Unit 24D, Alaska

Unit 24D spans the upper Kobuk River valley and surrounding highlands in northwest Alaska, approximately 45 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Dominant terrain types include: (1) boreal taiga (black and white spruce with poplar) along river corridors up to roughly 68N; (2) broad lowland tundra basins covered by mosses, lichens, and shrubby willows; (3) alpine tundra and glaciated valleys in the Schwatka Mountains (western Brooks Range foothills) and Cosmos Hills; (4) river deltas and wetlands where the Ambler, Shungnak, Kogoluktuk, and Mauneluk rivers meet the Kobuk. Elevation ranges from near sea level along the Kobuk River to 4,000-6,000 ft in the Brooks Range foothills. The Ambler Lowland sits between the Schwatka Mountains to the north and the Cosmos Hills to the south.

No roads connect this unit to the broader Alaska road system. All access via: (1) floatplane or wheeled charter aircraft — Ambler Airport has a 3,000 ft lighted gravel strip; scheduled service by Bering Air, Hageland Aviation, and Ambler Air from Kotzebue (138 mi SW) and Fairbanks via Bettles; (2) small riverboat on the Kobuk River, navigable approximately July through mid-October; (3) snowmachine in winter/early spring for late-season hunts. Hub communities are Ambler (~300 pop), Shungnak (30 mi upstream), and Kobuk (30 mi downstream). Public land is estimated at 97% of the unit, comprising BLM-managed lands, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (eastern portion), and Kobuk Valley National Park (northwestern fringe).

River bottomlands: closed-canopy black and white spruce with birch, poplar, alder, and dense willow thickets (critical moose browse). Upland tundra: moist tussock tundra with cottongrass, sedge, mosses, and dwarf birch. Alpine: fellfield, scree, and snowfield communities above treeline. Wetlands: extensive lake, pond, and bog complexes in the Ambler Lowland. Active sand dune systems (Kobuk Sand Dunes) occur near the western unit edge.

The Western Arctic Caribou Herd (WAH) is the primary caribou herd. The herd numbered 121,000 in the 2025 aerial census — lowest since the 1970s, down 20% from 152,000 in 2023, and down from a 2003 peak of 490,000. The WAH calves on the Arctic Coastal Plain in spring, migrates south across the Brooks Range in late summer/fall, and winters in the Kobuk River drainage including the Purcell Mountains, Zane Hills, and Ambler River areas — making Unit 24D prime winter range. Fall migration typically August-October; winter aggregations November-March. Moose are year-round residents in riparian willow and spruce zones. Dall sheep are resident in alpine terrain of the Schwatka Mountains and Cosmos Hills.

SUBSISTENCE PRIORITY: Federal Subsistence Board (FSB) grants priority to federally qualified subsistence users (rural Alaska residents) on the predominant federal public lands. KEY FSB RULES: (1) Caribou individual harvest limit 15/year, max 1 cow, across WAH range including Unit 24D (WP24-28, 2024-2026 cycle). WAH Working Group December 2025 recommendation: reduce to 4/year and close to non-residents — pending FSB adoption for 2026-2028 cycle. Harvestable cow surplus estimated at zero based on 2025 data. (2) Unit 23 has a caribou closure for non-federally qualified users Aug 1-Oct 31 on federal lands; no equivalent closure formally enacted for Unit 24D as of 2025-2026 cycle but may follow. MOOSE: Registration permit RM834, Unit 24D season Sept 5-25, 1 bull, Alaska residents only — no open season for non-residents. Draw hunt DM892 (Huslia/Dakli drainages) exists with limited availability. Non-resident moose hunters must complete ADF&G Non-resident Moose Hunter Orientation course. CARIBOU: General season July 1-June 30 (year-round), subject to the 15/year limit and Emergency Orders. DALL SHEEP: General season Aug 10-Sep 30, full-curl rams; non-residents must be guided or accompanied by qualifying Alaska resident relative (19+, second degree of kindred). Unit 24D sheep in Schwatka Mtns and Cosmos Hills are NOT subject to the Unit 24A/26B federal closure. BROWN BEAR: General season Sept 15-Dec 31 and March 15-May 31; Feb 1-March 15 open in Unit 24D only; baiting allowed with registered bait stations; all bears must be sealed; non-residents require guide or qualifying relative. MUSKOX: Drawing permit, $500 non-subsistence fee; non-residents awarded a permit since RY2008 are ineligible to re-apply. GATES OF THE ARCTIC: Sport hunting prohibited in national park portion; permitted in national preserve under state regulations. Hunting in the park itself is restricted to Nunamiut Corporation shareholders.