Submitting the big game drawing permit

The 2025-2026 big game drawing permit application period opened November 1 and will run through December 16 at 5 pm Alaska time. Applications can only be submitted this year online so apply early to avoid the last-minute rush and confusion that usually accompanies applications made near the end of a deadline. Drawing results will be posted on the department website on Friday, February 21, 2025. Individual results will also be emailed directly to all applicants.

The drawing hunt permit application supplement can be found online on the ADF&G website, at your local ADF&G office, or at most hunting license vendors.

Why do we have a drawing permit hunt anyway? I was told years ago that the purpose of the drawing permit program, which is an allocation process established by the Board of Game (BOG) and administered by ADF&G, is to allow continued hunting opportunity on specific populations of animals not capable of sustaining an unrestricted, open-to-all hunting season.

By issuing a limited number of permits to protect a group of animals from over-harvest, the continued health and well-being of that particular animal population, like Tok Dall sheep, is assured. While the number of permits is limited, anyone with a valid Alaska hunting license can apply to participate in these permit hunts. Make sure if you are applying for a hunt where a specific hunter education certification is required, i.e., an archery only hunt or a restricted weapons hunt, that you already have that specific certification before you apply.

Everything a person needs to know to apply for any drawing permit in this current application period is spelled out in the drawing permit supplement. Read the entire supplement and become familiar with the rules before filing the application online. Double-checking the completed application to ensure correct hunt numbers, listing a valid hunting license number, and using your credit card for fees will assure speedy processing of the application.

An early application allows the department to contact the applicant and correct any application problems prior to the deadline. The more lead-time the department has, the better their customer services are in contacting you if a problem arises. Most people wait to apply. The overwhelming majority of applications arrive at the last minute and the staff dealing with permits is unable to correct every problem application. If an erroneous application is not corrected, it ends up being disqualified. Apply early and keep a copy for your records.

Okay, so you applied for a drawing permit hunt, paid the required fees, and were not selected. Where does that non-refundable money from permit fees go? The short answer is that the funds ultimately end up back with the Wildlife Conservation Division and are used as the state match to secure additional federal dollars. This money is then used for management and research of the state’s game animal populations.

I didn’t see anything new or different as far as application procedures are concerned, so follow the procedures outlined in the permit supplement and which you’ve used in years past. You can apply for up to six permit hunts per species and all your applications can be for the same hunt or six different ones. If you apply for a party permit, that counts as one of your six allowed applications for that species. Don’t apply for a hunt for which you received a permit the year before.

Some of the hunts have changed since last year. For bison, a sizable number of the Delta herd drowned during a river crossing this past year, so the number of permits available has been significantly reduced. Caribou have some new hunts up in the Interior. For hunters able to travel, this is good news considering the restricted numbers of permits available here in Southcentral.

The local Fish and Game advisory committees have the authority to block the BOG’s reauthorization of antlerless moose hunts in the area the committee serves. The Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee hasn’t decided what they will be recommending the last I heard. There has been a lot of concern the last few years about reduced moose numbers in our area. The lower numbers have finally gotten back to the carrying capacity the department prefers to see.

I usually apply for one or more of these antlerless hunts since I can participate easier, if I draw a permit, than I can a “wilderness” hunt. I’ll have to find out how things stand before I apply. Remember, double-check your application before submitting and good luck.