Alaska Game Management Unit 5A: harvest, draw hunts, land and map
Unit 5A covers 3,637 square miles, by ADF&G's boundary file, in ADF&G Region I. ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 156 moose hunters in Unit 5A in the 2025 regulatory year, of whom 65 took one (42%). 81% of it is federal land in USGS PAD-US, the largest piece Tongass National Forest (53%).
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)National preserve (NPS)National forest (USFS)This unitNeighboring unit lineHighway
| Size | 3,637 square miles (ADF&G) |
|---|---|
| ADF&G region | Region I |
| Moose, 2025 | 65 of 156 hunters took one (42%) |
| Mountain goat, 2025 | 2 of 3 hunters took one (67%) |
| Deer, 2025 | 15 taken by 56 hunters |
| Federal land (PAD-US) | 81% |
| State land (PAD-US) | 0.2% |
| Largest public areas | Tongass National Forest, Glacier Bay National Park and Glacier Bay National Preserve |
| Communities | Yakutat |
| Highways | None: access is by air, water or trail |
| Neighboring units | 1C, 5B |
How many moose do hunters take in Unit 5A?
Unit 5A drew 156 moose hunters in 2025, 41st of the 72 subunits with moose hunters. 65 of them took one (42%); 89% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Moose taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 158 | 64 | 41% | 151 | 7 | 64 | 0 |
| 2021 | 141 | 63 | 45% | 130 | 11 | 63 | 0 |
| 2022 | 136 | 52 | 38% | 130 | 6 | 51 | 1 |
| 2023 | 129 | 50 | 39% | 121 | 8 | 50 | 0 |
| 2024 | 152 | 58 | 38% | 136 | 16 | 57 | 1 |
| 2025 | 156 | 65 | 42% | 139 | 17 | 65 | 0 |
How moose hunters in 5A got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: highway vehicle 65 hunters (13 successful), boat 32 hunters (18 successful), 3 or 4 wheeler 30 hunters (17 successful) and airplane 26 hunters (17 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 mountain goats do hunters take in Unit 5A?
Unit 5A drew 3 goat hunters in 2025, 17th of the 17 subunits with goat hunters. 2 of them took one (67%); 33% of the hunters were Alaska residents.
| Season | Hunters | Mountain goat taken | Success | Resident hunters | Nonresident hunters | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | 40% | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0% | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | 25% | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 | 2 | 67% | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 1 | 33% | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 67% | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
How goat hunters in 5A got to the field in 2025, by ADF&G's transportation report: boat 3 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 deer are taken in Unit 5A?
Sitka black-tailed deer, by ADF&G's deer harvest statistics for Unit 5A:
| Year | Hunters | Bucks | Does | Total deer | Deer per hunter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 49 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0.4 |
| 2021 | 38 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0.3 |
| 2022 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0.3 |
| 2023 | 50 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 0.4 |
| 2024 | 53 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0.2 |
| 2025 | 56 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0.3 |
Source: ADF&G deer harvest statistics by GMU.
Who manages the land in Unit 5A?
USGS PAD-US maps 81.1% of Unit 5A as public or tribal land. By manager:
| Manager | Acres | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| National forest (USFS) | 1,221,187 | 52.5% |
| National park or monument (NPS) | 605,094 | 26% |
| National preserve (NPS) | 57,683 | 2.5% |
| State of Alaska | 4,393 | 0.2% |
| Not in PAD-US | 439,332 | 18.9% |
Named areas inside 5A: Tongass National Forest (1,221,256 acres, 52.5%), Glacier Bay National Park (573,679 acres, 24.6%), Glacier Bay National Preserve (57,732 acres, 2.5%) and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (31,414 acres, 1.3%).
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 5A have special restrictions?
- Yakutat Youth Hunt Managment Area (management area): The area is open to deer hunting from October 15 through October 31 by a child aged 10 to 17 years of age who has successfully completed a department-approved hunter education class and who is accompanied by a licensed resident adult aged 21 years of age or older.
Source: ADF&G areas with restrictions, GMU 5. Read the full boundary there before hunting near one.
What communities and roads are in Unit 5A?
Census places inside 5A: Yakutat. 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 5A?
ADF&G's interim harvest report counts 65 moose reported from Unit 5A in the 2025 regulatory year, by 156 hunters. From 2020 to 2025 the yearly count of successful hunters ran from 50 (2023) to 65 (2025).
Who manages the land in Unit 5A?
USGS PAD-US maps 81% of Unit 5A as federal land and 0.2% as State of Alaska land; the largest named areas are Tongass National Forest (53%), Glacier Bay National Park (25%) and Glacier Bay National Preserve (3%). The rest is land PAD-US does not list, mostly private and Alaska Native corporation land.
Do nonresidents need a guide in Unit 5A?
For mountain goats, hunted in Unit 5A, 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 5A?
Yes. ADF&G lists Yakutat Youth Hunt Managment Area in Unit 5A.
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.