Jan. 31 is the final day to legally hunt Mulchatna Caribou this season. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is closing the hunt Friday, Jan. 31 at 11:59 p.m. on state lands. The state issued the emergency order to close the Mulchatna Caribou hunt earlier this week. Hunting for the animals on federal lands closed in December.
State and federal law enforcement will be in the field, enforcing the closure.
“Please help spread the word to your fellow hunters that this closure is occurring to not only reduce the possibility of a violation, but to help the conservation effort for herd recovery,” said Alaska Wildlife Trooper Walter Blajeski.
The hunt was originally scheduled to end in March but is closing early because of conservation concerns. State biologists estimate that the herd is less than half the size it was three years ago, a steep drop from more than 27,000 caribou to less than 13,500. The early closure is intended to help grow the herd.
