Bow Hunting Laws in Alaska: Season Dates, Equipment Rules, and What You Need to Know

Alaska offers some of the most demanding and rewarding bow hunting in North America. From the dense spruce forests of Southeast Alaska to the open tundra of the Interior, archers have access to an extraordinary range of big game — but the state’s regulations are detailed, unit-specific, and strictly enforced.

Before you head into the field, you need to understand Alaska’s bow hunting laws inside and out. The rules covering season dates, draw weight minimums, crossbow use, certification requirements, and licensing differ significantly from most other states, and getting them wrong can cost you your harvest, your license, or both.

The information below is based on the 2025–2026 Alaska Hunting Regulations published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), which are effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Always verify current rules directly with ADF&G before your hunt, as regulations can change between seasons.

Bow Hunting Season Dates in Alaska

Alaska does not operate a single statewide archery-only season the way many other states do. Alaska does not designate separate statewide archery, firearm, or muzzleloader seasons for deer in the way many other states do. Instead, weapon types are generally legal throughout designated hunting seasons unless specifically restricted in certain units.

Alaska is divided into 26 game management units (GMUs) across five regions: Southeast, Southcentral, Interior, Central/Southwestern, and Northwest/Western. Season dates, bag limits, and legal methods vary by GMU, so the unit you plan to hunt determines which dates apply to you.

That said, some units do feature bow-and-arrow-only or weapon-restricted hunts with their own specific windows. For example, in Unit 20, one antlerless moose by bow and arrow only by permit runs September 1 through November 27. In Unit 8 on Kodiak Island, certain hunts run October 10–17 by bow and arrow, crossbow, or muzzleloader only, with weapon-specific certification and hunter education required.

For most big game species, most of the Alaska hunting seasons start in August and September and end in December. For some late hunting, the seasons may last until February of the next year. Deer seasons in Southeast Alaska, for instance, run from August through December or January, depending on the specific unit.

Pro Tip: Before finalizing your plans, download the GMU-specific regulation pages from hunt.alaska.gov for the exact unit you intend to hunt. Dates, antler restrictions, and permit requirements differ substantially between units.

Some weapon-restricted permit hunts require a drawing application. Draw permit applications are accepted between November 1 and December 15 for species like bison, sheep, and goat. If you miss the application window, you cannot participate in those hunts, so plan your calendar accordingly.

Legal Bow Types and Equipment Requirements in Alaska

Alaska sets specific minimum draw weight requirements for hunting big game with a bow, and these thresholds vary by species. Alaska has some of the most robust bow hunting regulations. The minimum draw weight for deer, wolf, and some other game is 40 pounds. However, for larger game such as moose and brown bear, the draw weight climbs to 50 pounds.

Longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows are all legal archery tools in Alaska. Regardless of bow type, your equipment must meet the draw weight threshold for the species you are pursuing. You are responsible for knowing which class your target species falls under before you head afield.

Several practices are explicitly prohibited. It is prohibited to use scopes, lights, or any electronic devices to improve vision on the bow or arrow. This means laser range-finding sights built into the bow itself and electronic aiming aids are off the table, though a handheld rangefinder used independently is permitted during the bowhunter education field day and is generally legal in the field.

• Longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows are all legal for big game hunting
• Minimum draw weight of 40 lbs for deer, wolf, wolverine, black bear, Dall sheep, and caribou
• Minimum draw weight of 50 lbs for moose, brown/grizzly bear, and mountain goat
• Scopes, lights, and electronic vision-enhancement devices on the bow or arrow are prohibited
• Arrows must be tipped with broadheads for big game
• Poisoned, drugged, barbed, or explosive arrowheads are illegal for any game

Alaska also prohibits the use of electronic calls for certain species. You cannot use electronic calls for moose hunting. Check the regulations for each species you plan to pursue, as call restrictions may apply beyond moose.

Important Note: Draw weight minimums are tied to the specific game animal, not the hunt type. Even in a general season hunt where firearms are also legal, your bow must still meet the minimum draw weight for the species you are targeting.

Crossbow Rules in Alaska

Crossbows occupy a distinct legal category in Alaska — they are not treated as archery equipment for the purpose of weapon-restricted hunts. Crossbows are not permitted in bow-only zones but are legal in areas where both firearms and bows are allowed. This is a critical distinction that catches many hunters off guard.

If you plan to hunt with a crossbow, you must meet a separate minimum draw weight standard. For crossbow hunting in Alaska, the minimum draw weight is 100 pounds for taking big game, including deer.

Crossbow hunters also face a dedicated certification requirement. As of July 1, 2018, all hunters using a crossbow to hunt big game in Alaska must successfully complete a crossbow certification course. This course emphasizes safety aspects specific to crossbows and includes a shooting proficiency test that requires making five out of eight shots in the vitals on four three-dimensional animal targets at various distances less than 30 yards.

ADF&G offers four types of certification courses: Basic Hunter Education, Bowhunter Education, Crossbow Education, and Muzzleloader Education. Each is separate, and completing one does not satisfy the requirements of another. If you intend to hunt with both a traditional bow and a crossbow, you need certifications for both.

There is one accommodation for disabled hunters. Disabled hunters who possess an approved Methods and Means Exemption Form may use crossbows during archery seasons. Contact ADF&G directly to apply for this exemption before your hunt.

Species You Can Hunt with a Bow in Alaska

There are 11 species of big game you can bow hunt in Alaska. The state’s wildlife diversity is one of its defining features, and archery hunters have access to many of the same species as firearm hunters — provided they meet the draw weight requirements and any permit conditions for their target animal.

Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) are among the most accessible species for bow hunters in Southeast Alaska. Sitka black-tailed deer seasons vary by zone, generally running from August 1 to December 31, with bag limits of 2–4 bucks depending on the area. You can also hunt mule deer and whitetail deer in Alaska. You can now hunt mule, whitetail, and Sitka black-tailed deer in Alaska.

Moose (Alces alces) are a premier target for Alaska bow hunters, with several GMUs offering dedicated bow-only permit hunts. Bear hunting is also available. You can hunt black bears, brown bears, and grizzly bears in Alaska. Black bear seasons can span nearly year-round in some zones, while brown/grizzly bear hunting is typically allowed in spring (March 15–May 31) and fall (September 15–December 31).

Species	Minimum Draw Weight	Resident/Nonresident Access	Guide Required (Nonresident)
Sitka Black-Tailed Deer	40 lbs	Both	No
Caribou	40 lbs	Both (varies by unit)	No
Black Bear	40 lbs	Both	No
Dall Sheep	40 lbs	Both	Yes
Wolf / Wolverine	40 lbs	Both (check unit)	No
Moose	50 lbs	Both	No (U.S. NR)
Brown/Grizzly Bear	50 lbs	Both	Yes
Mountain Goat	50 lbs	Both (by permit)	Yes

Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) hunts are permit-only and available by bow and arrow in select units. For example, one goat by bow and arrow only by permit is available online at hunt.alaska.gov or in Douglas, Haines, and Petersburg beginning July 15. Additionally, for the 2025–2026 season, a mandatory moose orientation for non-residents and a mountain goat ID quiz for all goat hunters are required.

For nonresident hunters, guide requirements apply to certain species. Non-residents can hunt caribou, black bear, wolf, and waterfowl without a guide. However, brown/grizzly bear, Dall sheep, and mountain goat require either a guide or be accompanied by a resident relative (second degree of kindred). You can read more about how these rules apply in our article on hunting laws in Montana, another state with demanding nonresident guide requirements for big game.

License and Tag Requirements for Bow Hunters in Alaska

Every bow hunter in Alaska must hold a valid hunting license before heading into the field. In Alaska, a license is required in order to participate in hunting. Resident hunters pay $45 for an annual hunting license, while nonresidents pay $160, and nonresident aliens pay $630.

On top of the base license, most big game hunters need additional documentation. Harvest tickets are free species-specific permits required for big game such as moose, caribou, and bear. You need both the license and the harvest ticket to hunt big game legally. Harvest tickets are available at no cost wherever hunting licenses are sold.

Nonresidents face additional tag costs for big game. As of the 2025–2026 season, resident tags include moose at $30, brown/grizzly bear at $25, black bear at $25, caribou at $30, and deer at $20. Non-resident tags run significantly higher: moose at $800, brown bear at $1,000, caribou at $650, and deer at $150.

Nonresident hunters must buy appropriate locking tags to hunt big game in Alaska — this tag is locked on the animal immediately after the kill and must remain there until the animal is processed or exported. Failing to attach a locking tag immediately after harvest is a serious violation.

Pro Tip: Be sure to purchase your license and game tags, and pick up harvest tickets, before you leave home or a population center. Remote hunting areas in Alaska may have no vendors nearby, and some areas may be sold out of harvest tickets.

Reporting your harvest is also mandatory. Harvest reporting is mandatory for all big game. You must submit your harvest ticket within specific timeframes — typically 15 days for a successful harvest, or by a specific date if unsuccessful. Failure to submit harvest tickets is a violation that can result in fines and license suspension for the following year. Even if you did not harvest anything, you must return the ticket marked “unsuccessful” by the deadline.

For draw hunts, draw hunt applications are accepted November 1 through December 15 annually, and specific big game species require locking tags purchased separately on top of the base license. You can compare licensing structures in other states through our guides on hunting laws in Arkansas and hunting laws in Kansas.

Bowhunter Education Requirements in Alaska

Alaska requires bowhunter education certification for most archery big game hunters, and the rules hinge on your birth date. If you were born on or after January 1, 1986, you must have successfully completed a department-approved bowhunter education certification course to hunt big game with archery equipment, and the certification card must be carried in the field when hunting. All hunters participating in archery-only hunts for big game must obtain bowhunter education certification.

The second rule is absolute regardless of age: if the hunt is designated as archery-only, everyone must be certified. The regulation states “a person born on or after January 1, 1986, using a longbow, recurve bow, or compound bow to hunt big game must have successfully completed a department-approved bowhunter education course.” That exemption does not apply to participants in archery-only hunts. In archery-only hunts, all bowhunters must have successfully completed a department-approved bowhunter education course to participate.

The ADF&G bowhunter education course has two components. The course is composed of two parts: the online course and an in-person field day. You will study the course material and take practice tests on the internet. You can take multiple chapter review tests online until the material is adequately covered. After successfully passing the online test, you must attend a field day where you will complete a blood trailing exercise and proficiency shoot.

The shooting proficiency test has specific pass standards. Archery shooting proficiency is demonstrated by taking eight shots at four 3-D targets. The student must make five out of the eight shots in the vitals (heart, lung, liver). The student must make at least one vital shot on each of the four target animals and a double kill shot on one.

The Alaska bowhunter education program meets the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) and International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) certification requirements. This means out-of-state certifications may be accepted. Alaska accepts the NBEF or IBEP certification cards from any state or province-sponsored bowhunter education course.

You can enroll through the ADF&G Bowhunter Education page or through the official Alaska bowhunter online safety course. For a comparison of how education requirements work in another state, see our guide on bow hunting laws in Tennessee.

Important Note: Classes fill up quickly — do not wait until the last minute. Field day slots in Alaska can book out weeks in advance, especially in the months leading up to fall seasons. Complete your certification well before your planned hunt date.

Land and Safety Restrictions for Bow Hunting in Alaska

Alaska’s vast public land base gives bow hunters access that is unmatched in the lower 48, but access is not unlimited. Most of Alaska is public land, but some areas require special permits or have access restrictions. Private land, Native corporation land, and certain critical habitat areas have their own rules.

Considerable amounts of land in and around Alaska’s network of roads is privately owned. Get permission from the landowner beforehand — there are some corporation-owned lands that will charge you a fee to hunt on their land. Trespassing on private or corporation land without permission is a violation regardless of what weapon you carry.

Certain areas are restricted to bow and arrow only by statute. In Unit 20, for example, big game, small game, and fur animals may be taken in the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area by bow and arrow only, and small game may be taken by falconry. Hunting with firearms is prohibited by statute in that corridor, making archery equipment the only legal option for big game hunters operating there.

Closed areas also exist near populated road systems. In Unit 1, the area between the coast and a line one-quarter mile inland of certain road systems — including Glacier Highway, Douglas Highway, Mendenhall Loop Road, and Thane Road — is closed to taking big game. Similar road-corridor closures exist in other units, so review the specific GMU regulations for any area you plan to hunt.

Orange clothing requirements apply to some hunts. It is required to wear hunting orange clothing such as a vest or jacket during certain seasons. Check whether your specific hunt type and unit require blaze orange, as this varies by season and weapon type.

• Most of Alaska is public land, but always verify access for the specific parcel you intend to hunt
• Get written permission before hunting on private or Native corporation land
• Some areas — like the Dalton Highway Corridor — restrict hunting to bow and arrow only by law
• Road-corridor closed areas exist near populated communities in multiple units
• Blaze orange may be required depending on your hunt type and unit
• Any hunter traveling on the Dalton Highway must stop at any ADF&G check station within the DHCMA
• Electronic calls are prohibited for moose and may be restricted for other species

For additional context on how other states handle land and safety restrictions for archery hunters, you can review our guides on hunting laws in Ohio, hunting laws in Virginia, and hunting laws in Idaho. You may also find it useful to review Alaska-specific animal regulations such as coyote hunting laws in Pennsylvania for comparison on predator hunting rules.

Alaska’s bow hunting laws reward hunters who do their homework. The unit-based system means no two hunts are exactly alike, and the certification, draw weight, and licensing requirements exist to protect both the resource and the hunter. Review the full ADF&G hunting regulations for your specific GMU, complete any required certifications well in advance, and confirm your license and tag requirements before you leave for the field.