Unit 21C, Alaska

Hilly and mountainous boreal interior; mean elevation 1,294 ft (range 213–4,978 ft). Vegetation dominated by white and black spruce forests interspersed with low and tall shrub, tussock tundra, wetlands, ponds, and river corridors. Unit spans portions of the Yukon River Lowlands and Ray Mountains ecoregions. The Kanuti NWR occupies the core — a pristine boreal ecosystem sculpted by permafrost, fire, and river dynamics. No roads, no trails, no public cabins.

Entirely roadless. Primary access by floatplane (float lakes and gravel bars) or riverboat via the Melozitna and Dulbi river systems. Charter flights typically stage out of Bettles (~150 air miles NW of Fairbanks) or Galena. Winter access possible by snowmachine or dog team from the Dalton Highway corridor for non-motorized portions. Approximately 90–100% public land: Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge (USFWS, ~1.64M acres) overlaps the unit core; surrounding lands managed by BLM and the State of Alaska.

Boreal taiga matrix: white spruce (Picea glauca) and black spruce (Picea mariana) dominant; white birch and poplar stands along river bottoms; expansive tussock-sedge tundra on wetter lowlands; willow and alder riparian shrub corridors providing primary moose browse. Permafrost underlies much of the landscape, creating poorly drained flats, thermokarst ponds, and bogs. Higher terrain transitions to alpine shrub tundra.

Moose resident year-round at low density; no population-wide surveys conducted — ADF&G monitors only annual harvest due to low hunter numbers and difficult access. Moose density estimated at ~0.33/mi² on Kanuti NWR during 1999–2013 (stable, low-density population). Predation by wolves and grizzly/black bears is a recognized limiting factor. Caribou presence is seasonal and variable: the Ray Mountain Herd and Western Arctic Herd (estimated 201,000 animals as of 2016, declining trend) seasonally use the unit, primarily wintering on the refuge; numbers on Kanuti NWR have been very low since 2000 with exception of ~1,000 animals in winter 2004. Caribou availability in the Dulbi/Melozitna drainages is opportunistic and cannot be relied upon annually.

SUBSISTENCE: Unit 21 has a positive customary-and-traditional-use finding for moose; amounts reasonably necessary for subsistence = 600–800 moose unitwide annually. Federal subsistence priority applies on federal public lands (Kanuti NWR, BLM) for rural Alaska residents; non-federally qualified users may be restricted during low-population periods. The Koyukuk Controlled Use Area (KCUA) overlaps portions of Units 21C and 21D: within the KCUA, aircraft use for moose hunting (including transport of hunters and gear) is prohibited; all hunters on the Koyukuk River must stop at ADF&G check stations; moose meat (hindquarters, forequarters, ribs) must remain on the bone until transported out of the area. NONRESIDENT RESTRICTIONS: Non-residents must take bull moose with 50-inch antlers OR antlers with 4 or more brow tines on at least one side (applies to both RM838 and general harvest-ticket seasons). Non-resident brown/grizzly bear hunters must be accompanied by a licensed guide (statewide requirement). Wolverine: no hunting season open in 21C. INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT: Negative finding — no intensive management program for moose in Unit 21C. ADF&G management goal is sustained harvest opportunity only.