Alaska sets seasons unit by unit, and often for parts of units. The same species can open in July in one place and stay closed to nonresidents in the next drainage over. The tables below give representative 2026–2027 seasons for nonresidents so you can see the general pattern. Always look up your exact unit and hunt before you book.
The regulatory year runs July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
Moose
Most nonresident moose hunting happens in September, when bulls are coming into the rut and still moving. Many western and interior units require an antler restriction for nonresidents: a bull with a 50-inch spread or at least four brow tines on one side (three in some units).
| Area (nonresident examples) | 2026 season | Hunt type |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 17B (Bristol Bay), most of the subunit | September 5–15 | Harvest ticket |
| Unit 17B river corridors | September 5–15 | Registration permit |
| Unit 19C (upper Kuskokwim), most of the subunit | September 1–20 | Harvest ticket |
| Unit 19B, outside the nonresident closed area | September 5–20 | Check the regulations |
| Unit 9B (Alaska Peninsula) | September 5–15 | Registration permit |
| Unit 9E (Alaska Peninsula) | September 10–25 | Registration permit |
Some units are closed to nonresident moose hunting entirely, including Unit 23 and all of Unit 26. Nonresidents in Units 9, 17 and 19 must complete the nonresident moose hunter orientation course.
Caribou
Caribou seasons often open in late July or August. Herds rise and fall, and several areas are now closed to nonresidents or limited to drawing permits.
| Area (nonresident examples) | 2026 season | Bag and hunt type |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 26A (North Slope) | July 15 – September 30 | One bull, harvest ticket |
| Unit 26B (Dalton Highway area) | August 1 – September 15 | One or two bulls depending on area, harvest ticket |
| Units 19C and 19D | August 10 – September 20 | One bull, harvest ticket |
| Unit 23 (northwest Alaska) | August 1 – September 30 | One bull, drawing permit only |
| Unit 17 (Bristol Bay) | Closed to nonresidents | — |
Dall sheep
Sheep season in most open areas runs August 10 – September 20, with a youth-only hunt August 1–5 in some areas. The legal ram is full curl or larger. Nonresidents must hunt with a guide or qualifying relative, and in many areas can take one ram every four regulatory years. General season full-curl hunts also require ADF&G’s sheep hunter orientation course.
Sheep numbers fell in parts of the state after the hard winters of 2020 and 2021. Some areas are closed or limited; for example, ADF&G closed all sheep hunting in the Glacier Mountain Controlled Use Area in Unit 20E for 2026. Some guides have paused their sheep hunts until numbers recover.
During sheep season, aircraft can be used to move hunters and camps but not to spot sheep or direct hunters to them.
Brown/grizzly bear
Bear hunts split into spring and fall seasons. Nonresidents must hunt with a guide or qualifying relative.
| Area (nonresident examples) | 2026–2027 season | Hunt type |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 4 (Admiralty, Baranof, Chichagof), guided | Fall: September 15 – December 31. Spring: March 15 – May 20 or 31 | Registration permit |
| Unit 8 (Kodiak) | Fall: October 25 – November 30. Spring: April 1 – May 15 | Drawing permit |
| Unit 9 (Alaska Peninsula) | Open fall of odd years and spring of even years only, so no nonresident season in 2026–2027 | Registration permit |
| Unit 19 (interior) | August 10 – June 30 | General |
| Unit 23 (northwest) | Fall: August 1 – October 31. Spring: April 15 – May 31 | Registration permit |
In Units 4, 8 and 9 the limit is one bear every four regulatory years.
Black bear
Black bear seasons are long. In much of western and interior Alaska there’s no closed season. Units 17 and 23 allow three bears and Unit 19 allows five. In Southeast, Prince of Wales Island (Unit 2) is a drawing hunt for nonresidents, with a fall season for guided hunters (September 1 – December 31) and a spring season for unguided hunters (January 1 – June 30). Spring hunts over bait are popular in Southcentral and the interior where baiting is allowed at a registered bait station; check the regulations for areas and requirements.
Sitka black-tailed deer
Sitka blacktails live in the coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound and Kodiak. Seasons are long, and bucks often move down toward the beaches as snow builds in November.
| Area (nonresident examples) | 2026 season | Bag limit |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 2 (Prince of Wales Island) | August 1 – December 31 | Four bucks |
| Unit 4 (Admiralty, Baranof, Chichagof) | August 1 – December 31 | Two bucks |
| Unit 6 (Prince William Sound) | Bucks August 1 – September 30, any deer October 1 – December 31 | Four deer |
| Unit 8 (Kodiak), outside the road system area | August 1 – December 31 | One buck |
Deer can be hunted the same day you fly, as long as you’re at least 300 feet from the airplane.
How to pick your timing
- Want a moose in the rut? Early to mid-September in the western and interior units.
- Combining species? August and September let you pair caribou with moose or grizzly in many areas. Carry a tag of the higher value.
- Bear hunting? Spring hunts find bears on fresh green-up with good hides. Fall hunts often pair with salmon streams or moose.
- Deer? Late October and November for the rut and snow-driven deer on the beaches.
Book the right season
Find Alaska guides by species and season
Most listings show the species, units and seasons they hunt.
Related: How Alaska draw points work · Draw odds by unit · Alaska Hunting Guide · How to apply for drawing permits · Guide requirement and tags
Seasons are from the 2026–2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations (ADF&G) and are examples only. Emergency orders can change or close seasons. Confirm your unit and hunt in the current regulations before you go.