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FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office announces an emergency special action to close the fall Fortymile Caribou Federal Subsistence Hunt on federal lands in Units 20E, 25C, and a portion of 20F beginning noon on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. The federal subsistence caribou hunt only applies to federally qualified rural residents hunting on federal public lands.

Caribou have been abundant near the Steese Highway, resulting in a higher harvest than previous years. To prevent overharvest, BLM made the decision to close the fall federal Fortymile Hunt under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, after consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Chair of the Eastern Interior Subsistence Regional Advisory Council.

Hunters may still hunt on federal and state lands in open zones under the State of Alaska portion of RC860 with the permit issued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Information and updates on the RC860 caribou hunt are available on the Fortymile Hotline at (907) 267-2310.

Later this fall, BLM will announce information for the winter federal subsistence hunt. For additional information about the subsistence hunt, contact the BLM Eastern Interior Field Office at (907) 474-2200 or EasternInterior@blm.gov.

-BLM-