Quick Tips
- Plan your transportation and lodging options around the season and species you will be hunting
- Rubber rain gear is highly recommended
- Bear fences recommended for primitive camping
- Inflatable kayaks and pack rafts can be great for crossing the many bodies of water
On The Ground
This long unit is located in southwest Alaska and makes up the eastern beginning of the Aleutian Islands. A few small fishing villages can be found here but this unit is mostly remote and undeveloped. Bush and float planes are largely utilized to reach primary hunting areas and hunters can greatly distance themselves from any additional hunting pressure. This unit features a surprisingly vast array of terrain features from huge muskegs and tundra flats to steep climbing mountain ridge lines with rocky peaks. Physically reaching the hunting area can take a lot of logistics, generally more than most hunters will be willing to pay for. Overall, there is some good hunting here but many hunters will find cheaper and easier options within other units of the state.
Reaching this unit can be more expensive than some of the other options in the state and many hunters may find this too much of a hurdle to overcome. Excellent brown bear hunting is found throughout this range.
Terrain
Like most of the surrounding areas, this unit sees a healthy mixture of large and widespread tidal flats and muskegs with steep and jutting mountain ranges that climb off the valley floors. Vegetation cover can be extremely dense in some areas, especially around water sources. Physically traversing the country can be difficult at all elevations due to vegetative cover, bogs, or terrain steepness and physical fitness can definitely play into success. Small bumps in elevation can greatly increase long-range visibility.
Roughly 16,813 square miles
56% Public land
Elevations range from 0-7,700 feet
Vegetation
Most of the unit is comprised of huge muskeg and tundra flats with scattered pockets of water. Large patches of willows grow in abundance around water sources but make up a large portion of the ground cover. Most of the mountainous areas within the unit are composed largely of ancient volcanoes and are primarily rock slides, cliffs, and scree patches. Most of the foothill areas around these small ranges have denser vegetation and suitable habitat to hold animals. Additionally, a small gain in elevation can reveal a lot of glassing opportunities.
Access
Because this area is so remote access options are primarily restricted to float or bush planes only. A few small established airstrips are located within the unit but the opportunities of hunting within close proximity of these are few and far between. Cross country travel can be done in short duration but the tundra can make any prolonged activity extremely difficult and game retrieval can be near impossible over certain distances. The Kejulik River along the north end of the unit can be a productive float for brown bears and moose and hunters have found good success here. This can be a fairly short float and this area really lends itself to taking your time and checking out every nook and cranny.
Primary initial points of access typically include King Salmon or Cold Bay
Air Cargo also flies into King Salmon and Cold Bay
Camping and Lodging
For the most part, hunters will be forced to use primitive camping methods from established base camps. Spike camping from these locations is possible but the use of bear fences is still recommended.
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