States / AK / Unit 20A

Unit 20A, Alaska

Game found here

{"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "scientific_name": "Alces alces gigas"}{"name": "Caribou (Fortymile Herd)", "primary": true, "scientific_name": "Rangifer tarandus caribou"}{"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Ursus americanus"}{"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Ursus arctos"}{"name": "Wolf", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Canis lupus"}

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Unit info

Game species: {"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "scientific_name": "Alces alces gigas"}, {"name": "Caribou (Fortymile Herd)", "primary": true, "scientific_name": "Rangifer tarandus caribou"}, {"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Ursus americanus"}, {"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Ursus arctos"}, {"name": "Wolf", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Canis lupus"}
Group: N/A
Area: 6,797 mi²
Public land: 95%

Moose — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 430

Draw odds for Moosearen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.

moose — season & harvest

Tag type: Registration permit (RM781) — no drawing, no quota, available at hunt.alaska.gov or ADF&G offices year-round
Reported harvest: ~30% of the statewide Alaska moose harvest occurs in GMUs 20A, 20B, and 20D combined (Fairbanks complex); specific 20A annual harvest approximately 300–600 bulls in managed years
Archery season: Archery hunters may use general registration dates (no separate archery-only season in 20A; standard Sept 1–25 RM781 applies)
General season: September 1 – September 25 (RM781 registration hunt, Units 20A, 20B, 20C, 20F, 25C)
Muzzleloader season: No separate muzzleloader-only season; muzzleloaders legal during general season under standard regulations

Hunting notes

Glass and call from established base camps near airstrips or river access points. Bulls respond to cow calls and antler raking during the September rut (peak activity Sept 11–20). Expect significant hunter competition near popular drop zones; plan for multiple scouting sorties before committing to an area. The Tanana Flats have one of the highest moose densities in Alaska but legal bull encounters vary — antler restrictions filter out sub-legal bulls. Pack-out planning critical given flat, wet terrain; horses/ATVs used where legal; air taxi meat haul is common.

Draw odds for moosearen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.

Caribou — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 59

Draw odds for Caribouaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.

caribou — season & harvest

Tag type: Fortymile Herd: RC860 registration permit (not applicable to Unit 20A proper); check ADF&G for any 20A-specific caribou opening
Reported harvest: Fortymile annual quota 2025: 525 bulls total (fall + winter combined); fall allocation 395 bulls across all zones
Archery season: N/A for Unit 20A (no standing open caribou season in 20A under normal regulation)
General season: Unit 20A: no standing open caribou registration hunt; Fortymile RC860 hunt covers Zones 1–4 in Units 20B/20D/20E/25C only (Aug 10–Sep 30 with zone-specific openings)
Muzzleloader season: N/A

Hunting notes

Unit 20A is NOT a primary caribou destination. The Fortymile Herd's core hunt zones (RC860) do not include Unit 20A. Caribou may pass through the unit but hunting opportunity is not reliable or predictably open in 20A. Hunters specifically targeting Fortymile caribou should focus on Units 20B, 20D, 20E, and 25C. Verify any 20A caribou opportunity via ADF&G Fairbanks office before planning.

Draw odds for caribouaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.

Dall Sheep — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 43

Draw odds for Dall Sheeparen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.

Season & harvest data is published for Moose, moose, Caribou, caribou, Dall Sheep so far. {"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "scientific_name": "Alces alces gigas"}, {"name": "Caribou (Fortymile Herd)", "primary": true, "scientific_name": "Rangifer tarandus caribou"}, {"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Ursus americanus"}, {"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Ursus arctos"}, {"name": "Wolf", "primary": false, "scientific_name": "Canis lupus"} also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.

About this unit

AI-compiled · sourced

Alaska Game Management Unit 20A encompasses the Tanana Flats and Central Alaska Range foothills just south and southeast of Fairbanks, supporting one of the highest moose densities in Alaska — estimated at 9,240–12,800 animals (2022 survey) against a management population objective of 10,000–15,000. Access is multi-modal: the unit perimeter is served by the Parks and Richardson Highways, while interior Tanana Flats terrain requires floatplane, boat, or ATV/Rex Trail; numerous remote airstrips throughout support fly-in hunts. Note: the user-supplied descriptor "Koyukuk River north" does not match Unit 20A's actual geography — the Koyukuk drainage falls in Units 21 and 24; this profile reflects the confirmed ADF&G Unit 20A boundaries.

Terrain & elevation

Dominated by the Tanana Flats — a nearly level, poorly-drained floodplain extending from the Alaska Range foothills northward to the Tanana River. Low elevations feature boreal taiga with black and white spruce, paper birch, balsam poplar, willow, and alder. Wetlands, muskegs, oxbow lakes, and river channels are prevalent. Foothills and Alaska Range transitional zones include open tundra meadows, grass-sedge complexes, and rocky alpine ridges above 4,000 ft. Fort Wainwright Military Reservation (U.S. Army) occupies a large portion of the northern Tanana Flats; hunting is permitted there under special rules.

Access & public land

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Vegetation & habitat

Boreal taiga (black/white spruce, birch, poplar, willow/alder riparian corridors) dominates the flats. Wetland/muskeg complexes are extensive and poorly-drained. Transitional uplands feature open spruce forest, grass-sedge meadows, and dwarf shrub tundra. Alpine ridges in the Alaska Range transition zone are rock, grass, and forb at elevation. Willow browse is the primary moose forage; high moose density has led to documented over-utilization of willow species and reduced body weights and reproductive rates — lowest recorded in continental Alaska/Canada during peak population years.

Wildlife movement

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Notes

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Sources

Questions, tips & discussion

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Boundaries: ADFG official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 24d ago.