Unit 19B, Alaska

Upper Kuskokwim Mountains and associated lowland drainages. Western unit flanks the Kuskokwim Mountains with peaks to 5,000+ feet and alpine tundra above timberline. Middle elevations support dense white spruce, birch, and alder stands along river valleys. Lowland areas are dominated by black spruce and tamarack muskeg interspersed with sedge meadows. Major drainages (Holitna, Hoholitna, Aniak, Stony rivers) are wide, braided, and flanked by extensive willow/alder riparian corridors favored by moose. Elevation ranges from approximately 200 feet in the Kuskokwim River floodplain to over 5,000 feet in the Kuskokwim Mountains spine. No glaciation; terrain is rounded mountain ridges with broad river valleys.

Fly-in only — no road system connects Unit 19B to the state highway network. Access is by float plane or wheel plane from McGrath (nearest hub with a paved runway, approximately 50-100 miles east depending on drainage) or from Aniak (community on western edge). Villages of Sleetmute, Stony River, Lime Village, and Chuathbaluk provide limited logistics bases. Once in a village, commercial air charter services (float, wheel, or ski) access interior drainages. The Holitna-Hoholitna Controlled Use Area restricts boat motors to 40 hp or less on portions of the Holitna and Hoholitna rivers. The unit is administered primarily as unrestricted state land; the Upper Holitna-Hoholitna Management Area (all portions of 19B within Aniak, Kipchuk, Salmon, Holitna, and Hoholitna drainages) requires all hunters passing an ADF&G check station to stop. No designated national refuges fall within 19B boundaries; the unit is largely state-managed land and BLM.

Boreal forest dominates mid-elevations: white spruce and birch on well-drained slopes, black spruce and tamarack in poorly-drained lowlands and muskegs. Riparian zones along major rivers feature dense stands of willow, alder, and cottonwood — prime moose habitat. Alpine tundra (sedge, heath, lichen) above approximately 2,500 feet in the Kuskokwim Mountains. Wetlands and sedge meadows common throughout lowlands. The combination of nutritious riparian browse and extensive lowland wetlands supports high moose densities.

The Mulchatna Caribou Herd (MCH) historically used Unit 19B extensively during fall and spring migrations, ranging across Units 9B, 17, 18, 19A, 19B, and 19E. The MCH peaked at approximately 200,000 animals in the late 1990s, declined to ~30,000 by 2014-2016, and collapsed to ~13,000 by 2019 — a roughly 94% decline from peak. All sport and subsistence caribou hunting closed fall 2021. Department-led intensive management (predator removal of bears and wolves on calving grounds) began 2023; herd estimated at 16,276 (July 2025), up 30% since intensive management began but still well below the lower management objective of 30,000. Moose are resident year-round, concentrating in river bottoms and willow flats in September-October rut, moving to higher timber in winter. Brown bears den on mountain slopes November-April. Wolves present year-round and subject to predator control actions. Management objectives for Units 19A+19B combined: 13,500-16,500 moose with 750-950 annual harvest.

NONRESIDENT RESTRICTIONS: A large nonresident closed area exists for moose and caribou along all major river corridors (Holitna, Hoholitna, Titnuk, Aniak, Salmon, Kipchuk, Owhat, Kolmakof, Holokuk, Oskawalik, Crooked Creek, George River, and others) — a 2-mile buffer on each side of these waterways is closed to nonresident moose and caribou hunting. Nonresident moose hunters in the remainder of 19B must complete a Nonresident Moose Hunter Orientation course; proof required in the field. AIRCRAFT RESTRICTION: Unit 19B is closed to use of aircraft for hunting moose (including transport of moose hunters, gear, and parts) Sept 1-Sept 25, except transport between public airports including McGrath, Medfra, Nikolai, and Takotna. CONTROLLED USE AREA: Upper Holitna-Hoholitna Controlled Use Area covers Aniak/Kipchuk/Salmon/Holitna/Hoholitna drainages — boat motors limited to 40 hp max; ADF&G check station compliance required. Hunters who access by plane and harvest moose or caribou must be transported out by aircraft. CARIBOU: All MCH caribou hunting closed since fall 2021 — both sport and subsistence — due to herd collapse. BROWN BEAR: General season Aug 10 - June 30, bag limit 2 bears per regulatory year; baiting permitted Apr 15-June 30 and Aug 1-Oct 31. Brown bear is open to nonresidents as a general season (no permit required beyond license and locking tag). SUBSISTENCE: Unit 19B is heavily subsistence-dependent; more than 48 rural communities historically relied on MCH caribou. State subsistence hunts (Tier I and II) are resident-only. GUIDE REQUIREMENT: Nonresidents hunting brown bear, Dall sheep, mountain goat, and musk ox in Alaska are required to be accompanied by a licensed guide or by a resident relative within the second degree of kindred.