States / AK / Unit 26B

Unit 26B, Alaska

Game found here

{"name": "Caribou", "herds": ["Central Arctic Herd", "Porcupine Caribou Herd"], "primary": true}{"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "subspecies": "Alaska-Yukon moose"}{"name": "Dall Sheep", "note": "Partial closure in DHCMA west of Sagavanirktok River", "primary": true}{"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false}{"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false}{"name": "Wolf", "primary": false}{"name": "Wolverine", "primary": false}{"name": "Muskox", "note": "Present in unit, check current season status", "primary": false}

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Unit info

Game species: {"name": "Caribou", "herds": ["Central Arctic Herd", "Porcupine Caribou Herd"], "primary": true}, {"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "subspecies": "Alaska-Yukon moose"}, {"name": "Dall Sheep", "note": "Partial closure in DHCMA west of Sagavanirktok River", "primary": true}, {"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false}, {"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false}, {"name": "Wolf", "primary": false}, {"name": "Wolverine", "primary": false}, {"name": "Muskox", "note": "Present in unit, check current season status", "primary": false}
Group: N/A
Area: 16,332 mi²
Public land: 91%

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: Drawing permit (DM996) for residents only; check for additional registration or open hunts in non-DHCMA areas

Hunting notes

Remote Porcupine River drainage moose are Alaska-Yukon bulls — among the largest subspecies in the world. Floatplane into river systems mid-September for rut-active bulls. Expect 1,400–1,600 lb animals in prime habitat. Float hunting (raft or canoe with floatplane drop) is the most effective method for covering remote river country. DM996 drawing odds are moderate for a permit of this quality.

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: 680

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: No tag required for caribou in Alaska; harvest ticket or registration permit system
Reported harvest: Alaska subsistence: 84–236 reported + 400–700 unreported annually by rural communities

Hunting notes

Two primary approaches: (1) Dalton Highway corridor — drive-to-access archery hunt within 5-mile DHCMA buffer, one of Alaska's most accessible caribou hunts, high foot traffic; (2) Remote fly-in — floatplane to Porcupine River drainage or Brooks Range, pack-in wilderness hunting for PCH animals, extreme logistics but far less hunting pressure. Migration timing is key — Central Arctic Herd crosses Haul Road in late August/September; PCH moves through eastern unit in fall.

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: 15

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: 9

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

black_bear — season & harvest

Tag type: Harvest ticket

Hunting notes

Opportunistic during other hunts; black bears common in boreal forest and tundra transition areas along Porcupine River drainage.

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

dall_sheep — season & harvest

Tag type: Registration permit (RS series) or drawing; state regulations for open areas
General season: Typically August 10 – September 20 for legal rams (full-curl or equivalent); verify current season

Hunting notes

Brooks Range high alpine above 4,000 feet. Technical terrain requires physical fitness and route-finding. Spotting rams from below and then executing a high-angle approach is standard. Most hunters spend 10–14 days for a quality Brooks Range sheep hunt.

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: Drawing permit (limited); non-residents require licensed guide

Hunting notes

Grizzlies common throughout unit. Hunt timing coincides with caribou migration — bears often follow herds. Remote unit 26B grizzly hunts require full wilderness logistics.

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 Moose, moose, Caribou, caribou, Brown Bear, Dall Sheep, black_bear, dall_sheep, grizzly_bear so far. {"name": "Caribou", "herds": ["Central Arctic Herd", "Porcupine Caribou Herd"], "primary": true}, {"name": "Moose", "primary": true, "subspecies": "Alaska-Yukon moose"}, {"name": "Dall Sheep", "note": "Partial closure in DHCMA west of Sagavanirktok River", "primary": true}, {"name": "Black Bear", "primary": false}, {"name": "Grizzly Bear", "primary": false}, {"name": "Wolf", "primary": false}, {"name": "Wolverine", "primary": false}, {"name": "Muskox", "note": "Present in unit, check current season status", "primary": false} also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.

About this unit

AI-compiled · sourced

Unit 26B covers 16,332 square miles of northeastern Alaska's Arctic Slope — from the eastern edge of Unit 26A east to the Canning River (the western boundary of ANWR) — encompassing boreal taiga along the Porcupine River drainage, tundra foothills, and Brooks Range alpine terrain up to 8,000 feet. The unit hosts two of Alaska's most significant caribou herds (Central Arctic and Porcupine), excellent moose in river drainages, and historically strong Dall sheep in Brooks Range terrain now subject to partial closures. Access is primarily by floatplane or foot from the Dalton Highway (Haul Road), with the Dalton Highway Corridor Management Area (DHCMA) imposing a 5-mile archery-only buffer on either side of the road.

Terrain & elevation

Northeastern Alaska Arctic Slope unit spanning 16,332 square miles. Elevation ranges from sea level along Arctic coastal plain to 8,000 feet in Brooks Range peaks. Five ecological zones: coastal marine fringe (Beaufort Sea), coastal plain tundra, alpine tundra (Brooks Range), forest-tundra transition, and interior boreal forest along Porcupine and Chandalar River drainages. The Porcupine River enters Alaska from Canada near the unit's southeastern corner and flows southwest to meet the Yukon River near Fort Yukon. The Canning River forms the unit's eastern boundary and the western boundary of ANWR. Terrain is characterized by braided glacial rivers, limestone canyon formations (Upper and Lower Rampart Canyon on Porcupine River), millions of tundra lakes in the Yukon Flats transition zone, and high-relief Brooks Range ridges in the northern interior.

Access & public land

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Vegetation & habitat

Five-zone gradient from north to south: (1) Arctic coastal plain — sedge-grass tussock tundra, cotton grass, dwarf willow, critical PCH calving habitat; (2) Brooks Range alpine — lichen fell-fields, rocky talus, krummholz willow-alder, Dall sheep habitat; (3) Brooks Range foothills — tussock tundra, sedge meadows, thermokarst lakes, prime moose habitat in willow-alder draws; (4) Boreal transition — open black and white spruce, paper birch, trembling aspen, tamarack bogs; (5) Interior boreal (Porcupine drainage) — closed-canopy spruce-birch forest, extensive wetlands and oxbow lakes, beaver activity high. Continuous permafrost underlies most of unit; active layer supports tussock formation and thermokarst subsidence.

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.