Bulletin: Federal Subsistence Sheep Hunt Closed in the Cooper Landing Closed Area

The Seward District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, closed Federal public lands to Dall sheep hunting within the portion of Unit 7 known under State regulation as the Cooper Landing Closed Area. 

The area is bounded by:

• Juneau Creek on the west, beginning at its confluence with the Kenai River,
• Upstream to the confluence of Juneau Creek and Falls Creek
• Easterly along Falls Creek and the north fork of Falls Creek, over the connecting saddle to Devils Creek
• Southeasterly along Devils Creek, to its confluence with Quartz Creek
• Southwesterly along Quartz Creek to the Sterling Highway
• Westerly along the Sterling Highway to the Kenai River
• Westerly along the Kenai River to the point of beginning at the mouth of Juneau Creek

The area has been closed to the harvest of goats and sheep since 1953. The number of legal rams in the area is currently unknown. Nearby areas are known to have few or no legal rams. 

Dall Sheep numbers in the Eastern Resurrection Creek survey area, which includes this area, have been declining since at least 2000 and are approaching minimum viable population levels. 

Due to the proximity to significant human disturbance, poorly understood sub-population structure, and sensitive declining population, increased hunting pressure in this area is likely to exacerbate existing conservation concern.

Information about the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.

Missing out on the latest federal subsistence issues? To receive email updates on Federal Subsistence Management Program activities, send a request to subsistence@ios.doi.gov.

-###-