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Alaska draw odds · Caribou

Alaska caribou draw odds & harvest stats

Only a few Alaska caribou hunts are on the draw, and most of them drew at about 1% in recent years, including the Talkeetna Mountains and Central Alaska Range hunts. Most Alaska caribou hunting happens under registration or general-season rules instead, which this page doesn't cover.

2026 draw application period

Apply Nov 1, 8 am – Dec 15, 2026, 5 pm AKST

Applications are online only, through ADF&G. Fees aren't refunded, so double-check your hunt numbers.

Heads up: ADF&G hasn't posted the 2027–28 supplement yet, and that's the one this application period uses. Hunts, permit numbers, and seasons below are from the 2026–27 supplement and ADF&G's 2026 hunt pages. Check the new supplement before you apply.

Of the 9 caribou hunts here with 2025 drawing results, 8 drew at 1% or less and 1 drew at 10% or better.

9caribou draw hunts listed for 2026
6open to residents (1 resident-only)
43,257applications in the 2025 drawing
630permits in the 2025 drawing

Best 2025 odds open to residents

  1. DC827 Unit 20A, Central Alaska Range 1% · 15,550 apps for 149 permits
  2. DC608 Unit 15B, Killey River 1% · 5,100 apps for 60 permits
  3. DC590 Units 14A, 14B, Western Talkeetna Mountains 1% · 9,028 apps for 50 permits
  4. YC831 Units 20B, 20E, 25C, Fortymile Zones 1 & 3 Youth Hunt 1% · 4,572 apps for 30 permits
  5. DC618 Unit 15C, Fox River 1% · 812 apps for 10 permits

Among hunts with at least 10 applications.

Most-applied-for hunts

  1. DC827 Unit 20A, Central Alaska Range 1% · 15,550 apps for 149 permits
  2. DC590 Units 14A, 14B, Western Talkeetna Mountains 1% · 9,028 apps for 50 permits
  3. DC608 Unit 15B, Killey River 1% · 5,100 apps for 60 permits
  4. YC831 Units 20B, 20E, 25C, Fortymile Zones 1 & 3 Youth Hunt 1% · 4,572 apps for 30 permits
  5. DC001 Unit 7, Kenai Mountains <1% · 3,952 apps for 5 permits

All 9 caribou draw hunts

All species →
DC923CaribouUnit 23Unit-wideNonresidents only45%666 apps · 300 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 1 – Sep 30, 2026
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 50 permits
Who can apply
Nonresidents only
Legal animal
One (1) Bull Caribou
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
2019Not offered or not reported
2020Not offered or not reported
2021Not offered or not reported
2022Not offered or not reported
2023Not offered or not reported
2024Not offered or not reported
202566630045%2
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
2019No records
2020No records
2021No records
2022No records
2023No records
2024No records
2025*242504692%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

DC590CaribouUnits 14A, 14BWestern Talkeetna Mountains1%9,028 apps · 50 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 10, 2026 – Mar 15, 2027
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 25 permits; Residents: Up to 25 permits
Who can apply
Residents & nonresidents
Legal animal
One (1) Bull Caribou
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
20195,1572004%26
20204,2542005%21
20214,7172004%24
20225,8392003%29
20239,2481001%92
202410,2171001%102
20259,028501%181
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
2019199925257%
20202001086257%
2021200865159%
2022199845363%
2023100462452%
2024100563257%
2025*50241562%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

DC608CaribouUnit 15BKilley River1%5,100 apps · 60 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 10 – Sep 20, 2026
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 60 permits; Residents: Up to 60 permits
Who can apply
Residents & nonresidents
Legal animal
One Caribou
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
20191,800503%36
20201,670503%33
20212,241502%45
20222,982502%60
20233,765602%63
20244,282601%71
20255,100601%85
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
201950191368%
202050342471%
202150372259%
202250351646%
202360381129%
202460492551%
2025*60382155%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

DC618CaribouUnit 15CFox River1%812 apps · 10 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 10 – Sep 20, 2026
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 10 permits; Residents: Up to 10 permits
Who can apply
Residents & nonresidents
Legal animal
One Caribou
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
2019419102%42
2020361103%36
2021418102%42
2022456102%46
2023577102%58
2024683101%68
2025812101%81
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
2019104375%
2020104125%
2021104125%
2022106350%
2023105120%
2024104250%
2025*1022100%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

DC826CaribouUnit 20ACentral Alaska RangeNonresidents only1%2,353 apps · 13 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 10 – Sep 20, 2026
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 13 permits
Who can apply
Nonresidents only
Legal animal
Bull
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
2019Not offered or not reported
2020Not offered or not reported
2021Not offered or not reported
2022Not offered or not reported
2023Not offered or not reported
2024Not offered or not reported
20252,353131%181
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
2019No records
2020No records
2021No records
2022No records
2023No records
2024No records
2025*1312650%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

DC827CaribouUnit 20ACentral Alaska RangeResidents only1%15,550 apps · 149 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 10 – Sep 20, 2026
2026 permits
Residents: Up to 149 permits
Who can apply
Residents only
Legal animal
Bull
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
20197,9661502%53
20207,0821502%47
20218,1421502%54
20229,5921502%64
202313,1801501%88
202415,7121501%105
202515,5501491%104
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
20191501017271%
2020150925358%
20211501067167%
20221501027069%
2023150955861%
2024150945457%
2025*149773849%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

DC828CaribouUnit 20ACentral Alaska RangeNonresidents only1%1,224 apps · 13 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 10 – Sep 20, 2026
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 13 permits
Who can apply
Nonresidents only
Legal animal
Bull
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
2019Not offered or not reported
2020Not offered or not reported
2021Not offered or not reported
2022Not offered or not reported
2023Not offered or not reported
2024Not offered or not reported
20251,224131%94
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
2019No records
2020No records
2021No records
2022No records
2023No records
2024No records
2025*139889%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

YC831CaribouUnits 20B, 20E, 25CFortymile Zones 1 & 3 Youth HuntYouth hunt1%4,572 apps · 30 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 1 – Aug 21, 2026
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 30 permits; Residents: Up to 30 permits
Who can apply
Residents & nonresidents
Legal animal
Either Sex
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
20191,018303%34
20201,260302%42
20211,624302%54
20221,751302%58
20233,156301%105
20244,434301%148
20254,572301%152
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
201929232296%
202030272281%
202130252288%
20223026623%
202330252288%
202430281554%
2025*30262388%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

DC001CaribouUnit 7Kenai Mountains<1%3,952 apps · 5 permits2025 drawing
2026 season
Aug 10 – Sep 20, 2026
2026 permits
Nonresidents: Up to 5 permits; Residents: Up to 5 permits
Who can apply
Residents & nonresidents
Legal animal
One Bull Caribou
Drawing results by year
DrawingApplicationsPermits% drawnApps per permit
20192,80225<1%112
20202,153251%86
20212,620251%105
20222,980251%119
20235,02025<1%201
20245,42015<1%361
20253,9525<1%790
Harvest by regulatory year
YearPermit recordsHuntedHarvestedSuccess
20192512325%
20202514321%
2021259222%
20222513323%
2023251400%
2024159111%
2025*5400%

Success is harvested ÷ hunted. *2025 reports may still be coming in.

Other species: Moose · Dall sheep · Mountain goat · Brown bear · Black bear · Elk · Bison · Muskox

Where these numbers come from

How to read the odds

  • % drawn is the share of applications that won a permit, as ADF&G printed it. "<1%" means less than one in a hundred.
  • Apps per permit is our math: applications divided by permits. 250 means roughly one permit for every 250 applications.
  • Party applications, multiple applications for the same hunt, and permits that change after the draw all shift the real odds a little, so treat these numbers as a guide.
  • ADF&G labels each table by drawing year. The "2025 drawing" results were printed in the 2026–27 supplement. Results from the drawing held in early 2026 will show up when ADF&G publishes the 2027–28 supplement, and we'll add them then.
  • Nonresidents need a guide or a qualifying resident relative for brown bear, Dall sheep, and mountain goat. Some hunts are guided-only or nonguided-only, so read the hunt page.

Sources (all Alaska Department of Fish and Game)

Drawing results cover 2019–2025. Data checked 2026-10-19. Download our compiled data (JSON).

Chugach Cache isn't affiliated with ADF&G. We copied the numbers from ADF&G's tables and wrote the descriptions ourselves. If a number looks off, ADF&G's supplement and hunt pages are the official source. Hunts and seasons can change by emergency order.