My Alaska Draw Hunt Results

February 16th is the day that the Alaska draw hunt results are released. These tags are in those areas that could not support a general season or registration hunt for a given species. Luckily, for Alaskans, we can hunt many big game species with free, over-the-counter harvest tags. However, a few require a draw tag, such as Muskox and Bison. These tags are very hard to come by. The Delta Bison herd either sex DI404 tag last season had over 33,000 entries with 60 tags available. That comes out to be 1 in 550 chances of drawing. This year there was an additional tag for the Delta herd, DI403 (cow only). I was one of the lucky few to draw this tag.

For the Alaska draw, individuals have the option of entering up to 6 times per species. You can spread those entries across multiple tags or opt to enter them all toward a single hunt. Bison and muskox are $10 an entry while all other species are $5. Since the draw odds are so low for the highly sought-after Delta herd tags, most people view the draw as a glorified donation. Statistically, if a person was to enter 6 times each year they should draw the tag once in about 90 years. All that being said, someone has got to draw those tags. I suspect that the odds for the cow-only, DI404 tag were slightly higher than the DI403 that allows the hunting of either sex. As it was, I didn’t want to spend $120 for Molly and me to have our full chances. I only entered 3 times a piece for us. Glad I saved myself some money!

When my brother Cole called me with the news, I started shaking. Never had I ever thought I’d be hunting a wild, free-range bison. It really couldn’t be a better tag. This hunt will only be a short one-and-a-half-hour drive away. I will plan on hunting once there is enough snow on the ground to use my sled. Sure would be nice to throw the quarters right into the otter sled without having to pack it out. The season will start between the end of September and early November, depending on my assigned start date. The state does this to stagger the start times for applicants in order to avoid a mad dash on opening day. I’ll have a minimum of nearly four months to fill my tag. The season closes at the end of March 2025.

We’ve enjoyed viewing this herd in the summer months while they are living along the Delta River. They are often visible herded up along the river bottom resting and feeding on grass. Towards fall they will migrate towards the town of Delta Junction to winter in and around the large agricultural fields. I’ve got a lot of planning and scouting ahead, but for now, I’ll just dream of what this once-in-a-lifetime hunt will entail.