Alaska Game Management Unit 26A: harvest, draw hunts, land and map
Unit 26A covers 56,210 square miles, by ADF&G's boundary file, in ADF&G Region V. ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 198 caribou hunters in Unit 26A in the 2025 regulatory year, of whom 159 took one (80%). 66% of it is federal land in USGS PAD-US, the largest piece Arctic District Office (60%), and 7% 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 park or monument (NPS)Bureau of Land ManagementState of AlaskaThis unitNeighboring unit lineHighway
| Size | 56,210 square miles (ADF&G) |
|---|---|
| ADF&G region | Region V |
| Caribou, 2025 | 159 of 198 hunters took one (80%) |
| Moose, 2025 | 5 of 8 hunters took one (63%) |
| Dall sheep, 2025 | 1 of 5 hunters took one (20%) |
| Federal land (PAD-US) | 66.2% |
| State land (PAD-US) | 6.8% |
| Largest public areas | Arctic District Office, Gates of the Arctic National Park and State Tentatively Approved |
| Communities | Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Nuiqsut, Utqiaġvik, Wainwright and Point Lay |
| Highways | None: access is by air, water or trail |
| Neighboring units | 23, 24B, 26B |
How many caribou do hunters take in Unit 26A?
Unit 26A drew 198 caribou hunters in 2025, 9th of the 53 subunits with caribou hunters. 159 of them took one (80%); 2% of the hunters were Alaska residents. ADF&G's sex table places the 2025 harvest in Western Arctic (159) (herds).
| Season | Hunters | Caribou taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 114 | 91 | 80% | 52 | 62 | 84 | 7 |
| 2021 | 104 | 82 | 79% | 20 | 84 | 80 | 2 |
| 2022 | 127 | 104 | 82% | 8 | 119 | 104 | 0 |
| 2023 | 251 | 167 | 67% | 23 | 228 | 163 | 4 |
| 2024 | 204 | 131 | 64% | 35 | 169 | 129 | 2 |
| 2025 | 198 | 159 | 80% | 4 | 194 | 159 | 0 |
How caribou hunters in 26A got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: airplane 182 hunters (150 successful), boat 10 hunters (7 successful), foot 2 hunters (0 successful) and highway vehicle 2 hunters (2 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.
How many moose do hunters take in Unit 26A?
Unit 26A drew 8 moose hunters in 2025, 66th of the 72 subunits with moose hunters. 5 of them took one (63%); 88% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Moose taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | 40% | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 6 | 2 | 33% | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | 50% | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | 8 | 4 | 50% | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | 14% | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 5 | 63% | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
How moose hunters in 26A got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: boat 5 hunters (4 successful), 3 or 4 wheeler 1 hunters (0 successful), airplane 1 hunters (1 successful) and offroad vehicle 1 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 Dall sheep do hunters take in Unit 26A?
Unit 26A drew 5 sheep hunters in 2025, 27th of the 34 subunits with sheep hunters. 1 of them took one (20%); 80% of the hunters were Alaska residents. ADF&G's sex table places the 2025 harvest in Brooks Range (1) (mountain ranges).
| Season | Hunters | Dall sheep taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | 0% | 4 | 3 | ||
| 2022 | 4 | 2 | 50% | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 25% | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 20% | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
How sheep hunters in 26A got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: airplane 3 hunters (1 successful), boat 1 hunters (0 successful) and snowmachine 1 hunters (0 successful).
Source: ADF&G Harvest General Reports, sheep, 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 26A?
USGS PAD-US maps 73% of Unit 26A as public or tribal land. By manager:
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Land Management | 21,615,582 | 60.1% |
| State of Alaska | 2,446,749 | 6.8% |
| National park or monument (NPS) | 2,067,138 | 5.7% |
| National preserve (NPS) | 120,387 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuge (FWS) | 26,999 | 0.1% |
| Not in PAD-US | 9,697,145 | 27% |
Named areas inside 26A: Arctic District Office (21,616,954 acres, 60.1%), Gates of the Arctic National Park (2,067,138 acres, 5.7%), State Tentatively Approved (1,387,522 acres, 3.9%) and State Patented (1,061,033 acres, 2.9%).
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.
Which areas of Unit 26A have special restrictions?
- Anaktuvuk Pass Controlled Use Area (controlled use area): The area is closed to the use of aircraft for hunting caribou, including the transportation of caribou hunters, their hunting gear, or parts of caribou from August 15 through October 15; however, this provision does not apply to the transportation of caribou hunters, their hunting gear, or parts of caribou by aircraft between publicly owned airports.
- Unit 26(A) Controlled Use Area (controlled use area): The area is closed to the use of aircraft for hunting moose, including the transportation of moose hunters, their hunting gear, or parts of moose from July 1 through September 14 and from January 1 through March 31, except as provided under terms of a drawing hunt permit in the area outside of that portion of Unit 26(A) bounded by a line beginning at 153° 30' W. long. on the game management boundary between Units 24 ...
Source: ADF&G areas with restrictions, GMU 26. Read the full boundary there before hunting near one.
What communities and roads are in Unit 26A?
Census places inside 26A: Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Nuiqsut, Utqiaġvik, Wainwright and Point Lay. 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 caribou are taken in Unit 26A?
ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 159 caribou reported from Unit 26A in the 2025 regulatory year, by 198 hunters. From 2020 to 2025 the yearly count of successful hunters ran from 82 (2021) to 167 (2023).
Who manages the land in Unit 26A?
USGS PAD-US maps 66.2% of Unit 26A as federal land and 6.8% as State of Alaska land; the largest named areas are Arctic District Office (60%), Gates of the Arctic National Park (6%) and State Tentatively Approved (4%). The rest is land PAD-US does not list, mostly private and Alaska Native corporation land.
Do nonresidents need a guide in Unit 26A?
For Dall sheep, hunted in Unit 26A, yes: 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.
Are there closed or controlled use areas in Unit 26A?
Yes. ADF&G lists Anaktuvuk Pass Controlled Use Area and Unit 26(A) Controlled Use Area in Unit 26A.
Get an Alaska hunt plan when they open
Alaska plans are not open yet. They are coming soon. Join the waiting list; the first 50 hunters get one plan free.
Use the map while you wait for your plan.
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.