Unit 13A, Alaska

Diverse southcentral terrain: boreal taiga lowlands and spruce-birch forest dominate the valley floors of the Copper, Gulkana, Tyone, and Susitna River drainages; alpine tundra and talus above treeline on the Talkeetna and eastern Chugach Mountain ranges. Elevation ranges from roughly 1,500 ft in river valleys to 8,000+ ft ridgelines. Wetlands and muskegs are common in lower valleys. Timber is predominantly white spruce, black spruce, paper birch, and trembling aspen. The unit lies inland of the Alaska Range rain shadow, giving it a continental climate with cold winters and moderate precipitation.

Exceptional road access by Alaska standards: the Glenn Highway (AK-1) bisects the southern part of the unit and the Richardson Highway (AK-4) forms the eastern boundary near Glennallen, making much of 13A drivable. ATV/four-wheeler use is common on open BLM and state lands. Floatplanes serve remote drainages in the northern and western portions of the unit (Tyone River, West Fork Gulkana). Public lands make up an estimated 90–95% of the unit, managed by BLM (Glennallen Field Office, ~770,000 acres of unencumbered BLM lands in broader GMU 13), Alaska State lands, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve along the eastern fringe. No designated wilderness within 13A core; the Sheep Mountain area along the Glenn Highway corridor is a notable accessible alpine zone.

Valley bottoms: white and black spruce, paper birch, cottonwood/balsam poplar riparian corridors; muskegs and wet sedge meadows. Mid-elevations: shrub birch, alder, willow, and dwarf birch. Alpine: sedge-grass tundra, heath, exposed talus and rock above approximately 3,500–4,000 ft. Post-fire regeneration areas provide prime moose browse (young birch/willow). The Sheep Mountain corridor along the Glenn Highway offers accessible alpine habitat with well-known visual sheep-viewing.

Moose are year-round residents, with cows calving in May–June in lowland riparian and spruce habitats; bulls move to higher elevations in summer and concentrate in valleys during the August–September rut. Nelchina caribou historically migrated through or into 13A seasonally, but the herd has collapsed from a peak of ~70,000 (early 2000s) to fewer than 7,000 animals by October 2023, and hunting is currently closed by emergency order — a proposed 6-year moratorium was discussed by the Board of Game in January 2025 but not enacted. Dall sheep are resident in the Talkeetna Mountains and Chugach ridges within 13A, holding in alpine zones year-round with some seasonal altitudinal movement. Grizzly bears are distributed unit-wide, denning October–April. Black bears occupy lower-elevation forest habitats. Wolf packs are present with a unit-wide minimum population goal of 135 wolves maintained by the Board of Game (a reduction proposal to 100 was rejected in January 2025).

CRITICAL RESTRICTION — Federal subsistence priority: BLM lands in the Delta and Gulkana River corridors within 13A are subject to a closure to moose and caribou harvest by non-federally qualified users. Only rural residents with customary and traditional use rights may harvest moose (FM1301 permit) and caribou (FC1302 permit) on these federal public lands. State hunters (including nonresidents and non-rural residents) retain access to state lands and navigable waterway margins. Caribou hunting for the Nelchina herd is additionally closed statewide by Emergency Order since 2022; the herd was estimated at ~6,983 animals in October 2023 against a management goal of 35,000–40,000. Nonresidents must hire a licensed guide for moose and Dall sheep unless accompanied by a resident relative within the second degree of kindred. Sheep Mountain Closed Area (GMU 13A, Glenn Hwy MP 107–123 corridor) is permanently closed to Dall sheep and mountain goat harvest. Brown bear bag limit increased to 2 bears per regulatory year as of 2025–2026. Nonresident moose hunts in Unit 13 are draw-only with significant resident competition; overall moose harvest success 15–20%. Dall sheep general season requires full-curl ram (harvest ticket, August 10–September 30); an archery-only season was also established. A negative customary and traditional use finding for Dall sheep in Unit 13 has been made. Nonresident Moose Hunter Orientation course required prior to hunting.