Game Management Unit 25C

The BLM administers lands which provide Fortymile caribou harvest opportunities on federal public lands in the White Mountains National Recreation Area (WMNRA) and the Steese National Conservation Area (SNCA) that make up a large portion of Game Management Unit 25C.

Hunting for caribou in Unit 25C is managed through joint state/federal registration permits: RC860 in the fall and RC867 in the winter. An unlimited number of permits are available through Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 

Be aware that regulations may differ for state vs. federal subsistence hunters. All registered hunters may harvest caribou under state regulations, but only federally-qualified rural residents may harvest caribou under federal subsistence regulations. For the most current information about Fortymile caribou hunts, call the Fortymile hotline at (907) 267-2310.  

Travel responsibly and know where you are and who manages the lands and access for where you are hunting. Land status and boundary maps are available as downloadable, georeferenced pdf maps and can be viewed in the BLM’s informational interactive web map at Lands, Minerals and Realty (arcgis.com). Check the Quicklinks to the right for links to some great resources.  

Do your part and Tread Lightly! to help minimize impacts to these important hunting grounds.

Fortymile Caribou Hunt Information

Check out this helpful guide for caribou hunters from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

Bull or Cow? How to distinguish between bull and cow caribou in the field.

State of Alaska caribou hunt regulations 

All hunts managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) are published annually in the Alaska Hunting Regulation booklet (Alaska Hunting Regulations). Season dates and bag limits for the RC860 and RC867 caribou hunts may change annually and may be modified within the season as well.   

The RC860 and RC867 permit area is divided into four zones. Each zone has its own harvest quota. Hunts may be closed for any and all zones by emergency order to prevent overharvest. Any state or federal closures will be announced on ADFG’s Fortymile Caribou Hotline at (907) 267-2310. If the harvest quota is met, the state season may close, but typically the federal subsistence season remains open. 

Hunt dates for the Fortymile caribou hunts in recent years were: 

• RC860, August 10 – September 30 

• RC867, October 27 – March 31 

Federal subsistence caribou hunts 

The BLM Alaska Eastern Interior Field Office manager has the authority to set seasons and harvest limits for federal subsistence hunting for caribou on federal lands in GMUs 25C, 20E, and a part of 20F. These will be announced in a BLM Alaska press release and posted on the Federal Subsistence Management website and the BLM Alaska Facebook page. The Fortymile Caribou Hotline (907-267-2310) also includes information about the federal subsistence hunt. 

Federally qualified rural residents must obtain a registration permit (RC860 or RC867) to hunt caribou in these units under either federal subsistence or state regulations.  

Hunt dates for the two federal subsistence registration caribou hunts in 2022-2023 were: 

• RC860, August 1 - September 30 

• RC867, October 27 – March 31 

Rural residents of the following Game Management Units and communities qualify to subsistence hunt caribou on federal public lands in Unit 25C during federal-only hunts: residents of Units 20D, 20E, 20F, 25, and 12 (north of Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve) and Eureka, Livengood, Manley, and Minto. Note that there is no federal subsistence season for caribou in units 20B or 20D. 

Federal subsistence regulations apply only to qualified rural residents hunting on federal public lands.  At times, the federal and state harvest (bag) limits may differ. You may not harvest a caribou under federal regulations if your total harvest of caribou already obtained anywhere in Alaska under federal or state regulations in that regulatory year equals or exceeds the federal harvest (bag) limits.   

Information on federal subsistence hunts can be found on the Department of Interior Federal Subsistence Management Program’s Wildlife web page.  

BLM-managed public lands in Unit 25C, including the White Mountains National Recreation Area and the Steese National Conservation Area, are adjacent to state lands and other federal public lands: Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. Other than a few small parcels and mining claims, there are no federal public lands for subsistence hunting directly along the highway except where the Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River corridor meets the Steese Highway near milepost 95 and milepost 140.  

The BLM Alaska’s digital map collection includes the Federal Subsistence Hunting Map series with detailed maps available for several Game Management Units, including a map for Unit 25C that shows the unencumbered federal public lands that open to federal subsistence hunting.    

Permit Availability  

RC860 fall registration permit  

An unlimited number of RC860 permits are available at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game offices in Tok, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Douglas, Anchorage and Palmer. They are also available at select vendors in Tok, Eagle and Central and online from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website.  

RC867 winter registration permit 

An unlimited number of RC867 permits are available at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game offices in Tok, Delta Junction and Fairbanks. They are also available at select vendors in Eagle and Central and online from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website.  

Current Information 

For the most current information about Fortymile caribou hunts, call the Fortymile hotline at 907-267-2310. When a closure is imposed, pay attention to whether it is state or federal seasons and which zones/areas are affected.