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
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This unit is found in east-central Alaska and is home to portions of the Tok Management Area and world-class Dall Sheep. Most of this area is fairly accessible thanks to the Alaska Highway, but hunting pressures tend to be high in these areas. This region sees a high variability of terrain features from high mountain peaks to wide river bottoms. A wide array of hunting opportunities can be found here and while pressure can be high at times the state does a good job of segmenting season dates and legal hunting areas to distribute the hunters. With thorough research and the use of good flight services, hunters can find some remote areas to access as well.
While the unit offers good hunting, some regions see a lot of hunting pressure. With some research, hunters can find less pressured areas.
The southern end of the unit features high climbing and impressive rocky mountains contained within the Tok Management Area and Delta Controlled Use Area. These areas are very rugged but feature some of the very best sheep hunting opportunities in the state. The remainder of the area to the north still remains quite mountainous though the elevation exaggeration is much less. Slopes can be heavily timbered throughout the region and are, at times, very steep and difficult to traverse. Areas along river bottoms zones can be very wide and primarily flat but difficult to navigate at times dues to heavy willow and alder growth. The areas surrounding Delta Junction to the west are highly developed and primarily agriculture.
The Alaska Highway almost perfectly bisects the unit horizontally and provides a good deal of access options for various methods of travel. Hunting areas near and around the highway will generally turn up highly pressured animals and somewhat difficult hunting conditions. Flying in can be an option for some but pressure can still be high around popular landing areas. The state has done a good job of splitting season dates and restricting access to areas during portions of the season to greatly reduce the sheer amount of hunters in the field at any given time period. A lot of the river channels in this area are heavily glaciated and can actually make for quick and easy access options into deeper portions of the unit if they are not flooded. Hunters will also find a number of float hunt options here. There are several non-motorized areas and seasons here -hunters need to be acutely aware of these.
Low elevation areas throughout the unit are timbered with birch, spruce, and aspen stands and can grow very dense at times. Areas near and around water sources will see heavy growth of willows and alder and timber. Mid-elevation foothill areas will still see heavy timber at times but vegetation begins to decrease quickly and glassing opportunities increase. High elevations will see a greater distribution of tundra, grasses, berry bushes, and rock faces.
Modern lodging options are available along the western edge of the unit but very few hunting opportunities will exist in close proximity that aren’t heavily pressured. Most hunters in this unit will need to use primitive camping techniques in the bush.
Roughly 5,642 square miles
80% Public land
Elevations range from 1,000-10,000 feet