Denali climb GMU Spotlight: Hunting Southwestern Alaska’s bull market, Unit 18

Moose are numerous in Game Management Unit 18 and it is one of the few places in Alaska where numbers are growing. There are five subareas to hunt, and in some of those you can take two moose. Just be sure to check the regulations to see what is available. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

GMU PrOFILE

EXPERIENCE ALASKA’S BULL HUNTING BONANZA

Editor’s note: From the Alaska Panhandle to the “top of the world” in Barrow/Utqiagvik, Alaska contains 26 game management units that feature land for hunting and other outdoor activities. Our Arctic adventurer Paul Atkins is breaking down some of the units he’s hunted in the past in this ongoing feature. This issue: GMU 18.

BY PAUL D. ATKINS

Game Management Unit 18, which lies in the southwestern part of the state, is truly one of Alaska’s best-kept secrets.

This is currently one of the last few places where the moose population is thriving. Its vast willow-choked tundra is pristine, which creates some of the best habitat for growing big mature bulls.

Moose can be hunted in five general areas, and, for some residents, two moose may be taken annually. SPRAWLING UNIT Unit 18 is big; it encompasses the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and also the lower drainages of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers, creating all the ingredients for some of the best hunting in the state. Like many units along Alaska’s western coast, the hunting is superb for not only the aforementioned moose, but for bears as well.

For instance, hunters are allowed to harvest three black bears, which are more prevalent in Unit 18 than other units further to the north. But unlike those northern units, you can only take one brown bear per year versus two where I live around Kotzebue.

MORE BULLS TO HARVEST Caribou are not as common as they are further north, either. Only one per customer can be taken, but from what I’ve seen, some of those bulls are the biggest in the state.

Muskox hunting, especially on Nunivak Island, is the real ticket in Unit 18. Open to both residents and nonresidents, these hunts are highly coveted and one of the few places on Earth where you can actually do it without waiting years to draw a tag or

GMU 18 includes some rugged wilderness like the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and also the muskox hunting mecca of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea. (ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME)

pay through the nose.

Nunivak Island is located right off the coast in the Bering Sea, about 135 miles from the town of Bethel. This remote island is home to approximately 500 to 600 muskox and very few people. Introduced in 1929, muskox have thrived and developed into an incredible hunting opportunity for those wanting a hunt like no other.

Bulls can be hunted by permit only, but permits are also available for cows on a first-come, first-served basis. Muskox hunting occurs twice a year, with one season starting in August and the other in January.

MACHINES REQUIRED Much like around my country, muskox hunting is done by snowmachine. There are many operators on the island who will gladly rent you a machine, point you Muskox hunters come from all over the world to hunt these prehistoric beasts, and rightly so. Open to residents and nonresidents alike, muskox are plentiful. You may have to hurry to get a permit, though, as they go quickly. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

Caribou are a bit more rare to come by in the unit, with hunters only allowed to harvest one per year and no nonresident opportunities. However, if you get lucky, you will not only be in for some of the best hunting, but also some of the state’s biggest bulls. (PAUL D. ATKINS)

in the right direction and even help when it comes to getting it back to where you came from.

Like most of the state’s units, GMU 18 does harbor its share of wolves, allowing 10 taken per year during a long season running from August through April. And unlike most units, you are allowed two wolverines per year – that is, if you can find them. ASJ

Editor’s note: For a detailed map and more season dates on GMU 18, go to adfg.alaska .gov and look under the Hunting tab to a link to maps by game management unit. Follow

Paul Atkins on Twitter @AKTrophyHunter.