guide areas for which they are licensed, and names/addresses of transporters. To obtain a copy of the list, send $5.00 in US funds drawn on a US bank payable to “State of Alaska” to:
Guide List
Alaska Department of Community & Economic Development
Division of Occupational Licensing
Big Game Guide & Transporter Licensing Section
PO Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811-0806
See How to Select a Guide for additional information on guided hunts in Alaska.
Information about guides and transporters, application forms, and statutes and regulations governing guiding are available from the Division of Occupational Licensing.
Where can I get my hunting license and big game tags?
Licenses and big game locking tags are available online and from most license vendors (sporting goods stores, gun shops, grocery and hardware stores, etc.) across the state. Licenses are also available by mail from
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Licensing Section
P.O. Box 25525
Juneau, AK 99802-5525
License and big game tag application forms are available from the Licensing Forms webpage.
May I use my moose tag to take a caribou?
Yes, a big game tag may be used for another species of equal or lower value, but a tag may not be used more than once nor may two or more tags be put on one animal. For example, a nonresident moose tag ($400) may be used to tag a caribou ($325) but may not be used to tag a Dall sheep ($425). And two wolverine tags ($175 each) may not be used to tag one caribou. Also, please remember that a harvest ticket for one species may not be used for any other species.
What are harvest tickets? Do I need one?
To properly manage wildlife populations in Alaska, ADF&G needs to know how many animals are taken by hunters. Reporting your harvest is required in most areas to hunt deer, moose, caribou and sheep. Harvest tickets are not required in areas where drawing, registration or Tier II permits are required. The harvest ticket must be carried in the field and must be validated by cutting out the month and day on the ticket immediately upon taking game. You must keep the validated harvest ticket with you until the animal has been delivered to the location where it will be processed for consumption.
Attached to most harvest tickets are harvest report cards. The report card need not be carried in the field, but must be mailed or delivered within 15 days of taking the bag limit or within 15 days after the close of season, regardless of whether you take an animal.
A nonresident hunter who plans on hunting one big game species but decides in the field to use that tag to take a different species for which the tag fee is of equal or lesser value (e.g., using a moose tag to take a caribou) must have a harvest ticket for the species being taken (in this example, a caribou). Although a moose tag may be used for a caribou, a moose harvest ticket may not.
Harvest tickets are available free from license vendors and ADF&G offices. Each harvest ticket number must be written on the back of your hunting license. Numbers of harvest tickets issued the previous calendar year, which are still valid, must be transferred to the back of a new license.
Note: People who live and hunt caribou north of the Yukon River do not need harvest tickets/reports, but must register with ADF&G or an authorized license vendor within the area.
Do I need a permit to hunt in Alaska? How do I get one?
Most hunts in Alaska are open to anyone with the proper license and harvest ticket, or locking tag in the case of nonresidents. However, where hunter demand is greater than a game population can sustain, hunting is allowed by permit only. Three types of permits are used: drawing, registration and Tier II. Applications for Tier II permits and most drawing permits are accepted only during May. Permit hunt information newspapers and application forms are available beginning May 1 online, from license vendors around Alaska, or by mail from:
Permit Hunt Information
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Division of Wildlife Conservation
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518-1599
Telephone: (907) 267-2347
FAX (907) 267-2433
Drawing Permits limit the harvest by restricting the number of hunters. Except where “No Open Season” is indicated, drawing permit hunts are open to nonresidents as well as residents. Drawing permit hunts are so indicated under “Required Ticket or Permit Type” in the seasons and bag limits portion of the hunting regulations book. Drawing permit winners are selected by a computer-generated random lottery in July.
Registration Permits are issued to hunters on a first-come, first-served basis. A few registration permit hunts limit the number of hunters, but most allow an unlimited number. If an unlimited number of permits is issued, the season will be closed by emergency order if the harvest goal is met. Most registration permit hunts are open to nonresidents as well as residents. Registration permit hunts are so indicated under “Required Ticket or Permit Type” in the seasons and bag limits portion of the hunting regulations book.
Tier II Subsistence Permits may be issued when there is not enough game to satisfy subsistence needs. Only Alaska Residents are eligible for Tier II permits. Resident hunters are awarded permits based on their answers to a detailed questionnaire.
I am disabled and cannot hunt. Can someone hunt for me?
If you are a resident (the “beneficiary”) who is blind, 70 percent physically disabled, or 65 years of age or older, you may be issued a special hunting license that can be used to obtain an authorization allowing another resident (the “proxy”) to hunt deer, caribou and moose for you. Both beneficiary and proxy must be Alaska residents.
Once you, the beneficiary, and your proxy have obtained licenses and any necessary harvest tickets and/or permits, you and/or your proxy may come into any ADF&G office and apply for a “proxy hunting authorization.” Once validated, this authorization will allow your proxy to hunt for you for the maximum time the season is open.
A new authorization can be issued for a different proxy and/or different harvest tickets/permits, after the prior authorization has expired or been turned in.
No person may be a proxy for more than one beneficiary at a time. A proxy hunter must obey all conditions and requirements that would apply to the beneficiary if the beneficiary hunted in person. The beneficiary is responsible for all harvest and permit reporting, whether or not the proxy is successful. The proxy is responsible for providing the beneficiary with the information necessary for the beneficiary to properly report.
The proxy authorization may not be used in federal subsistence registration hunts. Complete details of proxy hunting are available at all ADF&G offices.
How many moose (caribou, bears, Dall sheep) are taken each year by hunters?
Big game harvest statistics are available on our website. Additional information about wildlife populationa and harvests is included in ADF&Gs annual performance reports.
What employment opportunities are there with the Division of Wildlife Conservation?
The Division of Wildlife Conservation hires some new employees every year. Opportunities are limited, however, and higher level biologist positions are normally filled “in-house.”
Recruitment for most division and other state positions is usually limited to Alaska residents. Vacant positions and residency requirements are described on the “Workplace Alaska” website. Many out-of-state graduates who are eventually hired into permanent positions come to Alaska first and work in the private sector or as volunteers or seasonal employees (often for a federal agency). Once here, they can apply for a position as a resident of Alaska, for positions that are open. Some biologists have started as clerical help (whatever it takes to get a foot in the door). For more information about Alaska job registers, application procedures, and other personnel information, you can access the state personnel website at http://www.state.ak.us/admin/dop/akpers.htm. For information about other jobs in Alaska, visit the Department of Labor's Job Seeker Page at http://www.labor.state.ak.us/jobseek/jobseek.htm.
Check out the US Fish & Wildlife Service website for information about their volunteer program, or contact Bill Kirk at the regional office of the Fish & Wildlife Service in Anchorage (907-786-3391) about volunteer opportunities with the federal goverment. Good luck.
Are wolves endangered in Alaska?
No. Although the wolf survives as an endangered species in a handful of states, from 7,500 to 10,000 wolves populate Alaska — from the most remote wilderness region to the suburbs of our largest cities. Because so much of this state is undeveloped, with more than 160 million acres permanently set aside in protected status (an area larger than California), the wolf is assured of a permanent home in Alaska. The division's Wildlife Management home page contains more information about the wolf in Alaska — its status, biology, and management.
What animals are endangered in Alaska?
The following species are on the Alaska state endangered species list:
Eskimo curlew Numenius borealis Short-tailed albatross (PDF 791 K) Diomedea albatrus Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae Right whale Eubalaena glacialis Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus
Explore the ADF&G website to learn more about endangered species in Alaska.
How can I get a permit to see the bears at McNeil River?
The McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, located on the west side of Cook Inlet in southcentral Alaska, is world famous for its unique summer concentration of brown bears. Each year the department conducts a lottery drawing to select a limited number of lucky applicants, who are able to view this incredible spectacle. Visit the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary homepage for information, application forms and application instructions.
What is the difference between a brown bear and a grizzly bear?
Although once considered to be separate species, today brown and grizzly bears are classified as the same species, Ursus arctos. Brown bears on Kodiak Island are classified as a distinct subspecies, U. a. middendorffi, from those on the mainland (U. a. horribilis) because they are genetically and physically isolated. The shape of their skulls also differs slightly.
In Alaska, the term “brown bear” is commonly used to refer to the members of this species found in coastal areas where salmon is the primary food source. Brown bears found inland and in northern habitats are often called “grizzlies.” Adult male brown/grizzly bears weigh between 400 and 1,100 pounds, with extremely large individuals weighing as much as 1,400 pounds. Inland bears are usually smaller than coastal bears because they do not have a large supply of protein-rich food, such as salmon, in their diets. You will find more information about brown and grizzly bears in the Alaska Wildlife Notebook Series.
What kind of protection do I need from bears?
Bears tend to avoid people. In most cases, if you give a bear the opportunity to do the right thing, it will. If you see a bear, avoid it if you can. Give the bear every opportunity to avoid you. When travelling in bear country:
- Avoid surprising bears at close distance; look for signs of bears and make plenty of noise.
- Avoid crowding bears; respect their “personal space.”
- Avoid attracting bears through improper handling of food or garbage.
- Read Bear Facts: Essentials for Traveling in Bear Country and Living in Harmony with Bears.
Firearms should never be used as an alternative to common-sense approaches to bear encounters. If you are inexperienced with a firearm in emergency situations, you are more likely to be injured by a gun than a bear. However, a .300-Magnum rifle or a 12-gauge shotgun with rifled slugs is an appropriate weapon if you have to shoot a bear. Heavy handguns such as a .44-Magnum may be inadequate in emergency situations, especially in untrained hands.
In most cases, bears are not a threat, but they do deserve your respect and attention. Always treat cubs or sows with cubs with the utmost respect. When traveling in bear country, keep alert and enjoy the opportunity to see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.
Alaska firearms laws and regulations are simple and pragmatic. Carrying hunting rifles and shotguns through Canada is also generally simple.
In Alaska, hunters may generally possess and use firearms with few restrictions. State law prohibits the following firearms:
- Fully automatic firearms
- Rifles with a barrel length less than 16 inches
- Shotguns with a barrel length under 18 inches, and
- Rifles or shotguns under 26 inches in total length.
Handguns are allowed to be carried concealed in Alaska by anyone 21 or older, other than convicted felons, without obtaining a special permit. This includes a person who is actually engaged in lawful hunting, trapping, fishing or other lawful outdoor activity that “necessarily involves the carrying of a weapon for personal protection.” This statutory exemption recognizes the necessity for protecting firearms from rain or extreme cold. Firearms carried in vehicles must either be in plain sight or, if concealed, out of reach of vehicle occupants. As a matter of safety, firearms being transported to or from the field must always be unloaded.
There are firearms restrictions in certain national park units. For current information about firearms in these areas, contact one of the Alaska Public Lands Information Centers.
When crossing the border into Canada, remember that you are responsible for declaring ALL firearms in your possession. Declared rifles and shotguns generally may be carried through Canada while in transit to Alaska. Handguns may not be carried into Canada. US citizens may find it helpful to register firearms with US Customs before traveling through Canada in order to prove ownership. For additional information on carrying firearms in Canada, write or call:
Revenue Canada
Customs, Excise, and Taxation
Transportation Division
Ottawa, Ontario
CANADA K1A 0L5
Telephone (613) 993-0534
For additional information, see “Transporting Firearms.”
Note: Canada has inaugurated a new set of rules and regulations dealing with the importing and movement of firearms. If you have any questions, Canada Customs asks that you call 1-800-731-4000.
Advisory to Nonresident Aliens: New federal regulations are now in effect for temporarily importing firearms and ammunition into the United States.
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Think of it as priceless, and reconsider your decision to sell. In Alaska, it is illegal to sell any big game trophy, any big game skull, any horns or antlers attached to a part of the skull, or any part of a bear. A big game animal includes moose, elk, Dall sheep, Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goat, caribou, bison, muskox, or bear. A trophy means a mount of any of these animals, including the head (cape) or the entire skin, in a lifelike representation of the animal. It also includes a “European mount” in which the horns or antlers and the skull or a portion of the skull are mounted for display.
You may sell the skin or hide of a big game animal (except a bear hide) if it has not been made into a mount or trophy. You may also buy/sell an article of handicraft made from the hide of a black bear (where a “handicraft” is a finished product that has been substantially changed from the natural material). And you may sell horns or antlers if they have been naturally shed or completely removed from the skull by cutting, sawing, or breaking.
Exceptions: Under special circumstances, a court appointed or duly authorized estate executor or a bankruptcy referee in a probate or bankruptcy action, or a licensed taxidermist with an unclaimed, finished skin or trophy may sell that trophy only if that person first obtains a special permit issued by the Department of Fish & Game.
Can I bring my pet cobra (wolf hybrid, cougar, llama, hippopotamus, sugar glider, emu) to Alaska with me?
Yes, you may bring your llama to Alaska. But no, you'll have to leave your pet cobra (wolf hybrid, cougar, hippopotamus, sugar glider and emu) at home.
The Board of Game has authority in Alaska over use and possession of live animals. Only those species of animals listed in regulation may be possessed in this state as pets, livestock, or for commercial purposes. If it is not on the list, it may not legally enter the state. A list of all animals that may be imported is included in Alaska State Miscellaneous Game Regulations.
The State Veterinarian monitors and issues permits for import and export of domestic animals. For information about health certification and importation of pets and livestock, contact:
Dr. Bob Gerlach, State Veterinarian
Division of Environmental Health
Department of Environmental Conservation
5251 Hinkle Road
Anchorage, AK 99507-1251Telephone: (907) 375-8200
Fax Number: (907) 929-7335
Email Address: bob.gerlach@alaska.gov
