Alaska
65,100
Duck Statewide Harvest
5,500
Goose Statewide Harvest
5,900
No. Waterfowl Licenses Sold Annually
10.7
Ducks Per Hunter
1.9
Geese Per Hunter
$45
Cost of Resident Waterfowl Hunting License
$10
Cost of Resident State Stamps and Permits
$25
Federal Duck Stamp
$60 (non-resident annual hunting, small-game only)
Cost of Non-Resident Waterfowl Hunting License
$10
Cost of Non-Resident State Stamps and Permits
$25
Federal Duck Stamp
Photo by Mircea Costina
A few years ago, we upgraded The Last Frontier's waterfowl ranking from a C to a B. It had been middle-of-the-road because of the cost of getting there from the Lower 48, and those costs — airfare, baggage, the likelihood of hiring an outfitter, and food in Alaska — have only increased with inflation. However, if you're looking for the experience of a lifetime, not to mention a couple of birds for the wall, Alaska should get a closer look.
The state offers king eiders on the Bering Sea, or Island X, as it's commonly called. When not hunting kings, hunters can take their pick of harlequins, long-tailed ducks and three types of scoters. Inland on quieter waters, an array of common puddlers — mallards, pintails, wigeon and green-wing teal — are available. And now, nonresidents who receive a permit can hunt emperor geese.
Go early, say late September, and do some silver salmon and world-class rainbow trout fishing when you're not in the blind.
