Unit 15C, Alaska

Diverse southern Kenai Peninsula terrain running from tidal flats and spruce-hemlock coastal forest at sea level to rugged alpine ridgelines reaching 5,000 ft. The western portion around Homer and Anchor Point is rolling lowland with dense alder/spruce, river bottoms, and farmland. The unit's eastern and southern flanks — the Kenai Mountains east of Kachemak Bay — are steep, glaciated peaks with hanging valleys and cirques. Kachemak Bay itself bisects the unit; the south shore is remote, accessible mainly by water or air. Fox River valley and adjacent drainages are the primary caribou/moose habitat in the central-southern portion.

Western half has the Sterling Highway (Hwy 1) and Homer Spit Road providing road access; ATVs used on the western lowland benches. Southern and eastern portions — including the Kachemak Bay south shore, Seldovia, and the Fox River drainage — are boat- or floatplane-only. Air taxis operate from Homer Airport. Public lands include: Kachemak Bay State Park (400,000 acres, hunting permitted), Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park, southern Kenai National Wildlife Refuge fringe, and Chugach National Forest on the eastern margin. Tribal and private lands exist throughout; hunters must verify land status. Public land approximately 49% of unit.

Lowland western areas: Sitka spruce and white spruce forest with dense alder and willow understory; upland benches with grassland and shrub cover limiting moose forage regeneration. Riparian corridors along Deep Creek, Fox River, and Anchor River provide critical moose winter range with willow and birch. Coastal south shore: old-growth Sitka spruce-hemlock rainforest transitioning to alder scrub at mid-elevation, then subalpine meadow and rocky alpine above treeline (~1,500-2,000 ft). Spruce bark beetle kill (late 1990s) left significant standing dead timber throughout portions of the unit.

Moose on the Kenai Peninsula are non-migratory but shift between lowland riparian willow/birch winter range and higher elevation browse areas in summer. Unit 15C moose population estimated ~3,200 animals north of Kachemak Bay; harvest objective 200-350 per year. Fox River Caribou Herd (FRCH) is a small resident herd occupying the area between upper Fox River and Truuli Creek in the southern unit — historically ~90-100 animals (peaked ~100 in 1998 and 2012); wolves have constrained growth. Brown bears range widely across all terrain types; concentrations in fall along salmon streams (Anchor River, Fox River, Deep Creek). Mountain goats occupy the steep coastal cliffs and alpine terrain of the southern Kenai Mountains above Seldovia and Kachemak Bay south shore.

Nonresident moose hunters must complete Moose Hunter Orientation online before hunting (required for all of Units 7 and 15). Moose are permit-only throughout 15C — no registration or general-season open hunt; draw permits only (bull hunts DM512/DM514, antlerless hunt DM549). Mountain goat registration hunt RG364 is resident-only; 10 permits issued in person at Seldovia each June (first-come, first-served); nonresident goat hunters must be accompanied by a registered guide. Fox River Caribou Herd draw hunt: 10 permits per year when open; seasons closed 2004-2010 due to low numbers, reopened 2011; monitor current status annually as this herd is sensitive. Brown bear: north of Kachemak Bay and north of Fox River season Aug 10 - Jan 31; remainder of 15C Aug 10 - Mar 31; 1 bear per regulatory year. Black bear south of Bradley River/Bradley Lake/Kachemak Creek: residents 3 bears no closed season, nonresidents 1 bear no closed season. Approximately 49% of unit is public land — hunters must verify land ownership before accessing; significant tribal and private inholdings exist, particularly near Seldovia and the western coast.