Muskox Hunting in Alaska

Nunivak Island Muskox Hunting

Nunivak Island is located in the Bering Sea about 135 miles west of Bethel. This remote island is home to approximately 200 people and 500-550 muskoxen.

Muskox hunting season is divided into two time periods: a fall hunt that runs from September 1 - 30 and a winter/spring hunt which occurs Feb 1 - March 15. The fall hunt can be wet and windy and tranportation is usually by boat or quadrunner. The winter/spring hunt can be cold with wind and blowing snow. You should be prepared for inclement weather in either season.

The number of permits available varies from year to year based on the size of the Nunivak Island muskox population. Annually, permits are divided between a fall hunt (DX001), and winter/spring hunt (DX003). Due to the lack of predators on the island we rely on hunter harvest to maintain the population at sustainable levels for the limited habitat available. For this reason, we encourage hunters that do not plan to use their permit to contact the Bethel ADF&G office as soon as possible (call 907-543-1678 or 907-543-2839 from within Alaska or toll free at 1-855-933-2433) so their permits can be reassigned to other hunters.

Muskox Stranded on Islands

If you encounter musk oxen stranded on islands, please report them to ADF&G at 907-543-2839.

Once the sighting is confirmed, the situation will be evaluated. If the animals can not be transported back to safety and if they do not have adequate food & water an Emergency Order may be issued authorizing the harvest of the stranded animals.

Muskox Stranded on Ice Floes

Hunting of musk oxen stranded on ice floes by Alaska residents only is a new regulation adopted by the Alaska Board of Game at its March 2015 meeting in Anchorage. The following hunt conditions apply to the new hunt:

  1. Current hunting license required (AS 16.05.330);
  2. Season opening by emergency order in Game Management Unit 18;
  3. Musk oxen are stranded on free-floating ice floes completely surrounded by salt water;
  4. A resident may harvest the stranded musk oxen without a permit;
  5. Resident tag is waived (e.g. no tag required);
  6. Bag limit of up to 2 musk oxen per person;
  7. The hunter must demonstrate the ice floe conditions by submitting photographic evidence to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game within 48 hours of harvest.

Hunters lucky enough to be drawn for a permit have a nearly 100% success rate. Almost every year, however, at least one hunter comes away with bad memories instead of the hunt of a lifetime. Hunter mistakes include:

  • shooting a cow instead of a bull
  • follow-up shots on the wrong animal resulting in having two muskox on the ground from the same group
  • shooting through one animal and hitting a second
  • improper shot placement on these animals whose shaggy coat obscures their actual body contours
  • failure to use all the meat (among the finest meat on this planet)
  • failure to get a metal locking tag (NOT the same as a permit) before hunting
  • failure to check out with a department representative

If you are an inexperienced muskox hunter, we highly recommend taking the muskox hunter orientation.

Getting there and going afield

Most access is through Mekoryuk, the only village on the island. Transportation to Mekoryuk is by regularly scheduled commercial airlines from Bethel (Ryan Air 907-562-2227 or Grant Aviation 907-543-2000).

Below is a list of guides and transporters who have taken hunters out in the past. Hunters are not required to use commercial services and ADF&G makes no comments concerning the quality or competency of the people on the list. It is only provided as a convenience to you to help gather information.

  • Abe David 907-545-8333
  • Ed Kiokun 907-827-2302
  • Ishmael Smith 907-827-2082
  • James Whitman 907-360-7605

Cost

If awarded a permit, plan on paying $4,000 – $10,000 for all your expenses. An approximate price breakdown is as follows:

  • $3,000 - $6,000 transporter/guide fees
  • $500-$3,000 metal locking tag (price varies with residency - see below)
  • $100 Posable land use fee to hunt on the island
  • Flights to and from Bethel
  • Round trip flights from Bethel to Mekoryuk
  • Excess baggage fees for transporting animal home

Requirements

You are required to have the following in your possession while hunting:

  • Current hunting license
  • Hunting permit
  • Metal locking tag (fees based on residency)
    • $500 residents
    • $2,200 nonresident
    • $3,000 nonresident alien
  • You are required to file a hunt report (online or via US mail) - whether or not you were successful in taking an animal. If you fail to report, you will be ineligible for any drawing, Targeted, Tier II, registration (including Tier I, Nelchina caribou) permits in Alaska the following season.

Recommendations

In addition to your personal hunting equipment, you might also consider bringing the following items:

  • Game bags (4-6 total)
  • Waxed "fish boxes" (4-6 total) for shipping meat
  • Packing tape
  • A leak-proof container for shipping the hide and skull