Alaska hunting and fishing laws
The Alaska rules that catch people out, in plain English: hunter education, minimum age, blaze orange, Sunday hunting, shooting hours, baiting, night hunting, tagging and private land. Each one links to the state's own text.
Season dates for 2026-27. Page updated October 12, 2026.
These pages sum up the rules to help you find them. They are not legal advice. The state's own regulations govern, so check them before you go.
Hunter education in Alaska
Hunters born after January 1, 1986 who are age 18 or older must complete Basic Hunter Education before hunting in Units 7, 13, 14, 15 and 20. Certain management areas, such as the Eagle River Management Area, require it regardless of age. This varies by unit and is not a statewide rule.
Minimum hunting age in Alaska
Alaska residents ages 17 years or younger are not required to possess a license to hunt. Alaska residents ages 18 years or older must possess a valid license. All nonresidents, regardless of age, must have appropriate licenses and big game locking-tags. No apprentice program was found.
Blaze orange in Alaska
Alaska does not require hunters to wear hunter orange. ADF&G still recommends it because it reduces hunting accidents.
Sunday hunting in Alaska
Not verified. The 2026-27 ADF&G hunting regulations list no Sunday closure, but no ADF&G page was found that states Sunday hunting is allowed. Confirm with the official regulations before you hunt.
Shooting hours in Alaska
Applies to: Big game
Not verified. The ADF&G statewide regulations do not list general shooting hours for big game, so check your unit's rules. If you have flown, you may not hunt or help someone take big game until 3:00 a.m. the day after the flight, with limited exceptions. Confirm with the official regulations before you hunt.
Baiting in Alaska
Use of bait is prohibited, except for bears under specific conditions and for wolves and wolverines under specific conditions.
Applies to: Bear
Anyone wanting to register a bait station in any GMU in Alaska must have successfully completed an ADF&G approved bear baiting clinic and be at least 18 years old, with a maximum of two stations per regulatory year. IBEP is required for bowhunting in Units 7 and 14 through 16. The conditions allowing bear baiting vary by unit and were not fully enumerated.
Night hunting in Alaska
Artificial light may be used while tracking and dispatching a wounded game animal; however, a hunter may not be on or in a motorized vehicle while using artificial light. A narrow exception applies to resident den-site black bear take in specified units.
Tagging and reporting a harvest in Alaska
Applies to: Big game
No single statewide evidence-of-sex rule was located; requirements are species and unit specific. Bear sealing requires the hide, with claws and evidence of sex naturally attached, and the skull. In specified units and periods, 5 AAC 92.220 requires that edible meat of the front and hind quarters remain naturally attached to the bone until transported from the field.
Hunting on private land in Alaska
Most of Alaska's land is in public ownership. However, you must have permission from the landowner to hunt private land. Written permission is not specified.
Can you show your Alaska license on your phone?
Digital license yes. Locking tags are physical.
ADF&G says an eSigned license “can be stored and viewed on your electronic device.” The ADF&G app also shows licenses, stamps and general-season harvest tickets and records harvest, but ADF&G recommends carrying paper if your phone may lose power, and if you carry both you must record harvest on the paper copy too. Big game locking tags are physical tags mailed to you and locked on the animal; the app only shows a record of them.
Metal locking tags; paper backup recommended
Alaska hunting season dates, 2026-27
The main seasons, from the state's published dates. Zones and units can differ; each season links to the state's own page for it.
| Season | Dates | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moose — general (harvest ticket) | Aug 25 – Sep 25, 2026 | Units 14A and 14B | Bull spike-fork/50-inch/3 brow tines; bow-only Aug 10–19 |
| Deer — general | Aug 1 – Dec 31, 2026 | Unit 4 (Admiralty, Baranof, Chichagof) | Residents: bucks only to Sep 14, then any deer |
| Dall sheep — general (harvest ticket) | Aug 10 – Sep 20, 2026 | Unit 13 | Full-curl ram; youth-only hunt Aug 1–5 |
| Black bear | Jul 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2027 | Unit 13 (13A, 13B, 13C, 13E) | No closed season; harvest ticket; 3 bears |
| Ducks and geese | Sep 1 – Dec 16, 2026 | Northern Zone (Units 11–13, 17–26) | Emperor goose closed statewide |
| Grouse | Aug 10, 2026 – Mar 31, 2027 | Units 11–13, 14A, 14B, 16, 20 (remainder), 25 | 15 per day |
What you can hunt in Alaska
Big game
- Sitka black-tailed deer General season Southeast, Kodiak, Prince William Sound
- Moose General season Many units by registration or drawing
- Caribou General season Varies widely by unit
- Dall sheep General season Full-curl general in many units
- Mountain goat Draw or limited entry Registration or drawing permit
- Brown / grizzly bear General season Some units by drawing
- Black bear General season
- Muskox Draw or limited entry Nunivak, Nelson Island, Seward Peninsula
- Bison Draw or limited entry Delta, Copper River, Farewell, Chitina
- Elk General season Afognak, Raspberry, Etolin and Zarembo islands only
- Pronghorn No season Not present in Alaska
- Bighorn sheep No season Alaska has Dall sheep, not bighorn
Upland and small game
- Ptarmigan General season Willow, rock and white-tailed
- Grouse General season Ruffed, spruce, sooty, sharp-tailed
- Snowshoe hare General season
- Squirrel General season
- Wild turkey No season No season in Alaska
Waterfowl and migratory
- Ducks General season Steller's and spectacled eider closed
- Geese General season
- Sandhill crane General season
- Tundra swan Draw or limited entry Registration permit, four units only
- Emperor goose No season No open season
Furbearer and predator
- Wolf General season
- Wolverine General season Hide must be sealed
- Lynx General season
- Coyote General season
What you can fish for in Alaska
Sport fishing license; King Salmon Stamp for kings
Fishing licenses sold: 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, 14-day, Annual
Trout and char
- Rainbow trout General season
- Steelhead General season Many waters are catch and release
- Cutthroat trout General season
- Lake trout General season
- Dolly Varden General season
- Arctic char General season
- Arctic grayling General season
Salmon and anadromous
- King / chinook salmon Needs a stamp King Salmon Stamp, except on stocked lakes
- Sockeye salmon General season
- Coho salmon General season
- Pink salmon General season
- Chum salmon General season
Warmwater
- Northern pike General season Invasive in Southcentral — must be killed there
Saltwater and marine
- Pacific halibut General season Federally managed; state license only
- Rockfish General season
- Lingcod General season
- Pacific cod General season
- Sablefish General season
- King and Tanner crab Tag or permit Permits in some areas; much of Southcentral is closed
- Razor clams Tag or permit Household permit
- Dungeness crab No season Closed in Southcentral
Other
- Sheefish General season
- Burbot General season
- Whitefish General season
Official Alaska links
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Carry your Alaska license on your phone
Sportsmen Ledger holds your hunting and fishing licenses and tags, these rules and your harvest log, and it works with no signal. Free to start.
Compare with other states
- Hunter education requirements by state
- Minimum hunting age by state
- Blaze orange requirements by state
- Sunday hunting laws by state
- Legal shooting hours by state
- Baiting laws by state
- Night hunting laws by state
- Tagging and harvest reporting by state
- Hunting on private land, state by state
- Can you show your hunting or fishing license on your phone? Every state