States / AK / Unit 26C

Unit 26C, Alaska

Game found here

caribouDall sheepgrizzly bearmoosewolfwolverineblack bear

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Unit info

Game species: caribou, Dall sheep, grizzly bear, moose, wolf, wolverine, black bear
Group: N/A
Area: 10,997 mi²
Public land: 96%

wolf — season & harvest

Tag type: Alaska hunting license + wolf tag (~$60 non-resident). No guide requirement.
Reported harvest: Not reported separately.
Archery season: Archery legal during open season.
General season: August 1 – April 30 (typical; verify for Unit 26C)

Hunting notes

Incidental to caribou or moose hunts. Wolves follow caribou migrations and are commonly encountered on open tundra. Calling and ambush near caribou herds or along travel 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

Tag type: Alaska hunting license + moose tag (~$800 non-resident). Guide not required for non-residents. Non-residents must complete mandatory moose hunting orientation course (effective July 1, 2025).
Reported harvest: Populations assessed in 2015–2020 GMU 26B/26C species management report; considered huntable.
Archery season: Archery season may open earlier, approximately August 1–25; verify.
General season: August 25 – September 25 (typical Interior Alaska bull moose season; verify exact dates and antler restriction for Unit 26C in GMU 26 regulations)

Hunting notes

Hunt bulls during September rut along willow flats and river bars. Calling (cow calls, bull grunts, raking antlers) is effective during peak rut (late September). Float hunting the Chandalar or Sheenjek by packraft is a common tactic after floatplane drop.

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: 42

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: Alaska hunting license + caribou tag (~$325 non-resident). No draw permit required for general caribou season. Guide not required for non-residents hunting caribou.
Reported harvest: Highly variable year to year due to Porcupine Herd migration unpredictability through the unit.
Archery season: Same season window; archery equipment restrictions apply if in archery-only area.
General season: August 1 – March 31 (approximate general season; verify in current GMU 26 regulations at adfg.alaska.gov)

Hunting notes

Spot-and-stalk on migration routes in valley bottoms and river crossings. Glass from high ground for moving herds. Set up near traditional crossing points on Chandalar and Sheenjek drainages. Migration timing is the critical variable — consult your air operator for real-time herd location before flying in. Bulls are prime in late August–early September before rut.

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: Alaska hunting license + wolverine tag (~$350 non-resident).
Reported harvest: Not reported separately.
General season: September 1 – March 31 (typical; verify for Unit 26C — may have draw or registration requirement).

Hunting notes

Trap or spot-and-stalk; often incidental to other pursuits. Active in fall and winter across alpine and boreal zones.

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

Brown Bear — season & harvest

Reported harvest: 14

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: 35

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

dall_sheep — season & harvest44% success

Hunter success44%

0%100%

Tag type: Alaska hunting license + Dall sheep tag (~$650 non-resident). Guide required for non-residents. May require registration or draw permit (RS595 series) — check ADF&G permit hunt listings.
Reported harvest: Eastern Brooks Range (Units 24/25/26): annual harvest increased 31% from 2002–2012 baseline; success averaged 44% in 2010–2011 data.
Archery season: Archery legal during general season.
General season: August 10 – September 20 (typical Brooks Range Dall sheep season; verify in GMU 26 regulations)

Hunting notes

Alpine spot-and-stalk. Approach from below using terrain and thermals on eastern Brooks Range foothills. Legal rams require full-curl or 3/4-curl horn — confirm legal horn requirement for the specific portion of 26C being hunted. Plan 7–14 day backpack or spike camp hunts.

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: Alaska hunting license + brown/grizzly bear tag (~$1,000 non-resident). Guide required for non-residents. All bears must be sealed by ADF&G within 30 days. No hunting with dogs.
Reported harvest: Unit-specific harvest data not available from searched sources.
Archery season: Archery legal during general season.
General season: Fall approx. August 10 – October 31; Spring approx. May 1 – May 25. Bag limit 1 bear per regulatory year. Confirm Unit 26C permit type (registration vs. draw) with ADF&G Fairbanks 907-459-7206.

Hunting notes

Fair-chase spot-and-stalk in alpine tundra or along river corridors. Best timing late August–September (hyperphagia on berries and ground squirrels on open tundra) or early May (spring bears on south-facing slopes). Spring requires floatplane access during breakup.

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, wolverine, Brown Bear, Dall Sheep, dall_sheep, grizzly_bear so far. Dall sheep, grizzly bear, black bear also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.

About this unit

AI-compiled · sourced

Unit 26C (Chandalar/Sheenjek) is a vast, roadless wilderness in northeastern Interior Alaska encompassing the eastern Brooks Range foothills, the upper Chandalar and Sheenjek River drainages, and land abutting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge — accessible almost exclusively by fixed-wing bush plane from Fairbanks. The unit is the primary Alaska hunting ground for the Porcupine Caribou Herd (~218,000 animals) during fall migration, and also supports huntable populations of Dall sheep, grizzly bear, moose, wolf, and wolverine. Non-residents must use a licensed guide for brown/grizzly bear and Dall sheep, and all hunters face challenging logistics, extreme remoteness, and highly variable caribou migration timing.

Terrain & elevation

Unit 26C spans roughly 10,000–15,000 square miles of northeastern Interior Alaska. The northern and eastern margins rise into the eastern Brooks Range and its foothills, featuring steep alpine ridges and cirques where Dall sheep summer. The central zone transitions through boreal taiga — open spruce forest and willow/alder riparian corridors — along the Chandalar River system (East Fork, North Fork, Middle Fork). The Sheenjek River drains the southeastern portion of the unit southward through forested lowlands into the Yukon Flats. Terrain ranges from alpine tundra at 4,000–7,000 ft to boreal river bottoms at ~1,000 ft. The unit lies mostly south and east of the Arctic Divide; drainages flow south into the Yukon River basin. Much of the interior is rolling tundra-covered hills, permafrost bogs, and braided glacial rivers. There is no road access within 26C.

Access & public land

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Vegetation & habitat

Three major habitat zones: (1) Alpine tundra — fellfield, sedge-grass meadows, krummholz — above ~3,500 ft in Brooks Range foothills; (2) Forest-tundra transition — open black spruce, cottongrass tussock tundra, willow-alder shrub between ~1,500–3,500 ft; (3) Boreal riparian — white spruce, balsam poplar, willow, alder, sedge meadows along valley bottoms. Permafrost is widespread, creating wet tussock fields that make foot travel demanding. The Sheenjek valley is one of the most remote and pristine boreal river corridors in North America.

Wildlife movement

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Notes

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Sources

Species guides

caribou →Dall sheep →grizzly bear →moose →black bear →

Questions, tips & discussion

Ask anything about Unit 26C— 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.