Summer is coming to a close, the kids are back in school, the Xtratufs are on and September has arrived. That can mean only one thing: The moose hunting season is upon us.

The season for the Wrangell and Petersburg area kicks off Sept. 15 and will run until Oct. 15. So hunters will have exactly one month to bag their moose.

Those looking to participate must get a valid hunting permit for the area they’ll be hunting.

“First off, they want to get an RM 038 permit that covers Unit 3 and 1B for most people going up the Stikine River,” said Wrangell State Wildlife Trooper Alisha Seward.

Unit 3 encompasses the area’s islands, Unit 1B is the mainland.

All hunters are required to watch a video called “Is This Moose Legal?” beforehand. Out-of-state hunters must also complete an official nonresident moose hunter orientation and carry proof of completion with them in the field. Both are available at http://adfg.alaska.gov.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game limits the take of moose to one bull per hunter per season in the area. There are also specific restrictions based on the antler size of the bull. 

“For a legal bull, you’re looking at a spike or fork, 50 inches, two by two brow tines on each side, or at least three brow tines on one side,” Seward said.

Brow tines occur on the forward or lower palm of the moose’s antlers, sitting just above the brow, whereas the protruding parts of the antler on the main palm are called points.

“An antler point or tine originating within two inches from the base, and less than three inches in length will not be counted as a brow tine, or point,” according to moose hunting guidelines from Fish and Game.

The guidelines also say that hunters must look at a moose head-on for accurate brow tine identification and that each hunter is responsible for verifying whether the bull is of legal size before attempting to take it.

Wildlife Trooper Seward said law enforcement understands that mistakes can happen, and that if you’ve misidentified the size of a moose, it’s best to let them know up front.

“If it’s an honest mistake, I mean, there is still a court process. There’s still a citation. It just keeps it on the violation side,” she said, rather than becoming a misdemeanor.

Last year was a record harvest for the area with 147 moose taken as reported by hunters, according to Frank Robbins, Fish and Game biologist in Petersburg. This is up from the 134 harvest average for the previous five years.

“That was a significant increase in the harvest,” Robbins said, “Most of the increase in the harvest occurred in Unit 3, in the western part of Kupreanof and Kuiu islands.”

He said he thinks that it may not be another record year, but that it will still be a good one. 

Fish and Game does not conduct population surveys throughout the rainforest because it’s just unfeasible with the dense tree cover. Unlike up north, where the forest is thinner and biologists can count from planes, Robbins said. Instead, they rely on reporting from hunters to keep track of populations and hunting efforts.

Hunters who are successful must punch their card immediately and report their kill within five days. To do so, they have to complete a hunt report, which can be done online, and present the jaw and antlers to the appropriate authorities. In Petersburg, these can be taken to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office, but in Wrangell they have to go to the U.S. Forest Service since there is no Fish and Game office in town.  

Unsuccessful hunters must also report their efforts within 15 days of season close.

“We want people to go out there, have fun, have a blast. It’s moose hunting. People love this time of year,” Seward said, “The only thing I’d say is that if you make a mistake or something, give me a shout, and we can deal with it.”