Notice To Copper Valley Residents Regarding Permitted Subsistence Hunts In Wrangell-St. Elias

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
News Release

Federal Subsistence Hunting Permits Available July 20 for Wrangell-St. Elias

Release Date: July 20, 2026

COPPER CENTER, Alaska – Federal subsistence registration permits for hunts in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve will be available starting Monday, July 20, at the park’s Visitor Center in Copper Center and at the Slana Ranger Station. Both are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, September 20.

National Park Visitor Center in Copper Center. (Photo, Journal archives)

Permits will be issued for:

Moose hunts in Unit 11 and a portion of Unit 12.
Goat hunting in Unit 11.
The Chisana caribou herd hunt in the southeastern corner of Unit 12.
Sheep hunts for hunters who are 60 years of age or older in Units 11 and 12.

Hunters can call (907) 822-7250 one day in advance planned pick up to request permits. We will print the permits so that they are ready to sign when you arrive. Please have your State of Alaska resident hunting license number available when you call. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Permits will be available at the Chitina Ranger Station on Saturdays, depending on staffing. Please call (907) 822-7250 to check if the station is open.

A separate announcement will be issued for McCarthy/Kennecott residents with a permitting events schedule.

Eligibility Requirements:

Permit applicants must be federally qualified subsistence users and meet special eligibility requirements for lands managed by the National Park Service. Applicants must have their primary permanent residence in rural Alaska, and their community must be listed in the “Species/ Customary & Traditional Use Determination” (C&T) column of the Federal Subsistence Management Regulations Booklet for Wildlife for the intended species and location. The C&T use determinations for Unit 11 begin on page 58 and for Unit 12 on page 64 of the 2024-2026 regulations booklet.

Applicants seeking permits for National Park hunts (as opposed to in the National Preserve) must also live in one of the park’s 23 resident zone communities:

Chisana, Chistochina, Chitina, Copper Center, Dot Lake, Gakona, Gakona Junction, Glennallen, Gulkana, Healy Lake, Kenny Lake, Lower Tonsina, McCarthy, Mentasta Lake, Nabesna, Northway/ Northway Village/Northway Junction, Slana, Tanacross, Tazlina, Tetlin, Tok, Tonsina and Yakutat.

Please bring your State of Alaska resident hunting license, a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license), and proof of local physical address when you come to get a permit. Examples of documentation of physical address include a voter registration card, a recent electric or other utility bill listing your physical address, or current rental or lease agreement.

Joint State/Federal Permit (RM291)

This permit is for the moose hunt in the portion of Unit 11 draining into the east bank of the Copper River upstream from and including the Slana River drainage and Unit 12 within the Nabesna River drainage west of the east bank of the Nabesna River upstream from the southern boundary of Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge is available on-line as well as from the Visitor Center in Copper Center and the Slana Ranger Station. Hunters with access to a computer and printer are encouraged to obtain this permit online.

Additional Information

There is no federal registration permit for the general sheep hunts in Units 11 and 12. Federally qualified subsistence hunters wishing to harvest sheep in Units 11 and 12 during the regular season may do so under the federal harvest limit; however, they must have a state harvest ticket and comply with the state’s reporting and horn sealing requirements. The state sealing requirement for Unit 11 applies to all rams, even rams with less than full-curl horns. Sealing is not required for sheep harvested under a federal registration permit during the elder hunts.

Hunters are reminded that airplanes may be used to access the National Preserve for the purposes of subsistence harvest of fish and wildlife, but not the National Park. Special rules apply to the use of off-road vehicles in the Black Mountain area and at the end of the Tanada Lake Trail. If you plan to hunt in those areas, please ask when you pick up your permit or see the park website for more information.

Federal subsistence hunting opportunities are an important part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve and help support the continuation of traditional subsistence practices for eligible rural residents. For more information, contact the park’s Visitor Center in Copper Center at (907) 822-7250.