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
- Waders or hip boots are highly recommended when hunting marshy areas
- Excellent grayling fishing found here
On The Ground
This unit is found in central Alaska and lies just south of Fairbanks. Fort Wainwright makes up a large portion of the northern end of the unit and can be hunted but special restrictions do apply. This area sees a wide variety of terrain types and there are several options for accessing the unit. Highway access is good around the perimeter of the unit but most of the remote country in the interior portions of the unit will need to be reached via plane or boat. This area offers good hunting opportunities but is also very popular among residents and outfitters. Well-known airstrips can become crowded and hunters will need to push further and further out to find unpressured animals.
Good hunting can be found here but this area is also frequented by guides and resident hunters. Hunters will need to get creative when trying to escape major pressure. Even with the hunting pressure, this area holds a great number of animals. A lot of seasons will be running concurrently so hunters will need to pay close attention to regulations and boundary restrictions.
Terrain
This unit sees a diverse makeup of terrain and, depending on the species, hunters have the ability to really tailor their hunt to their liking. The northern half of the unit sees very little in terrain variation in terms of elevation while the south end is comprised largely of rough mountains. The lower elevations to the north tend to be heavily timbered at times and glassing opportunities can be tough to come by. The mountains to the south see much less large vegetation in areas above 4,000 feet seeing as the general makeup of the terrain consists of grass and rock covered ridges and peaks. River bottoms in this area will still tend to be heavily timbered or thick with ground cover.
Roughly 6,796 square miles
68% Public land
Elevations range from 300-8,700 feet
Vegetation
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. Expansive tundra and muskeg with scattered glassing options are intermixed around the mountainous regions of the unit. 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 scattered patches of mountain hemlock.
Access
Access around the perimeter of the unit is great with the highway system and several spur roads. ATV trails such as the Rex Trail can take hunters further into the bush. Several remote airstrips are located throughout the unit and are well used by both guides and local pilots. With its close proximity to Fairbanks, this unit does see a fair share of hunting pressure but good animals can still be found here, and enough research and planning can land hunters in good areas. A lot of the river channels in this area are heavily glaciated and can actually make for quick and easy access points into deeper portions of the unit if they are not flooded.
Camping and Lodging
Modern lodging options can be found in most of the communities, cities, and towns here but hunting opportunities will be limited from these locations. Fairbanks is a launch point for a high percentage of Alaska hunts. Hunters can get tags, licenses, gas, food, supplies, rental vehicles, lodging, and all common services & amenities there. Most hunters will generally opt to camp in the bush via primitive camping methods.
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