Alaska Game Management Unit 21B: harvest, draw hunts, land and map
Unit 21B covers 9,330 square miles, by ADF&G's boundary file, in ADF&G Region III. ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 217 moose hunters in Unit 21B in the 2025 regulatory year, of whom 65 took one (30%). 63% of it is federal land in USGS PAD-US, the largest piece Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge (32%), and 26% is State of Alaska land. 7 drawing hunts reach into it; they drew 1,001 applications in ADF&G's 2025 drawing.
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 | 9,330 square miles (ADF&G) |
|---|---|
| ADF&G region | Region III |
| Moose, 2025 | 65 of 217 hunters took one (30%) |
| Caribou, 2025 | 0 of 2 hunters took one (0%) |
| Federal land (PAD-US) | 63.3% |
| State land (PAD-US) | 25.8% |
| Largest public areas | Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge, BLM Central Yukon Field Office and State Patented |
| Drawing hunts | 7: DM806, DM810, DM802, DM809, DM808, DM805 and more |
| Communities | None in the Census list |
| Highways | None: access is by air, water or trail |
| Neighboring units | 19D, 20C, 20F, 21A, 21C, 21D |
How many moose do hunters take in Unit 21B?
Unit 21B drew 217 moose hunters in 2025, 33rd of the 72 subunits with moose hunters. 65 of them took one (30%); 83% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Moose taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 201 | 69 | 34% | 181 | 20 | 69 | 0 |
| 2021 | 197 | 59 | 30% | 170 | 27 | 59 | 0 |
| 2022 | 178 | 49 | 28% | 154 | 24 | 49 | 0 |
| 2023 | 205 | 61 | 30% | 173 | 32 | 61 | 0 |
| 2024 | 243 | 84 | 35% | 191 | 52 | 84 | 0 |
| 2025 | 217 | 65 | 30% | 181 | 36 | 65 | 0 |
How moose hunters in 21B got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: boat 173 hunters (51 successful), airplane 18 hunters (8 successful), highway vehicle 11 hunters (3 successful) and offroad vehicle 6 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 21B?
Unit 21B drew 2 caribou hunters in 2025, 39th of the 53 subunits with caribou hunters. 0 of them took one (0%); 0% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Caribou taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 | 2 | 50% | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 1 | ||
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 2 |
How caribou hunters in 21B got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: airboat 1 hunters (0 successful) and boat 1 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.
What drawing hunts reach Unit 21B?
Every ADF&G drawing hunt whose area includes Unit 21B, with ADF&G's results of its last three drawings. "% drawn" is ADF&G's own figure; one hunter can send several applications.
| Hunt | Species | Hunt area | Applications, 2025 | Permits, 2025 | % drawn, 2025 | % drawn, 2024 | % drawn, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DM806 | moose | Unit 21B, lower Nowitna River Corridor (Residents Only) | 285 | 8 | 3% | 3% | 4% |
| DM810 | moose | Unit 21B, upper Nowitna Corridor (Residents) | 263 | 10 | 4% | 6% | 3% |
| DM802 | moose | Unit 21B, east of the Nowitna River Corridor | 170 | 67 | 39% | 33% | 100% |
| DM809 | moose | Unit 21B, upper Nowitna Corridor (Nonresidents Nonguided Only) | 113 | 3 | 3% | 6% | 6% |
| DM808 | moose | Unit 21B, west of the Nowitna River Corridor | 91 | 78 | 86% | 45% | 87% |
| DM805 | moose | Unit 21B, lower Nowitna River Corridor (Nonresidents Only) | 73 | 2 | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| DM811 | moose | Unit 21B, upper Nowitna Corridor (Nonresidents Guided Only) | 6 | 7 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Source: ADF&G Drawing Permit Hunt Supplements, "Results of the Permit Hunt Drawing" for 2023, 2024, 2025. Hunt areas: ADF&G's hunting maps list of drawing hunts.
Who manages the land in Unit 21B?
USGS PAD-US maps 89.1% of Unit 21B as public or tribal land. By manager:
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge (FWS) | 1,894,264 | 31.7% |
| Bureau of Land Management | 1,886,442 | 31.6% |
| State of Alaska | 1,538,465 | 25.8% |
| Not in PAD-US | 651,890 | 10.9% |
Named areas inside 21B: Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge (1,894,264 acres, 31.7%), BLM Central Yukon Field Office (1,875,954 acres, 31.4%), State Patented (1,108,307 acres, 18.6%) and State Tentatively Approved (429,004 acres, 7.2%).
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 21B?
The Census Bureau lists no community inside 21B. 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 21B?
ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 65 moose reported from Unit 21B in the 2025 regulatory year, by 217 hunters. From 2020 to 2025 the yearly count of successful hunters ran from 49 (2022) to 84 (2024).
Who manages the land in Unit 21B?
USGS PAD-US maps 63.3% of Unit 21B as federal land and 25.8% as State of Alaska land; the largest named areas are Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge (32%), BLM Central Yukon Field Office (31%) and State Patented (19%). The rest is land PAD-US does not list, mostly private and Alaska Native corporation land.
What drawing hunts are in Unit 21B?
DM806 (moose, 285 applications in 2025), DM810 (moose, 263 applications in 2025), DM802 (moose, 170 applications in 2025), DM809 (moose, 113 applications in 2025), DM808 (moose, 91 applications in 2025), DM805 (moose, 73 applications in 2025) and DM811 (moose, 6 applications in 2025), by ADF&G's results of the 2025 drawing.
Do nonresidents need a guide in Unit 21B?
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 19D Unit 20C Unit 20F Unit 21A Unit 21C Unit 21D