Hunt opens for musk ox stranded on ice floes

Musk ox near Nome (Neal Herbert/National Park Service)

The state opened hunting season for musk ox stranded on ice floes in Western Alaska on Thursday.

The musk ox were stranded on the floes after wandering onto the sea ice during breakup. Most of the musk ox can be found in the coastal waters near Nunivak Island and Nelson Island.

Residents don’t need a permit or a tag to participate in the hunt and can take up to two musk ox.

Hunters must submit a photo verifying the musk ox were taken from a free-floating ice floe surrounded by seawater. Photos should be submitted to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game within 48 hours of harvesting.

Musk ox season is set to close on June 30.

KYUK - Bethel

KYUK is our partner station in Bethel. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

Sign up for The Signal

Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week

Read next

Site notifications
Update notification options
Subscribe to notifications