Roughly a century ago, eight elk were introduced on Afognak Island, north of Kodiak. Now there are more than 1000 animals around the Kodiak Archipelago according to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. The department opened bull elk hunting on Sept. 25 across Afognak Island for Alaska residents and some nonresidents.
According to a public notice from the department, eligible Alaska resident hunters can take a total of 16 elk in Unit 8 Remainder and the East Afognak Island hunt areas. This does not include Southwest Afognak or Raspberry Island elk hunts.
But there are some newer regulations for this year’s hunt after changes adopted by the state Board of Game in March of 2023 went into effect starting last year in the fall of 2024.
Eight permits each are available in person only in the communities of Ouzinkie and Port Lions for two recently created elk hunts, RE752 and RE756. Those permits were up for grabs on a first come first serve basis starting on Sept. 22 and are for Alaska residents only.
Separately, 25 permits for a cow elk hunt on Raspberry Island became available on Sept. 22 to the first 25 Alaska residents that register online only. All of them have been issued as of Friday morning, Oct. 3. The Raspberry Island cow elk hunt, RE706, opens on Oct. 23 while the bull hunt, DE702, opened on Oct. 1.
According to the department’s latest abundance surveys from July of 2024, the herd on Raspberry is estimated to be between 150 and 200 animals. Assistant area biologist with ADF&G in Kodiak, Bill Dunker, said in an email that the Raspberry Island herd peaked at 260 animals in 2018 and has been reduced to current levels after high cow harvest in the last several years.
But compare that one herd to the seven others around Afognak Island, and it accounts for roughly 15% of the total elk population. Dunker said in an email that the latest population of elk around Afognak Island, from 2022, is estimated to be around 1,100 animals.
For more information about elk hunting around Afognak Island and the Kodiak Archipelago, Unit 8 hunting area, go online to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website.
