States / AK / Unit 20D

Unit 20D, Alaska

Game found here

{"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "species_code": "moose"}{"name": "Caribou (Delta Herd)", "primary": true, "species_code": "caribou"}{"name": "Wolf", "primary": true, "species_code": "wolf"}{"name": "Dall Sheep", "primary": true, "species_code": "dall_sheep"}{"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false, "species_code": "grizzly_bear"}{"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false, "species_code": "black_bear"}{"name": "Bison (Delta Bison Range)", "primary": false, "species_code": "bison"}

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Unit info

Game species: {"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "species_code": "moose"}, {"name": "Caribou (Delta Herd)", "primary": true, "species_code": "caribou"}, {"name": "Wolf", "primary": true, "species_code": "wolf"}, {"name": "Dall Sheep", "primary": true, "species_code": "dall_sheep"}, {"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false, "species_code": "grizzly_bear"}, {"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false, "species_code": "black_bear"}, {"name": "Bison (Delta Bison Range)", "primary": false, "species_code": "bison"}
Group: N/A
Area: 5,642 mi²
Public land: 80%

wolf — season & harvest

Tag type: General hunting license (no special permit required for non-residents beyond hunting license). Predator control area supplement may authorize additional take methods in designated zones.
Reported harvest: Upper Yukon-Tanana Predation Control Area wolf population objective 88–103 animals; state-directed aerial control has occurred in addition to hunter harvest.
Archery season: Not applicable; firearms and trapping are primary methods.
General season: September 1 – June 10 (general season for Unit 20D).
Muzzleloader season: Not typically specified separately.

Hunting notes

Still-hunting open terrain and ridgelines, calling, or incidental to moose/caribou hunts. Trappers access backcountry by snowmachine in winter.

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

Moose — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 119

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

moose — season & harvest25% success

Hunter success25%

0%100%

Tag type: Registration permit (harvest ticket) for most areas; drawing permits for Delta Junction Management Area and select subunits; some resident-only permit hunts (e.g., RM749 Healy River drainage).
Reported harvest: Management goal 500–700 moose/year reported harvest. Subunit population at or near management objective in southern and SW areas as of mid-2000s surveys (~7,000–8,000 moose south of Alaska Highway). Recent precise harvest totals available through ADF&G harvest statistics tool.
Archery season: Archery-only opportunities available during early seasons in select hunt areas; check individual hunt codes in GMU 20 regulations.
General season: Varies by subunit and hunt code. Typical Interior moose seasons: mid-August through late September for most open hunts. Delta Junction Management Area: drawing permit only, dates set annually. North of Tanana drainage (Volkmar/Billy Creek): open to residents and non-residents by permit.
Muzzleloader season: Muzzleloader options available in some hunt codes; see GMU 20 regulations for specific dates.

Hunting notes

Still-hunting and calling (cow/bull vocalizations) in riparian willow corridors and burned-over areas with dense regeneration. Rutting bulls responsive to calls mid-September. Glass river benches and creek mouths at dawn and dusk. South of Alaska Highway on Macomb Plateau is non-motorized during early season — pack-in or floatplane hunts. Northern drainages allow ATV access outside CUA.

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: 35

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: Harvest ticket or drawing permit depending on season status; check current regulations as Delta herd management may restrict opportunities.
Reported harvest: Limited; Delta Caribou Herd has declined from historic highs of ~10,000+ to estimated 1,800–2,100 (2008–2011 surveys). Seasons may be closed or permit-restricted.
Archery season: Not typically offered separately; check current GMU 20 regulations.
General season: When open, typically falls within Aug 10–Nov 30 window; however Delta herd numbers are low and seasons may be closed or highly restricted. Verify annually with ADF&G.
Muzzleloader season: Not typically offered separately; check current GMU 20 regulations.

Hunting notes

Glass open tundra benches and foothills for migrating animals in September. Intercept migration routes along river drainages descending from Alaska Range. Herd is small and declining — hunting opportunities may be very limited or closed in some years; always verify current season status.

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

Brown Bear — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 13

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

Dall Sheep — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 18

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

dall_sheep — season & harvest

Tag type: Drawing permit only (Tok Management Area DS206 and related hunts). Non-residents eligible once per 4 regulatory years per permit rules.
Reported harvest: Limited by drawing permit quota; DS206 and related permits have strict quotas.
Archery season: Archery sheep hunts may be available in some permit areas.
General season: Typically August 10 – September 20 for drawing permits; check current DS206 permit details.
Muzzleloader season: Not typically specified.

Hunting notes

Technical alpine hunting on steep Alaska Range faces and ridgelines in southern 20D. Glass from lower vantage points, plan multi-day backcountry camps. Full-curl legal ram requirement.

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

grizzly_bear — season & harvest

Tag type: Harvest ticket; drawing permit for some subunit-specific hunts.
Reported harvest: Part of broader predation control framework; bears also subject to control measures in UYTPCA.
Archery season: Available during open seasons.
General season: Spring: approximately May 10–June 20; Fall: varies, typically Aug 10–Oct 30. Check current regulations.
Muzzleloader season: Available during open seasons.

Hunting notes

Spot-and-stalk along river drainages, berry patches in late summer, and alpine tundra. Spring hunts focus on den emergence areas.

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

Season & harvest data is published for wolf, Moose, moose, Caribou, caribou, Brown Bear, Dall Sheep, dall_sheep, grizzly_bear so far. {"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "species_code": "moose"}, {"name": "Caribou (Delta Herd)", "primary": true, "species_code": "caribou"}, {"name": "Wolf", "primary": true, "species_code": "wolf"}, {"name": "Dall Sheep", "primary": true, "species_code": "dall_sheep"}, {"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false, "species_code": "grizzly_bear"}, {"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false, "species_code": "black_bear"}, {"name": "Bison (Delta Bison Range)", "primary": false, "species_code": "bison"} also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.

About this unit

AI-compiled · sourced

Alaska Game Management Unit 20D spans 5,642 square miles of east-central Alaska's upper Tanana Valley and Delta Junction corridor, ranging from the wide boreal river bottoms of the Tanana to the rugged Alaska Range peaks above 10,000 feet. The unit supports one of Alaska's densest Interior moose populations under active intensive management, a remnant Delta caribou herd, Dall sheep in its southern alpine reaches, and wolves subject to an ongoing predation control program tied to the Fortymile Caribou Herd. Access is primarily by road via the Richardson Highway and Alaska Highway, with floatplanes used to reach backcountry drainages; a controlled use area on the Macomb Plateau closes most motorized vehicle use August 10–September 30.

Terrain & elevation

Highly variable — wide Tanana River bottomlands (boreal white spruce/birch forest, willow/alder riparian thickets) transition rapidly into the Gerstle and Johnson River drainages, then into open alpine tundra and rocky peaks of the eastern Alaska Range reaching 10,000+ ft. Valley floors at ~1,000 ft elevation. Southern portion is rugged, steep, and among Alaska's premier Dall sheep country. The Macomb Plateau occupies a large expanse south of the Alaska Highway. Northern drainages are flatter with denser timber and heavier moose use.

Access & public land

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Vegetation & habitat

Boreal interior taiga — dominant white spruce-paper birch forests, black spruce bogs and lowlands, extensive willow-alder riparian corridors along major river drainages. Upper elevations transition to shrub tundra (dwarf birch, sedge, ericaceous shrubs) then alpine fellfield and rocky terrain. Large fire history since the late 1970s has created extensive early-successional habitat in SW 20D, contributing to high moose densities there. Interior Alaska–Yukon Lowland Taiga ecoregion at lower elevations; Interior Yukon–Alaska Alpine Tundra in the Alaska Range foothills.

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.