Alaska Game Management Unit 4: harvest, draw hunts, land and map
Unit 4 covers 9,618 square miles, by ADF&G's boundary file, in ADF&G Region I. ADF&G counts 3,033 deer hunters in Unit 4 in 2025, who took 5,375 deer. 58% of it is federal land in USGS PAD-US, the largest piece Tongass National Forest (58%). 3 drawing hunts reach into it; they drew 54 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 forest (USFS)State of AlaskaThis unitNeighboring unit lineHighway
| Size | 9,618 square miles (ADF&G) |
|---|---|
| ADF&G region | Region I |
| Mountain goat, 2025 | 38 of 49 hunters took one (78%) |
| Moose, 2025 | 1 of 3 hunters took one (33%) |
| Deer, 2025 | 5,375 taken by 3,033 hunters |
| Federal land (PAD-US) | 57.5% |
| State land (PAD-US) | 0.5% |
| Largest public areas | Tongass National Forest |
| Drawing hunts | 3: DB089, DB077, DB088 |
| Communities | Angoon, Hoonah, Pelican, Port Alexander, Sitka and Tenakee Springs and 3 more |
| Highways | None: access is by air, water or trail |
| Neighboring units | 1B, 1C, 3 |
How many mountain goats do hunters take in Unit 4?
Unit 4 drew 49 goat hunters in 2025, 5th of the 17 subunits with goat hunters. 38 of them took one (78%); 82% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Mountain goat taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 99 | 38 | 38% | 85 | 14 | 30 | 5 |
| 2021 | 70 | 28 | 40% | 58 | 12 | 19 | 9 |
| 2022 | 95 | 31 | 33% | 80 | 15 | 26 | 5 |
| 2023 | 90 | 29 | 32% | 73 | 17 | 22 | 7 |
| 2024 | 48 | 35 | 73% | 37 | 11 | 29 | 6 |
| 2025 | 49 | 38 | 78% | 40 | 9 | 34 | 4 |
How goat hunters in 4 got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: boat 28 hunters (21 successful), airplane 12 hunters (11 successful), 3 or 4 wheeler 2 hunters (1 successful) and foot 2 hunters (2 successful).
Source: ADF&G Harvest General Reports, goat, 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 4?
Unit 4 drew 3 moose hunters in 2025, 68th of the 72 subunits with moose hunters. 1 of them took one (33%); 100% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Moose taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 33% | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
How moose hunters in 4 got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: foot 1 hunters (0 successful), highway vehicle 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 deer are taken in Unit 4?
Sitka black-tailed deer, by ADF&G's deer harvest statistics for Unit 4:
| Year | Hunters | Bucks | Does | Total deer | Deer per hunter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,252 | 3,498 | 1,556 | 5,054 | 1.6 |
| 2021 | 3,343 | 4,661 | 1,918 | 6,579 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2,643 | 2,896 | 859 | 3,755 | 1.4 |
| 2023 | 2,849 | 3,409 | 1,092 | 4,501 | 1.6 |
| 2024 | 2,733 | 3,354 | 834 | 4,188 | 1.5 |
| 2025 | 3,033 | 4,449 | 926 | 5,375 | 1.8 |
Source: ADF&G deer harvest statistics by GMU.
How many bears do drawing permit holders take in Unit 4?
ADF&G's harvest statistics for the bear drawing hunts that reach Unit 4 count 11 bears taken by 18 permit holders who went hunting, 2021 to 2025 together.
| Hunt | Species | Hunt area | Years reported | Hunted | Bears taken | Males | Latest year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB077 | brown bear | Unit 4 | 2021-2025 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2025: 0 of 0 |
| DB088 | brown bear | Unit 4, outside drainages | 2021-2025 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2025: 1 of 1 |
| DB089 | brown bear | Unit 4, inside drainages | 2021-2025 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2025: 1 of 2 |
Source: ADF&G brown bear harvest statistics and black bear harvest statistics, drawing hunts. Bears taken on general-season harvest tickets and registration permits are not in these rows.
What drawing hunts reach Unit 4?
Every ADF&G drawing hunt whose area includes Unit 4, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB089 | brown bear | Unit 4, inside drainages (Nonresidents guided by resident relative) | 28 | 2 | 7% | 13% | 7% |
| DB077 | brown bear | Unit 4 (Nonresidents guided by resident relative) | 13 | 3 | 23% | 27% | 100% |
| DB088 | brown bear | Unit 4, outside drainages (Nonresidents guided by resident relative) | 13 | 2 | 15% | 14% | 11% |
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 4?
USGS PAD-US maps 57.9% of Unit 4 as public or tribal land. By manager:
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest (USFS) | 3,537,037 | 57.5% |
| State of Alaska | 28,292 | 0.5% |
| Not in PAD-US | 2,589,111 | 42.1% |
Named areas inside 4: Tongass National Forest (3,537,060 acres, 57.5%).
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 4 have special restrictions?
- Bear Cove Closed Area (Baranof Island) (areas closed to hunting): Closed to the taking of brown bears
- Greens Creek Mine Closed Area (areas closed to hunting): No wheeled vehicles or carts may be used by hunters
- Mitchell Bay Closed Area (areas closed to hunting): Closed to the taking of brown bears
- Port Althorp Closed Area (areas closed to hunting): Closed to the taking of brown bears
- Salt Lake Closed Area (areas closed to hunting): Closed to the taking of bears
- Seymour Canal Closed Area (areas closed to hunting): Closed to the taking of bears
- Sitka Road System Closed Area (areas closed to hunting): Closed to the taking of big game
- Northeast Chichagof Controlled Use Area (controlled use area): Closed to the use of any motorized land vehicle for brown bear hunting, including the transportation of brown bear hunters, their hunting gear, or parts of brown bears, except as provided under terms of a registration hunt permit
Source: ADF&G areas with restrictions, GMU 4. Read the full boundary there before hunting near one.
What communities and roads are in Unit 4?
Census places inside 4: Angoon, Hoonah, Pelican, Port Alexander, Sitka, Tenakee Springs, Elfin Cove, Game Creek and Whitestone Logging Camp. 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 deer are taken in Unit 4?
ADF&G counts 5,375 deer taken in Unit 4 in 2025 (4,449 bucks and 926 does) by 3,033 hunters.
Who manages the land in Unit 4?
USGS PAD-US maps 57.5% of Unit 4 as federal land and 0.5% as State of Alaska land; the largest named areas are Tongass National Forest (58%). The rest is land PAD-US does not list, mostly private and Alaska Native corporation land.
What drawing hunts are in Unit 4?
DB089 (brown bear, 28 applications in 2025), DB077 (brown bear, 13 applications in 2025) and DB088 (brown bear, 13 applications in 2025), by ADF&G's results of the 2025 drawing.
Do nonresidents need a guide in Unit 4?
For mountain goats and brown bears, hunted in Unit 4, 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 4?
Yes. ADF&G lists Bear Cove Closed Area (Baranof Island), Greens Creek Mine Closed Area, Mitchell Bay Closed Area, Port Althorp Closed Area and Salt Lake Closed Area and 3 more in Unit 4.
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.