DB121 and 3 more: Alaska brown bear draw hunts, Unit 8, Spiridon Lake
Drawing hunts DB121, DB151, DB221 and DB251 share one ADF&G hunt area: Unit 8, Spiridon Lake. In ADF&G's 2025 drawing they drew 500 applications for 13 permits. 9 permit holders went hunting in the 2025 regulatory year and 3 took a brown bear, by ADF&G's hunt statistics.
Data updated October 2026. Drawing: ADF&G's results of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 drawings. Harvest: ADF&G hunt statistics, 2021 to 2025.
National wildlife refuge (FWS)State of AlaskaThis unitNeighboring unit lineHighway
The hunt area is part of this unit: see ADF&G's map of DB121 for its exact line.| Species | Brown bear |
|---|---|
| Hunt area | Unit 8, Spiridon Lake |
| Units | 8 |
| Applications, 2025 drawing | 500 |
| Permits available, 2025 | 13 |
| Hunters and harvest, 2025 | 3 taken by 9 hunters |
| Exclusive guide area | ADF&G marks the area as mostly or entirely in exclusive guide areas |
How many applied for DB121 and 3 more, and what share drew?
ADF&G's results of its last three drawings. Applications are entries, not people: a hunter may apply for the same hunt more than once within the six he may send per species.
| Hunt | Drawing | Applications | Permits available | % drawn (ADF&G) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB121 | 2023 | 7 | 2 | 29% |
| DB121 | 2024 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| DB121 | 2025 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| DB151 | 2023 | 4 | 3 | 75% |
| DB151 | 2024 | 2 | 3 | 100% |
| DB151 | 2025 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| DB221 | 2023 | 342 | 3 | 1% |
| DB221 | 2024 | 338 | 3 | 1% |
| DB221 | 2025 | 362 | 3 | 1% |
| DB251 | 2023 | 59 | 5 | 8% |
| DB251 | 2024 | 120 | 5 | 4% |
| DB251 | 2025 | 133 | 5 | 4% |
DB121 went from 7 applications in 2023 to 2 in 2025 (down 71%), with 2 permits each time. DB151 went from 4 applications in 2023 to 3 in 2025 (down 25%), with 3 permits each time. DB221 went from 342 applications in 2023 to 362 in 2025 (up 6%), with 3 permits each time. DB251 went from 59 applications in 2023 to 133 in 2025 (up 125%), with 5 permits each time. By applications in the 2025 drawing, DB121 ranks 115th of ADF&G's 135 brown bear drawing hunts; the busiest, DB470, drew 2,238, and the brown bear hunts together drew 18,127 applications for 641 permits.
Source: ADF&G Drawing Permit Hunt Supplements, "Results of the Permit Hunt Drawing", 2023, 2024, 2025. ADF&G notes that permits available can differ from the number it advertised.
How many permit holders took a brown bear?
| Hunt | Regulatory year | Permits issued | Hunted | Males | Females | Harvest | Success (ADF&G) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB121 | 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB121 | 2022 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100% |
| DB121 | 2023 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| DB121 | 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100% |
| DB121 | 2025 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% |
| DB151 | 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB151 | 2022 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB151 | 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB151 | 2024 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 100% |
| DB151 | 2025 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB221 | 2021 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB221 | 2022 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 67% |
| DB221 | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| DB221 | 2024 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33% |
| DB221 | 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33% |
| DB251 | 2021 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB251 | 2022 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| DB251 | 2023 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 100% |
| DB251 | 2024 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50% |
| DB251 | 2025 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
Source: ADF&G brown bear harvest statistics, drawing hunts. "Hunted" counts permit holders who went hunting.
DB121's area lies in Unit 8, 9,389 square miles, 37.1% of it federal land in PAD-US. Unit 8 has its harvest by species, land by manager and communities.
ADF&G takes drawing applications November 1 to December 15 (2026-2027 supplement); how the Alaska drawing works.
Questions hunters ask
How many people apply for DB121?
DB121 drew 2 applications in ADF&G's 2025 drawing for 2 permits. ADF&G counts applications, and one hunter can apply for the same hunt more than once.
What share of applications drew DB121?
ADF&G's own "% drawn" for DB121: 29% in 2023, 100% in 2024, 100% in 2025. These are past drawings, not a forecast.
Where is DB121?
ADF&G's hunt area: Unit 8, Spiridon Lake. ADF&G publishes a PDF map of it.
How many hunters took a brown bear on these hunts?
ADF&G's hunt statistics for the 2025 regulatory year: DB121 1 of 2 hunters (50%), DB151 0 of 2 hunters (0%), DB221 1 of 3 hunters (33%) and DB251 1 of 2 hunters (50%).
Does a nonresident need a guide for DB121?
Yes, unless the hunt is for residents only: ADF&G requires nonresident U.S. citizens hunting brown bears to be accompanied by an Alaska-licensed guide or an Alaska resident relative 19 or older within the second degree of kindred.
Get an Alaska hunt plan when they open
Alaska plans are not open yet. They are coming soon. Join the waiting list; the first 50 hunters get one plan free.
Use the map while you wait for your plan.
Sources: ADF&G 2026-2027 Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement and the two before it; ADF&G harvest statistics; hunt map DB121. FilledTag is not part of ADF&G; check its emergency orders before you hunt.