At a Glance
Quick Tips
- Plan your transportation and lodging options around the season and species you will be hunting
- Bear fences can be a good idea for camps
- Rain gear is a necessity
Terrain
Access
Historical Temperatures
High
Low
High
Low
This large unit is found in south-central Alaska and features a healthy mixture of terrain types and access options. The northern border of the unit is comprised of the Glenn Highway/Tok Cutoff and pressure is generally high in these areas. The Richardson Highway covers the eastern side of the unit and provides even more vehicle and ATV access. Road access aside, a majority of the interior portions of the unit are roadless and remote. Escaping pressure can be tough but a good hunt plan can drastically reduce this.
Good hunting can be found here but escaping hunting pressure can be difficult at times, and trophy potentials tend to be slightly lower than some of the surrounding units.
This area features a wide array of terrain features from boggy muskegs to high mountain peaks. The northern third of the unit is primarily composed of large timber stands, bogs, muskegs, and river bottoms. The remainder of the southern half of the unit sees a much higher exaggeration of terrain with steep climbing ridgelines, large basins, and intermixed river drainages. Many of the low elevation areas will be heavily timbered or vegetated. Physically moving through some of this country can be difficult at times, particularly around creeks and rivers. Glassing can also be difficult but utilizing high river banks and some areas with a slight elevation advantage can be fruitful. The high country areas are mostly void of tall and dense vegetation, and glassing and movements are much better.
Access along the Tok and Richardson Highways is good but these areas generally see a lot of pressure from residents. ATV trails provide some options for accessing interior portions of the unit although these areas will still see heavy hunting pressure. Flying into remote locations be a great way to escape some of the pressure but well known airstrips will still be popular areas for other hunters. Physically traversing some of the thicker country in the lower elevation areas can be a chore at times. Hunters will need to take special consideration when planning their hunts and stalks.
Most of the river bottom areas will be comprised of heavy timber stands with some Sitka spruce, but a small bump in elevation will reveal more black spruce, aspen, and hemlock. River bottom areas and marshlands are largely comprised of grasses, sedges, alder, dwarf birch, and white spruce. Higher elevation areas above treeline will generally see a larger amount of mountain hemlock, tundra, berry plants, and small shrubs. Traversing country in and around the river bottom areas can very difficult at times due to dense vegetation, but some of the lower areas comprised of tundra and small shrubs are great for glassing. Following established game trails can be a great way to effectively cover ground. Small gains in elevation in these areas can make spotting game from a distance much easier and can reduce the physical output needed to cover multiple areas. The high country areas are generally void of major vegetation and spotting game from a distance can be fairly straight forward.
There are a few modern lodging options found along the Tok and Richardson Highways but traveling from these areas to the hunting locations day after day is not extremely convenient. Some lodges are located in more remote areas and day hunting from these areas is doable. Most hunters here will generally opt to primitive camp throughout the area whether they are flown in, float hunting, or backpack hunting.
Roughly 5,755 square miles
82% Public land
Elevations range from 1,700-12,000 feet