FilledTag Get a hunt plan

DB123 and 3 more: Alaska brown bear draw hunts, Unit 8, South Arm, Uganik Bay

Drawing hunts DB123, DB153, DB223 and DB253 share one ADF&G hunt area: Unit 8, South Arm, Uganik Bay. In ADF&G's 2025 drawing they drew 76 applications for 8 permits. 2 permit holders went hunting in the 2025 regulatory year and 1 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.

Map of Alaska Game Management Unit 8, which holds drawing hunts DB123, DB153, DB223 and DB253 (Unit 8, South Arm, Uganik Bay), with land by manager and neighboring units

National wildlife refuge (FWS)State of AlaskaThis unitNeighboring unit lineHighway

The hunt area is part of this unit: see ADF&G's map of DB123 for its exact line.
DB123 and 3 more at a glance
SpeciesBrown bear
Hunt areaUnit 8, South Arm, Uganik Bay
Units8
Applications, 2025 drawing76
Permits available, 20258
Hunters and harvest, 20251 taken by 2 hunters
Exclusive guide areaADF&G marks the area as mostly or entirely in exclusive guide areas

How many applied for DB123 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.

HuntDrawingApplicationsPermits available% drawn (ADF&G)
DB1232023010%
DB1232024010%
DB1232025010%
DB153202322100%
DB1532024020%
DB153202522100%
DB22320232229%
DB223202415213%
DB22320256323%
DB253202322314%
DB25320249333%
DB253202511327%

DB123 went from 0 applications in 2023 to 0 in 2025, with 1 permit each time. DB153 went from 2 applications in 2023 to 2 in 2025 (no change), with 2 permits each time. DB223 went from 22 applications in 2023 to 63 in 2025 (up 186%), with 2 permits each time. DB253 went from 22 applications in 2023 to 11 in 2025 (down 50%), with 3 permits each time. By applications in the 2025 drawing, DB123 ranks 132nd 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?

HuntRegulatory yearPermits issuedHuntedMalesFemalesHarvestSuccess (ADF&G)
DB1232024110000%
DB15320212210150%
DB153202222202100%
DB153202311011100%
DB15320242210150%
DB15320252210150%
DB223202121101100%
DB223202221011100%
DB2232023210000%
DB2232024210000%
DB223202520000
DB2532021310000%
DB25320223210150%
DB2532023310000%
DB253202430000
DB253202530000

Source: ADF&G brown bear harvest statistics, drawing hunts. "Hunted" counts permit holders who went hunting.

DB123'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 DB123?

DB123 drew 0 applications in ADF&G's 2025 drawing for 1 permits. ADF&G counts applications, and one hunter can apply for the same hunt more than once.

What share of applications drew DB123?

ADF&G's own "% drawn" for DB123: 0% in 2023, 0% in 2024, 0% in 2025. These are past drawings, not a forecast.

Where is DB123?

ADF&G's hunt area: Unit 8, South Arm, Uganik Bay. 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: DB153 1 of 2 hunters (50%), DB223 0 of 0 hunters and DB253 0 of 0 hunters.

Does a nonresident need a guide for DB123?

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.

Get the free iPhone app

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 DB123. FilledTag is not part of ADF&G; check its emergency orders before you hunt.