Unit 01B

Key navigational anchors include the major glacier systems: LeConte Glacier dominates the eastern interior and feeds into Le Conte Bay, while Baird Glacier and North Baird Glacier occupy significant valley systems to the north. The Admiral Range, Wilkes Range, and Fanshaw Range provide dominant ridge systems visible from multiple vantage points. Mount Fanshaw and Fulton Peak serve as recognizable summit references for route-finding.

The channel system—Seward Passage, Eastern Passage, Dry Strait, Blake Channel—provides the primary water-based transportation network and situates camps relative to hunting areas. Major water features including Bradfield Canal and the Thomas Bay complex offer orientation markers. Interior basins like Groundhog Basin, Berg Basin, and Glacier Basin are referenced by locals and provide geographic anchors for route planning in difficult terrain.

Terrain rises dramatically from sea level to over 9,600 feet, but the overwhelming majority (93%) sits below 5,000 feet, characterized by tidewater flats, low coastal forests, and island terrain giving way to steep slopes. As elevation increases, dense coastal rainforest transitions to mixed conifer forests—hemlock, Sitka spruce, and cedar—then sparse alpine vegetation and barren ridges. The highest terrain above 5,000 feet comprises only 6.8% of the unit and occupies ridge systems and glacier-carved basins throughout the interior ranges.

Moderate forest coverage (roughly 38% forested terrain) means substantial areas are open country—high-elevation balds, avalanche paths, and alpine tundra providing glassing opportunities and travel corridors. The steepness badge reflects the glacier-cut topography: canyon walls, knife-edge ridges, and abrupt elevation changes define movement patterns.

This is the most limiting factor in Unit 01B. With only 50 miles of total roads and a density of 0.02 miles per square mile—essentially nonexistent road infrastructure—access is restricted to water-based transport (skiff, kayak, floatplane) or aircraft. The extreme isolation creates naturally low hunting pressure in most areas, but it also means logistics dominate trip planning. Camps must be established at tidewater with boat access to fishing-accessible waterways, or flown directly to alpine terrain.

Weather windows determine feasibility. The steepness and complexity of terrain mean that reaching quality hunting areas often requires specialized skills, packstock, or multiple-day hikes from water-based camps. Early season access is weather-dependent; late season can present severe challenges.

The vast size means pressure distributes thinly across the unit, but accessibility corridors around major rivers and lower-elevation passes see concentrated use.

Unit 01B anchors Southeast Alaska's coastal geography, encompassing the mainland and islands between major bays and channels including Bradfield Canal, Le Conte Bay, and Thomas Bay. The unit's southern and western boundaries are largely defined by tidewater, creating a sprawling maritime hunting region. Northern and eastern boundaries extend into the interior highlands where the Admiral Range, Wilkes Range, and Fanshaw Range form the backbone of the unit.

The landscape is fundamentally shaped by glaciation—present and ancient—with multiple active glacier systems (LeConte, Baird, Shakes, North Baird, Patterson, Nelson, Summit, and others) occupying major valleys and basins. At 3,259 square miles, the unit is vast and dominates a significant swath of coastal Southeast Alaska.

Water defines movement and camp placement throughout the unit. The Farragut River represents a major drainage system accessible from tidewater, providing a travel corridor into interior terrain. Numerous glacier-fed creeks—Japanese Creek, Garnet Creek, Government Creek, Glacier Creek, Black Bear Creek, Frosty Creek, and others—drain from alpine basins and offer reliable water sources but with significant silt loads typical of glacial systems.

Named lakes including Marten Lake, Tyee Lake, Boulder Lake, and Shakes Lake provide fresh water and represent natural gathering points for both hunters and wildlife. Chief Shakes Hot Springs offers a unique thermal water resource. The moderate water badge reflects abundant precipitation and glacial melt, but tidewater access and timing constraints mean water source planning is critical.

Salt water surrounds much of the unit; freshwater staging requires careful planning.

Unit 01B historically supports elk, deer (mule and white-tailed), moose, mountain goat, sheep, caribou, and black/brown bear. Low-elevation coastal forests and tidewater flats hold deer and moose year-round, with movement to higher alpine basins in summer. Mountain goats occupy steep cliff systems throughout the interior ranges—Horn Cliffs and comparable terrain offer specific glassing opportunities from distance.

Dall sheep inhabit high alpine ridges in the Wilkes and Fanshaw ranges, requiring extended backcountry access. Early season hunting focuses on alpine terrain as bears, goats, and sheep move into high basins; summer conditions favor water-based access to lower drainages for deer and moose. Late season compression drives animals downslope, but weather and ice limit access.

Success requires understanding tidewater seasonality, glacier travel hazards, weather patterns, and the physical demands of the terrain. Spot-and-stalk hunting on goats and sheep dominates alpine strategies; river systems and drainage glassing work for moose and deer. Extreme complexity demands experience in Alaska backcountry hunting.