BLM to Open Fortymile Federal Subsistence Caribou Hunt on August 1

Harvest limit of 2 bull caribou announced for fall hunt

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office, is opening caribou hunting on federal public lands in Units 20E, 25C and a portion of 20F on Aug. 1, 2022, to provide opportunities for federal subsistence use, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, and based on consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Eastern Interior Subsistence Regional Advisory Council. The caribou hunt is limited to federally qualified rural residents hunting on federal public lands only, including federal public lands accessible from the Steese and Taylor highways.

Hunters participating in the hunt must obtain an RC860 joint state/federal registration permit issued by the ADF&G. The federal subsistence hunt opens at 12 a.m. Aug. 1, 2022 and closes at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30, 2022. The harvest limit is two bull caribou.

Registration permits for RC860 will be available online at hunt.alaska.gov, in-person at ADF&G offices in Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Tok, Anchorage, Douglas and Palmer and at vendors in Eagle, Central and Tok. Hunters should review the RC860 permit conditions. Evidence of caribou sex must remain attached. When the State of Alaska portion of RC860 is open, all RC860 permit holders may hunt on federal and non-federal land, however, bag limits vary. Please refer to the Alaska Hunting Regulations and the Federal Subsistence Hunting Regulations for detailed information. Updates on the RC860 caribou hunt are available on the Fortymile Hotline at (907) 267-2310.

To qualify to hunt under federal subsistence regulations, you must have your primary, permanent place of residence in one of the following rural communities or game management units, and you must have lived in Alaska for the previous 12 months.

For hunting in Units 20E and 25C—residents of Units 20D, 20E, 20F, 25, 12 (north of Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve), Eureka, Livengood, Manley and Minto
For hunting in Unit 20F east of the Dalton Highway and south of the Yukon River—residents of Units 20F, 25D, and Manley

Seasons, harvest limits, methods, and customary and traditional use determinations for the subsistence taking of wildlife are published in the Federal Subsistence Management Regulations for the Harvest of Wildlife on Federal Public Lands in Alaska and are available on-line at https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/wildlife

Maps to aid in locating federal public lands open to the federal subsistence hunt near the Elliott, Steese and Taylor highways are available from the BLM Fairbanks District Office or online at: https://www.blm.gov/maps/georeferenced-PDFs. Choose “Alaska” and scroll down to “Federal Subsistence Hunting Map Series” and choose maps for GMU 25C or 20E. The georeferenced PDF maps show a user’s location through an application on smart phones or tablets, even in areas where cellular service is not available. To work on your device, the maps need to be downloaded prior to leaving cell phone range.

The BLM advises hunters to be aware of land ownership and ensure that they know and follow off-highway vehicle (OHV) regulations.

For additional information, contact Jim Herriges at (907) 474-2373 or jherrige@blm.gov.