States / AK / Unit 25B

Unit 25B, Alaska

Game found here

caribougrizzly_bearmusk_oxdall_sheepwolfwolverine

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Unit info

Game species: caribou, grizzly_bear, musk_ox, dall_sheep, wolf, wolverine
Group: N/A
Area: 9,298 mi²
Public land: 91%

wolf — season & harvest

Tag type: Harvest ticket
General season: Aug 10 – Apr 30 (general); extended trapping season available

Hunting notes

Incidental to caribou or other hunts. Wolves follow CAH migration corridors.

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: 38

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: 1

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

caribou — season & harvest47% success

Hunter success47%

0%100%

Tag type: Harvest ticket (state); no drawing required for Unit 26B remainder
Reported harvest: 771 caribou by 533 resident hunters in a representative regulatory year (RY12); ~47% success rate
Archery season: Same season; bow-and-arrow ONLY within DHCMA 5-mile corridor
General season: Aug 10 – Apr 30 (DHCMA fringe); peak hunting Aug 1 – Sept 30
Muzzleloader season: No separate muzzleloader season listed

Hunting notes

DIY-accessible via Dalton Highway pullouts and river drainages. Drop camps flown in from Coldfoot or Happy Valley for remote access. Hunt migration bottlenecks at river crossings and mountain passes. August velvet or late-Aug/Sept hard-horn. Heavy insect pressure in Aug — full headnets required. Boggy terrain demands waterproof boots and hip waders.

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

musk_ox — season & harvest

Tag type: RX110 registration subsistence permit (federally qualified subsistence users only)
General season: Dec 15 – Mar 31 (Unit 26B east of DHCMA)

Hunting notes

Subsistence winter hunt only. Aircraft prohibited. Hunters from Kaktovik and Nuiqsut communities access via snowmachine. Trophy destruction required if horns leave unit.

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

dall_sheep — season & harvest

Tag type: Harvest ticket; Drawing permit for some sub-areas
General season: Typically Aug 10 – Sept 20 (rams, full-curl or equivalent)

Hunting notes

Limited sheep habitat in southern Unit 26B along Brooks Range limestone ridges and drainages. Remote aircraft access required. Nonresidents must use a registered guide.

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: Registration permit (central Unit 26B north of Brooks Range); Drawing permit (DB987, remainder)
Reported harvest: ~22 bears/year historically (registration era)
General season: Mar 4 – Jun 30 (spring, RB989-era); Jul 1 – Dec 31 (fall, RB988-era); current regs: Aug 10 – Apr 30 or Jun 15 depending on sub-area

Hunting notes

Spring hunt targets bears emerging from dens on south-facing Brooks Range slopes. Fall hunt coincides with caribou migration — bears concentrate on coastal plain following the herd. Remote access usually requires aircraft. Nonresidents must hire a registered guide.

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, Caribou, caribou, musk_ox, dall_sheep, grizzly_bear so far. wolverine also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.

About this unit

AI-compiled · sourced

Alaska Game Management Unit 26B (the North Slope central unit matching the "25B" descriptor used here) covers roughly 16,332 square miles of Arctic coastal plain and foothills between the Itkillik/Colville River system and the Canning River, straddling the Dalton Highway (Haul Road) north of the Brooks Range. It is the core range of the Central Arctic Herd (CAH) — approximately 26,600 animals as of 2025 — and supports one of Alaska's most accessible DIY caribou hunts, augmented by musk ox, grizzly bear, Dall sheep, and wolf. Over 91% of the unit is public land (BLM, NPR-A fringe, ANWR western edge).

Terrain & elevation

Arctic coastal plain grades from sea-level tundra polygons along the Beaufort Sea coast southward into rolling foothills and eventually the Brooks Range front. Elevation spans 0–8,000 ft. Permafrost is continuous; the surface is characterized by wet tussock tundra, thermokarst lakes, braided glacial rivers (Sagavanirktok, Kuparuk, Kadleroshilik, Shaviovik), and occasional limestone ridges in the southern foothills. Travel is extremely boggy in summer — hip waders and trekking poles are essential. Atigun Gorge (Brooks Range) and the Sagavanirktok River corridor are prominent geographic features.

Access & public land

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Vegetation & habitat

Low arctic tundra: wet sedge-tussock flats dominate the coastal plain; drier upland areas support dwarf birch, cottongrass, and willow shrub. Riparian corridors have dense willow/alder. No boreal forest — the unit lies entirely above treeline north of the Brooks Range. Lichens are abundant on upland gravels, providing critical winter caribou forage.

Wildlife movement

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Notes

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Sources

Species guides

caribou →

Questions, tips & discussion

Ask anything about Unit 25B— or drop a tip or trick: access points, where game holds, glassing spots, conditions, crowding, gear that worked. This is where the unit's species-specific intel gets built, hunter by hunter.

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Be the first — ask a question (“Best public access on the north end?”) or share a tip (“Glass the burn scars off the main ridge at first light”).

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