Unit 01C, Alaska

Coastal temperate rainforest transitioning to steep alpine above approximately 1,800 feet. Between the Pacific coastline and interior icefields are old-growth Sitka spruce and western hemlock forests, alder-covered slopes, estuaries, freshwater marshes, and glacially carved fjords (Tracy Arm, Endicott Arm, Taku Inlet, Berners Bay). Much of the mainland interior is covered by glaciers; rocky alpine cliffs and upland tundra rise steeply from tidewater. Average snowfall 95 inches (Juneau airport). Annual rainfall 28–85 inches. Average daily highs 30°F (January) / 57°F (August). Winter snow depth is the primary driver of deer and goat population fluctuations.

Mixed access. Douglas Island (72% of deer harvest) accessible by highway vehicle from Juneau via the Douglas and North Douglas highway systems — a network of paved and gravel roads extending ~30 miles. Offshore islands (Shelter, Lincoln, Sullivan) accessed by boat; some USFS public-use cabins available by floatplane or boat. Most mainland drainages (Tracy Arm, Endicott Arm, Hobart Bay, Taku River, Berners Bay, Chilkat Peninsula) require boat or floatplane access; 80% of mountain goat hunters report using boats as primary transport. USFS manages most of the unit including Endicott River Wilderness (98,700 acres) and Tracy Arm–Fords Terror Wilderness (653,200 acres). Glacier Bay National Park (3.3 million acres, mostly closed to hunting) occupies the northwest corner. Public land percentage approximately 97%.

Dominant overstory: Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). Yellow cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis) in wetter sites. Early successional deciduous cover: red alder (Alnus rubra). Key understory deer forage: salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), devil's club (Oplopanax horridus), huckleberry (Vaccinium spp.), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus). Mountain goat summer forage: alpine grasses, sedges, forbs above 1,800 ft. Goat winter habitat: low-elevation old-growth coniferous forest with wind-scoured ridges where snow depth is reduced. Old-growth forest is the critical deer winter habitat; carrying capacity modeled at 50–125 deer/mi² depending on snow conditions.

Sitka black-tailed deer are non-migratory but show strong elevational movements driven by snow depth. In mild winters deer stay at higher elevations and are less accessible; heavy snow concentrates them on beaches and low-elevation old growth. Douglas Island holds the largest huntable deer concentration due to road access; pellet-group surveys 2016–2020 averaged 0.86 groups/plot on North Douglas (below the 2.0 management objective), suggesting a depressed population. Shelter and Sullivan islands showed >2.0 groups/plot as of last surveys (RY17 and RY18). Intensive management objective: population of 6,200 deer supporting 456 deer/year harvest; this has only been met in 4 of the past 24 years. Wolf pack on Douglas Island (minimum count of 7 in RY20); wolves also present on mainland and some larger islands. Mountain goats are highly site-faithful year-round, moving only 4–9 miles on average. Populations at Blue Ridge and West Berners (Kensington Mine area) showed 14–21% declines 2005–2017 following the severe 2006–2007 winter. Tracy and Endicott arm populations (WAAs 2824/2825) produce ~60% of the annual goat harvest and appear stable. Berners Bay population estimates 2008–2017 ranged 30–102 goats across four monitored areas (Blue Ridge, West Berners, Kensington, Met). Moose numbers are low; Berners Bay drainages closed to moose hunting. Brown bears present throughout; Douglas Island closed area restrictions on Anan Creek and Margaret Creek drainages to protect bear viewing.

Nonsubsistence area: Juneau is designated a nonsubsistence area (5 AAC 99.015(a)(2)); residents of Juneau are not eligible for subsistence hunting preferences. Subsistence positive finding exists for deer (30–40 deer/year) and mountain goat (25–30 goats/year) outside the Juneau Nonsubsistence Area. White/glacier-colored black bears may NOT be taken in Unit 1C or 1D. Nonresident brown bear hunters must be accompanied by a registered guide. Nonresident mountain goat hunters must be accompanied by a registered guide or Alaska resident within second degree of kindred. Goat hunter ID quiz required before hunting. Several goat areas permanently closed near Juneau road system (Montana Creek/McGinnis Creek/Mendenhall Glacier area, Eagle Glacier to Little Sheep Creek corridor, and others) due to overharvest history. Emergency orders routinely close individual goat hunt areas in-season when harvest quotas are reached — most commonly Eagle Glacier to Sawmill Creek. Moose: Berners Bay drainages closed. Anan Creek and Margaret Creek closed areas for bear. Ketchikan Road System closed area for big game does not apply to Unit 1C. USFS guides permitting on Tongass NF lands limits guiding pressure in Tracy/Endicott arms.