Intensive Management in Alaska
Alaska's Programs - Unit 20A

Intensive management (IM) programs are authorized under a specific procedure where the Alaska Board of Game determines a particular ungulate population important for providing high levels of human consumptive use and sets population and harvest objectives for deer, caribou, or moose in those specific areas. Those programs are listed under Active IM Programs or Inactive IM Programs on these pages. For other prey species harvested by hunters or in other areas, the Commissioner of ADF&G may authorize predation control to recover depleted prey populations under Alaska Statute 16.05.020(2), and the Board may adopt regulations for similar purpose under AS 16.05.255(a)(6). Programs authorized under either of these authorities are listed under Other Programs.

Predation control programs, authorized under intensive management regulations, are currently active in four specific areas in Alaska, covering approximately 5% of the state's land area. These programs are designed to reduce predation by wolves or bears and increase moose, caribou, or deer populations that are a needed food source for Alaskans.

Each predation control program employs specific methods to increase sustainable ungulate harvest. In these areas, predators will be reduced but not eliminated. The goal is to reduce predation rates, allowing humans to take more ungulates while also maintaining sustainable populations of predators.

Before any predation control program begins, the Alaska Board of Game reviews the program's feasibility and proposed operation plan and then adopts a regulation to authorize the predation control if the program is approved. Those regulations, formally adopted in the Alaska Administrative Code in Title 5, Chapter 92, contain detailed information about each predation control area. You will find links to the regulation and implementation plan for each program listed here. View the entire Intensive Management and Predator Control section (5 AAC 92.106 – 5 AAC 92.127).

Click the links below to view more information about each program. You may also view the Unit Map.

Unit 20A

The authorizing regulation for Unit 20A, 5 AAC 92.113. Intensive Management Plans III, contains detailed information about the predator control area established in GMU 20A, including delineation of the geographic area covered, background, status of the wildlife populations in question, objectives, and a management plan.

The program in Unit 20A was established to control wolves and benefit survival of the Delta Caribou Herd. However, other prey species including moose and sheep were expected to also benefit. Control is currently not being conducted because moose are at high density and their productivity has been low for a prolonged period due to poor nutritional condition resulting from high utilization of browse. Antlerless moose hunts have been conducted to reduce the population and are now being used to stabilize it at what may be a more sustainable abundance.