BETHEL, Alaska - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced an early closure of the hunting season for the Mulchatna caribou herd. Federal managers followed suit and restricted caribou hunting kills to bulls on federal lands in western game units. Federal officials closed the hunt entirely in their jurisdiction in December. State officials said they do not know why the population dropped and are working to understanding why it happened. Wildlife managers plan to launch a plan to communicate Mulchatna herd conditions and state decisions to communities, including publishing a magazine called Caribou Trails.

Source: thestar January 29, 2020 15:11 UTC