Alaska Game Management Unit 21A: harvest, draw hunts, land and map
Unit 21A covers 10,796 square miles, by ADF&G's boundary file, in ADF&G Region III. ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 147 moose hunters in Unit 21A in the 2025 regulatory year, of whom 61 took one (41%). 46% of it is federal land in USGS PAD-US, the largest piece Innoko National Wildlife Refuge (39%), and 49% is State of Alaska land.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: ADF&G interim harvest reports, regulatory years 2020 to 2025. Drawing: ADF&G's 2023 to 2025 results. Land: USGS PAD-US 4.1.
National wildlife refuge (FWS)Bureau of Land ManagementState of AlaskaThis unitNeighboring unit lineHighway
| Size | 10,796 square miles (ADF&G) |
|---|---|
| ADF&G region | Region III |
| Moose, 2025 | 61 of 147 hunters took one (41%) |
| Caribou, 2025 | 1 of 8 hunters took one (13%) |
| Federal land (PAD-US) | 45.8% |
| State land (PAD-US) | 49.4% |
| Largest public areas | Innoko National Wildlife Refuge, State Patented and State Tentatively Approved |
| Communities | Flat |
| Highways | None: access is by air, water or trail |
| Neighboring units | 19A, 19D, 21B, 21D, 21E |
How many moose do hunters take in Unit 21A?
Unit 21A drew 147 moose hunters in 2025, 42nd of the 72 subunits with moose hunters. 61 of them took one (41%); 22% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Moose taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 143 | 79 | 55% | 60 | 83 | 79 | 0 |
| 2021 | 183 | 104 | 57% | 57 | 126 | 104 | 0 |
| 2022 | 149 | 77 | 52% | 26 | 123 | 77 | 0 |
| 2023 | 200 | 67 | 34% | 51 | 149 | 67 | 0 |
| 2024 | 162 | 87 | 54% | 34 | 128 | 87 | 0 |
| 2025 | 147 | 61 | 41% | 32 | 115 | 61 | 0 |
How moose hunters in 21A got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: airplane 94 hunters (32 successful), boat 43 hunters (25 successful), highway vehicle 4 hunters (2 successful) and 3 or 4 wheeler 3 hunters (0 successful).
Source: ADF&G Harvest General Reports, moose, reports 330 (success by residency), 130 (sex of the harvest) and 390 (transportation), regulatory years 2020 to 2025. A regulatory year runs July 1 to June 30. ADF&G labels these reports interim: late hunt reports can still change them.
How many caribou do hunters take in Unit 21A?
Unit 21A drew 8 caribou hunters in 2025, 30th of the 53 subunits with caribou hunters. 1 of them took one (13%); 13% of the hunters were Alaska residents. ADF&G's sex table places the 2025 harvest in Beaver Mountains (1) (herds).
| Season | Hunters | Caribou taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | 20% | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 | 3 | 50% | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 7 | 6 | 86% | 3 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | 14% | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 13% | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
How caribou hunters in 21A got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: airplane 5 hunters (1 successful) and boat 3 hunters (0 successful).
Source: ADF&G Harvest General Reports, caribou, reports 330 (success by residency), 130 (sex of the harvest) and 390 (transportation), regulatory years 2020 to 2025. A regulatory year runs July 1 to June 30. ADF&G labels these reports interim: late hunt reports can still change them.
Who manages the land in Unit 21A?
USGS PAD-US maps 95.1% of Unit 21A as public or tribal land. By manager:
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| State of Alaska | 3,412,798 | 49.4% |
| National wildlife refuge (FWS) | 2,701,566 | 39.1% |
| Bureau of Land Management | 459,822 | 6.7% |
| Not in PAD-US | 335,432 | 4.9% |
Named areas inside 21A: Innoko National Wildlife Refuge (2,701,566 acres, 39.1%), State Patented (2,489,504 acres, 36%), State Tentatively Approved (927,883 acres, 13.4%) and BLM Anchorage Field Office (455,716 acres, 6.6%).
Source: USGS PAD-US 4.1, fee land by manager, measured inside ADF&G's boundary by FilledTag.
Federal law sets what each kind of land allows. A national preserve in Alaska is run like a national park except that sport hunting, subsistence hunting and trapping are allowed (16 U.S.C. 3201); national park and monument land is closed to sport hunting. On federal public land, rural Alaska residents can also hunt under federal subsistence rules, and the Federal Subsistence Board can close federal land to other hunters for a species. Land PAD-US does not map is mostly private, including Alaska Native corporation land, and needs the owner's permission.
What communities and roads are in Unit 21A?
Census places inside 21A: Flat. No state or federal highway crosses it, so hunters reach it by plane, boat, snowmachine or on foot.
Communities and highways: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line and Gazetteer 2024.
Do nonresidents need a guide in Alaska?
For three species, yes. ADF&G's 2026-2027 drawing supplement: "Nonresidents who are citizens of the United States are required to be personally accompanied in the field by an Alaska-licensed guide OR an Alaska resident relative 19 years of age or older within the second-degree of kindred when hunting brown/grizzly bear, Dall sheep, or mountain goat." Nonresidents who are not U.S. citizens need a licensed guide for those and for every other big game species, by ADF&G's guide requirements. Moose, caribou, black bear, bison, muskox, elk and deer need no guide for a nonresident U.S. citizen.
Questions hunters ask
How many moose are taken in Unit 21A?
ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 61 moose reported from Unit 21A in the 2025 regulatory year, by 147 hunters. From 2020 to 2025 the yearly count of successful hunters ran from 61 (2025) to 104 (2021).
Who manages the land in Unit 21A?
USGS PAD-US maps 45.8% of Unit 21A as federal land and 49.4% as State of Alaska land; the largest named areas are Innoko National Wildlife Refuge (39%), State Patented (36%) and State Tentatively Approved (13%). The rest is land PAD-US does not list, mostly private and Alaska Native corporation land.
Do nonresidents need a guide in Unit 21A?
Only for brown bear, Dall sheep and mountain goat: ADF&G requires nonresidents to be accompanied by an Alaska-licensed guide or an Alaska resident relative 19 or older within the second degree of kindred for brown bear, Dall sheep and mountain goat. Nonresidents who are not U.S. citizens need a guide for all big game.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and success: ADF&G Harvest General Reports, interim, regulatory years 2020 to 2025; each table checked against ADF&G's printed totals.
- Drawing results: ADF&G 2026-2027 Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement and the two before it. Restrictions: ADF&G areas with restrictions.
- Boundary: ADF&G Game Management Subunits. Land: USGS PAD-US. Communities and highways: U.S. Census Bureau.
FilledTag is not part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. ADF&G's regulations and emergency orders are the final word.
Alaska hunting Unit 21 Unit 19A Unit 19D Unit 21B Unit 21D Unit 21E