Bowhunting in Alaska: The Basics

Updated November 2, 2026 · By the AK Archery team

Bowhunting in Alaska follows the same basic framework as rifle hunting, with a few archery-specific layers. You need the right hunting license and any required tags or permits, your bow and arrows must meet Alaska's minimum equipment standards, and if you hunt in an archery-only hunt or area, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) requires proof that you have completed an approved bowhunter education course, generally an International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) course. Everything below is a starting point. The current regulations booklet and the rules for your specific unit and hunt are what count.

Bowhunter education and IBEP certification

ADF&G requires bowhunters taking part in archery-only hunts, and hunting in areas restricted to archery, to carry proof of completing an approved bowhunter education course. The widely recognized standard is the International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP), administered through the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF). Alaska's own bowhunter education course meets that standard, and certifications from other states' IBEP-approved courses are generally accepted. Verify the exact wording and accepted certifications with ADF&G before you apply for a hunt.

What the course covers

• Equipment selection and safe handling
• Shot placement, effective range and blood trailing
• Tree stand and field safety
• Ethics, regulations and game care
• A practical shooting component in the field portion

In Alaska the course is typically offered as online study plus an in-person field day through ADF&G's Hunter Information and Training program. Field days fill up before fall seasons, so sign up early.

Basic hunter education is a separate requirement

Alaska also requires basic hunter education for some hunters, based on age and the game management units where they hunt, mostly along the road system. Bowhunter education does not automatically replace it. Check both.

Licenses, tags and permits

• Hunting license. Required for most hunters. Resident and nonresident requirements differ, including by age.
• Big game tags. Nonresidents generally need a locking tag for each big game animal they hunt, purchased before the hunt.
• Harvest tickets and permits. Many hunts use general-season harvest tickets; others require drawing, registration or Tier permits with their own application deadlines.
• Nonresident guide requirement. Nonresidents hunting brown/grizzly bear, Dall sheep or mountain goat must be accompanied by a registered Alaska guide or a qualifying Alaska-resident close relative. Nonresident aliens must use a guide for all big game.

What you can hunt with a bow in Alaska

With the right permits, bowhunters pursue nearly every Alaska big game species, including moose, caribou, black bear, brown/grizzly bear, Sitka black-tailed deer, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and, by special permit, species such as muskox, bison and elk. Each has its own seasons, bag limits and, often, antler or size restrictions.

Some hunts are open to archery only, and some general seasons include archery-only periods. Archery-only hunts and areas are often located near communities and along road corridors, where firearm hunting is restricted. That is why bowhunter education matters so much in Alaska: many of the most accessible hunts require it.

Equipment minimums

Alaska sets minimum standards for archery equipment used on big game. Historically, the regulations have required a bow with a peak draw weight of at least 40 pounds for animals such as black bear, deer, caribou, sheep, goat and wolf, and at least 50 pounds for larger or tougher animals such as moose, elk, brown/grizzly bear, muskox and bison. There are also minimums for arrow length and total arrow weight, and requirements for broadhead design. Read the current equipment section of the regulations carefully and check it every season. Our bow setup and arrow guide explains how to build a setup that clears the legal minimum with room to spare.

Crossbows

Alaska treats crossbows separately from bows. Crossbows are generally not legal in archery-only hunts unless the hunter holds a specific disability-related permit, though they may be legal in other hunts, and certain hunts are designated for crossbows with their own education requirement. Crossbow equipment standards also differ. Check the current crossbow rules before buying one for hunting.

Alaska rules every bowhunter should know

• Same-day-airborne rule. In most cases you cannot hunt big game on the same day you have flown in an aircraft. Fly-in hunts start the next day.
• Meat salvage. Alaska requires hunters to salvage edible meat from many big game species. In some units, meat from moose, caribou and other species must stay on the bone until it is out of the field.
• Evidence of sex and antler restrictions. Many moose hunts allow only bulls with specific antler characteristics. You may need to leave evidence of sex or antlers attached to meat.
• Sealing. Some species, including bears in many areas, must be sealed by ADF&G or an authorized sealer within a set time after harvest.
• Black bear baiting. Baiting is legal in some units with registration and training requirements; it is a popular archery method.

Where to start

1. Pick a species and a realistic hunt near you, then read its rules in the regulations booklet.
2. Enroll in bowhunter education, and basic hunter education if required.
3. Get properly fitted for a bow. See choosing your first bow.
4. Practice all year, including in cold weather. See our practice guide.
5. Learn shot placement and know your effective range before the season. See shot placement and ethics.