States / AK / Unit 26A

Unit 26A, Alaska

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cariboumoosebrown_bearblack_bearwolfwolverinedall_sheepmuskox

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Unit info

Game species: caribou, moose, brown_bear, black_bear, wolf, wolverine, dall_sheep, muskox
Group: N/A
Area: 56,210 mi²
Public land: 99%

wolf — season & harvest

Tag type: No permit required
Reported harvest: Not specified
Archery season: Legal during open season
General season: Aug 10-Apr 30, 10 wolves bag limit
Muzzleloader season: Legal during open season

Hunting notes

Open to residents and non-residents. 10 wolves per season. Hides must be sealed within 30 days. Federal restrictions may apply on federal lands. Highest encounter rates during caribou migration corridors Oct-Apr.

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: 4

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: Harvest ticket (HT); Drawing permit for CUA aircraft exceptions
Reported harvest: Low; North Slope moose density among lowest in Alaska. Population estimated 325-1,058+ across survey years.
Archery season: No separate archery season; archery legal during open seasons
General season: West sub-area: Jul 1-Sep 14 (any moose, no calf/cow-with-calf). Colville incl. Anaktuvuk & 26A remainder: Aug 1-Sep 30 (bulls only).
Muzzleloader season: No separate muzzleloader season

Hunting notes

Residents-only hunt. West sub-area (west of Admiralty Bay/Alaktak River, excluding Colville drainage): any moose (no calf or cow-with-calf), Jul 1-Sep 14 by HT. Colville drainage incl. Anaktuvuk drainage AND 26A remainder: bulls only, Aug 1-Sep 30 by HT. Aircraft prohibited for moose hunting unit-wide Jul 1-Sep 30 and Jan 1-Mar 31 except by Drawing permit. Float-in or fly-in-then-float trips on Colville, Anaktuvuk, Killik, or John Rivers are the standard approach. Expect 7-14 day minimum expeditions.

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

muskox — season & harvest

Tag type: Permit TX109 (west sub-area) or TX108 (26A remainder)
Reported harvest: Not specified
Archery season: Legal during open season
General season: West sub-area: Aug 1-Mar 15. 26A remainder: Aug 1-Mar 31.
Muzzleloader season: Legal during open season

Hunting notes

Residents only; no non-resident season in 26A. Permit required. West of Admiralty Bay/Alaktak River: TX109 permit, 1 muskox, Aug 1-Mar 15. 26A remainder: TX108 permit, 1 muskox, Aug 1-Mar 31. Aircraft may NOT be used to transport hunters, gear, or meat in subsistence muskox hunts. No locking tag required in subsistence hunts. Trophy destruction may be required — check permit.

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

Caribou — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 167

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: Residents: RC907 registration permit. Non-residents: Harvest ticket (HT).
Reported harvest: WACH population ~152,000 (2023, down from 490,000 peak). Teshekpuk Herd ~61,500 (2022).
Archery season: Legal during open seasons; no separate archery-only season
General season: 26A Colville upstream of Nuka R / Chukchi coastal drainages (R): 15 bulls, no closed season. 26A Colville Anaktuvuk-to-Nuka R (R): 5/day bulls Jul 1-Oct 14 & Feb 1-Jun 30; cows Jul 15-Apr 30. 26A remainder (R): 5 bulls/day Jul 1-15 & Mar 16-Jun 30; 5 caribou/day (3 may be cows, no cow-with-calf) Jul 16-Oct 15; 3 cows/day Oct 16-Dec 31; 5 caribou/day (3 may be cows) Jan 1-Mar 15. Non-residents: 1 bull, Jul 15-Sep 30.
Muzzleloader season: No separate muzzleloader season

Hunting notes

Residents: free RC907 registration permit, available online at hunt.alaska.gov or in Kotzebue/Utqiagvik/local vendors from June 1. Multiple sub-area seasons with varying bull/cow and daily bag limits. Key strategy: intercept migration corridors — fall Aug-Oct along river drainages, spring Apr-Jun on coastal plain. Non-residents: 1 bull by harvest ticket, Jul 15-Sep 30 only, across all 26A sub-areas. WACH in long-term decline — regulations change frequently, always verify current year rules before trip.

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

wolverine — season & harvest

Tag type: No permit required
Reported harvest: Not specified
Archery season: Legal during open season
General season: Sep 1-Mar 31, 1 wolverine
Muzzleloader season: Legal during open season

Hunting notes

Open to residents and non-residents. 1 wolverine bag limit. Hides must be sealed within 30 days. Federal restrictions may apply. Often taken incidentally in remote terrain.

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

black_bear — season & harvest

Tag type: No permit required
Reported harvest: Not specified
Archery season: Legal during open season
General season: 3 bears (Unit 26 combined bag limit), no closed season
Muzzleloader season: Legal during open season

Hunting notes

Open to residents and non-residents. 3 bears total for Unit 26 combined (not just 26A). No closed season. Aircraft restrictions in Anaktuvuk Pass CUA Aug 15-Oct 15. Bears common in forested river bottoms. Salvage requirements apply — see regs pages 24-27.

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

brown_bear — season & harvest

Tag type: No permit required for general hunt; RB697 for subsistence
Reported harvest: Not specified; generally low given remote access
Archery season: Legal during open season
General season: Residents: 2 bears/regulatory year, no closed season. Non-residents: 1 bear/regulatory year, no closed season (guide required).
Muzzleloader season: Legal during open season

Hunting notes

No closed season for residents (2 bears/year) and non-residents (1 bear/year). Non-residents MUST be accompanied by a licensed Alaska guide. No resident locking tag required. Evidence of sex must remain attached to hide. Aircraft restrictions in Anaktuvuk Pass CUA Aug 15-Oct 15. Subsistence permit RB697 from Utqiagvik (residents, 2 bears/year, no closed season).

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

Tag type: Harvest ticket (HT)
Reported harvest: Not specified for 26A
Archery season: Legal during open season
General season: East of Etivluk (excl. GAAR NP): youth Aug 1-5; general Aug 10-Sep 20 (full-curl ram). GAAR NP: Aug 1-Apr 30 residents only, 3 sheep.
Muzzleloader season: Legal during open season

Hunting notes

26A west of Etivluk River (DeLong Mountains): no open season. 26A east of and including Etivluk River drainage, excluding Gates of the Arctic NP: residents 1 full-curl ram, youth Aug 1-5, general Aug 10-Sep 20; non-residents 1 full-curl ram every 4 regulatory years (same dates). Within Gates of the Arctic NP (26A/26B): residents 3 sheep by HT Aug 1-Apr 30; non-residents no open season. Sheep Hunter Orientation course required for general Aug 10-Sep 20 season. Non-residents must be accompanied by a guide. Anaktuvuk Pass CUA aircraft restrictions Aug 15-Oct 15. Horns must accompany meat; seal within 30 days.

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

About this unit

AI-compiled · sourced

Unit 26A covers the western Arctic Slope of Alaska — the Brooks Range foothills and North Slope drainages west of the Itkillik River, including portions of Gates of the Arctic National Park. Hunting is dominated by caribou (Western Arctic and Teshekpuk herds) and moose in the Colville River system, with brown bear, black bear, wolf, wolverine, Dall sheep, and muskox rounding out the species list. The unit is extremely remote, accessible almost exclusively by floatplane or charter aircraft, with strict Controlled Use Area aircraft restrictions that govern hunting logistics across most of the season.

Terrain & elevation

Unit 26A spans the western Brooks Range and North Slope drainages west of the Itkillik River and Colville River. The landscape transitions from rugged alpine peaks and cirques in the Brooks Range through boreal taiga and shrub tundra foothills to low-lying Arctic coastal plain. The Colville River and its tributary the Anaktuvuk River are the dominant drainage systems. Vegetation ranges from white spruce-paper birch forest along river valleys to tussock cottongrass tundra on uplands and dry-moist sedge-grass tundra on the coastal plain. Gates of the Arctic National Park occupies the southern mountain portions of the unit.

Access & public land

Access is entirely by floatplane or charter aircraft from Fairbanks (approx 200-300 mi south) or Bettles (primary staging hub). River travel by raft or motorboat on the Colville, Killik, Anaktuvuk, and John Rivers requires fly-in to put-in points. There are no roads. AIRCRAFT CONTROLLED USE AREA: All of Unit 26A — aircraft prohibited for moose hunting Jul 1-Sep 30 and Jan 1-Mar 31 (except Drawing permit holders or transport between public airports). Anaktuvuk Pass CUA (Killik-Colville-Anaktuvuk River triangle) — additionally closed to aircraft for caribou, black bear, brown bear, and Dall sheep Aug 15-Oct 15. Gates of the Arctic National Park: federal regulations apply; non-resident hunting prohibited in NPS units. Virtually all land is federal public land (BLM, NPS).

Vegetation & habitat

River valleys: white spruce-paper birch-balsam poplar forest with dense willow-alder understory (key moose browse). Foothills: alder-willow shrub tundra and moist tussock cottongrass-sedge tundra. Alpine: dry heath tundra, rocky fell-fields above treeline. Coastal plain: moist sedge-grass tundra, wet polygonal ground, thermokarst lakes. Fire-dependent landscape — natural fire cycles maintain habitat diversity critical for moose (willow regeneration) and caribou (lichen recovery).

Wildlife movement

Caribou: Two major herds use Unit 26A. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd (WACH) — in long-term decline from ~490,000 peak (2003) to approximately 152,000 (2023 census) — migrates through western and central portions during fall (Aug-Oct) and spring (Apr-Jun). The Teshekpuk Caribou Herd (~61,500 as of 2022, relatively stable) uses the northern coastal plain portions. Moose are year-round residents concentrated along Colville and Anaktuvuk River drainages; North Slope populations have historically ranged from ~325 (1999) to over 1,000 (2005) — among the lowest densities in Alaska. Brown/grizzly bears range in upland and mountain terrain; black bears occupy forested river bottoms. Wolves follow caribou migrations. Dall sheep occupy alpine slopes east of the Etivluk River drainage.

Notes

NON-RESIDENT RESTRICTIONS: No open moose season for non-residents in Unit 26A. Caribou: non-residents limited to 1 bull by harvest ticket, Jul 15-Sep 30 only. Brown bear: non-residents may take 1 bear/year (no closed season) but MUST be accompanied by a licensed Alaska guide. Dall sheep: non-residents eligible every 4 regulatory years only. Muskox: no non-resident season in 26A. Wolf and wolverine: open to both residents and non-residents. SUBSISTENCE PRIORITY: Federal subsistence regulations apply on all federal public lands — rural Alaska residents have priority and access to Tier II (RC907) caribou permits. Subsistence brown bear permit RB697 available from Utqiagvik for residents. AIRCRAFT LOGISTICS: Unit 26A CUA (entire unit, moose, Jul 1-Sep 30 and Jan 1-Mar 31) and Anaktuvuk Pass CUA (bear/caribou/sheep, Aug 15-Oct 15) make trip planning complex. GATES OF THE ARCTIC NP: Residents may take 3 sheep (any sex) by HT Aug 1-Apr 30; non-residents have no hunting season in the park.

Sources

Species guides

caribou →moose →

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