What are the laws for hunting fox in Alaska? This article covers many of the fundamental laws you will need to know to get started. It also provides information such as seasons, harvest limits, and required permits for fox hunting in Alaska. It is not a legal document and is not intended to cover all hunting laws and regulations.
Arctic fox hunting season in Alaska (including blue and white phases):
Unit 8: Two foxes Sept 1-Feb 15.
Units 9, 17-18, 22-23, and 26: Two foxes Sept 1-Apr 30.
Unit 10: No limit, no closed season.
Units 24 and 25: Two foxes Sept 1-Mar 15.
Red fox hunting season in Alaska (including black, cross, and silver color phases):Units 1–7, and 15: no open seasonUnits 8–10, 14, and 16-17: Two foxes.Sept 1-Feb 15Units 11-13 and 18–26: Ten foxes; however, no more than 2 foxes may be taken before Oct 1. Sept 1-Mar 15.
Note: Special area restrictions in Unit 14C. Summary available online at http://hunt.alaska.gov under hunting regulations for small game.
Purchase an Alaskan hunting license here.
First time hunting fox? Check out these articles:
Read: How to call in a fox.
Read: How to use tracks and scat to hunt a fox.
Related: Read the laws for hunting coyotes in Alaska.
General regulations for hunting fox in Alaska.
Electronic callers and decoys. Are legal.
Alaska does not allow the use of “electronically enhanced night vision.”
With no night hunting option, you will have to master the craft of calling in what might be a well-fed, sleeping fox, or one that’s scared you’re a wolf.
Therefore the following article is strongly recommended, especially for new predator hunters.
Read: How to master the best closed reed call.
Check electronic predator caller prices here.
Using suppressors while hunting coyotes in Alaska is legal.
You need a different strategy for hunting foxes in Alaska during the day.
Let’s face it; fox move a lot more at night. The only way to increase your odds of success is to locate their habitat, find their dens, maximize the property you have, and get access to more property.
Locate their habitat.
- Learn how to locate a fox den.
- Learn how to find fox hunting spots.
Get more land to hunt foxes on.
- Read here to discover 8 ways to get permission to hunt private property.
You will need a decoy, check decoy prices here.
Did you know, all my predator hunting books are worthless for Alaskan predator hunters? That’s because they all deal with night hunting, but, you can find other predator hunting books here.
Illegal methods for hunting fox in Alaska.
• Fur animals MAY NOT be taken under the hunting regulations by the following methods:
– with a dog (except coyote in Unit 20D after registering with ADF&G), trap, snare, net, or fish trap; – by disturbing or destroying dens;
– the same day you have been airborne, unless you are at least 300 feet from the airplane;- with a nonresident small game license.
Additional laws for fox hunting Alaska.
Don’t screw up in Alaska, but if you shoot the wrong animal—fess up! Alaska treats self reported accidental criminal acts much less harshly than the ones they have to track down.
Not all of these will apply to coyote hunting, but just in case, here they are:
• Shooting on, from, or across the driveable surface of any constructed road or highway.
• Driving, herding, harassing, or molesting game with any motorized vehicle such as an aircraft, airboat, snowmachine, motor-driven boat, etc.
• A motor-driven boat or motorized land vehicle, unless the motor has been shut off and the progress from the motor’s power has ceased (see page 19 for additional restrictions in Units 1-5 and Unit 6D), EXCEPT:
— A motor-driven boat may be used as follows:
– in Units 23 and 26 to take caribou;
– in Unit 22 to position hunters to select individual wolves for harvest;
– under the authority of a permit issued by the department.
— A motorized land vehicle may be used as follows:
– under the authority of a permit issued by the department; – in Units 7 and 15 with a permit, see page 12;
– A snowmachine may be used to position a caribou for harvest, and a caribou may be shot from a stationary snowmachine in Units 22, 23, and 26A;
– A snowmachine may be used in Unit 17 to assist in the taking of a caribou and caribou may be shot from a stationary snowmachine. In Unit 17, “Assist in the taking of a caribou” means a snowmachine may be used to approach within 300 yards of a caribou at speeds under 15 miles per hour, in a manner that does not involve repeated approaches or that causes a caribou to run. A snowmachine may not be used to contact an animal or to pursue a fleeing caribou.
– A snowmachine may be used to position a wolf or wolverine for harvest, and a wolf or wolverine may be shot from a stationary snowmachine in Units 18, 22, 23, and 26A – A snowmachine may be used to position hunters to select individual wolves for harvest, and wolves may be shot from a stationary snowmachine in wolf control areas and in the following areas:
-Units 9B, 9C, 9E, 17-19, 21-22, 24, 25C, and 25D, except on any National Park Service or National Wildlife Refuge lands not approved by the federal agencies;
– A snowmachine may be used to position hunters to select a bear for harvest in bear control areas and bears may be shot from a stationary snowmachine, see predator control supplement online at http://hunt.alaska.gov for area descriptions.
– An ATV may be used to position hunters to select individual wolves for harvest, and wolves may be shot from a stationary ATV in Units 9B, 9C, 9E, 17, 22, and 25C, except on any National Park Service or National Wildlife Refuge lands not approved by the federal agencies.
• Using an electronic control Taser-type device that temporarily incapacitates wildlife, EXCEPT under the authority of a permit issued by the department.
• Using poison or other substances that temporarily incapacitates wildlife, without written permission from the Board of Game.
• Using a bow that shoots more than one arrow at a time. • Using a machine gun, set gun, or shotgun larger than 10 gauge.
• Pursuing with a vehicle an animal that is fleeing.
• Using a helicopter for hunting or for transporting hunters, hunting gear, game meat, trophies, or any equipment used to pursue or retrieve game, EXCEPT helicopter use may be authorized to rescue hunters, gear, or game in a life-threatening situation.
• Using a crossbow in a hunt restricted to bow and arrow only. You may use a crossbow in any hunt that does not restrict weapons. For big game, minimum standards are listed on page 19.
• Using a pit, fire, laser sight (excluding rangefinders), electronically-enhanced night vision, any forward looking infrared device, any device that has been airborne, controlled remotely, or communicates wirelessly, and used to spot or locate game with the use of a camera or video device, any camera or other sensory device that can send messages through wireless communication, artificial salt lick, explosive, expanding gas arrow, bomb, smoke, deer urine, elk urine, or chemicals (excluding scent lures), EXCEPT:
— Electronic calls may be used for all game animals except moose.