As publishedRanges from Aug 1-May 15 (Units 1-5,6A-6C) to as late as Aug 10-June 15 (Units 23,26); other unit windows include Aug 10-Jan 31, Aug 10-Mar 31, Aug 20-Feb 15, Aug 10-Feb 15, Sept 1-Mar 31, Aug 10-Apr 30, Aug 10-Feb 28 (plus Mar 1-Apr 30 second window in Units 12/20/25C), and Aug 10-May 15 (Unit 18) - see note
Regulated together with willow and rock ptarmigan under one shared 'Ptarmigan' table; identical unit/date/bag structure across all three species. Full by-unit table: ADF&G 2026-2027 smgame.pdf p.141.
Governed by ADF&G Small Game Program's annual "Alaska Small Game Summary" (covers all 7 native grouse/ptarmigan species — ruffed, sharp-tailed, sooty, spruce grouse; rock, white-tailed, willow ptarmigan — in one hybrid document combining spring breeding-survey and summer brood-survey results with harvest expectations). Confirmed not yet published for 2026 as of a 2026-08-19 fresh check (the year-specific URL pattern small_game_status_2026_summary_report.pdf still returns 404, matching the Tier A registry's 2026-08-18 capture). No fixed calendar publish date exists, but both the 2024 and 2025 editions went live only after the early-August brood-survey fieldwork window closed, so publication is expected sometime in the coming weeks.