Unit 06A

The Bering Glacier System anchors the western landscape—a complex of interconnected glacier tongues, moraines, and meltwater channels that shape travel patterns. Cape Saint Elias and Cape Suckling mark major coastal headlands useful for navigation and orientation. Inland, the Suckling Hills, Robinson Mountains, and Khitrov Hills provide high vantage points and terrain structure.

Key lakes—Bering Lake, Kushtaka Lake, and Hanna Lake—serve as landmarks and water sources. The braided river valleys, particularly the Okalee and Campbell Rivers, form natural travel corridors through lower terrain. Multiple ridges (Yakataga Ridge, Kushtaka Ridge, Carbon Ridge) offer glassing platforms and define drainage systems throughout the interior.

Nearly 89% of the unit sits below 5,000 feet, but the terrain is anything but homogeneous. Coastal lowlands feature open tundra interspersed with scattered spruce and willow thickets. As elevation increases through the rolling interior, sparse forest patches give way to predominantly treeless tundra across the plateaus and ridges.

The remaining higher elevations include subalpine meadows and alpine tundra with exposed rock and persistent snow patches. Vegetation is sparse overall—only about 14% of the unit is forested, while 82% is open terrain. This open country provides excellent visibility but limited shelter; wind exposure is constant at higher elevations.

Complete roadlessness defines access: zero miles of road infrastructure exist in the unit. All hunting access is by floatplane, helicopter, or boat. This extreme isolation means minimal hunting pressure in most of the unit's interior, but it also demands serious logistics planning.

Coastal access points—Controller Bay, Katalla, Kayak Island—serve as boat-in staging areas. Aircraft access requires connections through Cordova or other coastal towns. The complexity and cost of getting to the backcountry means most hunters either boat accessible lower drainages or invest in aircraft access.

The interior valleys and ridges see almost no human presence, creating genuine wilderness hunting conditions far from typical pressure.

Unit 06A encompasses roughly 4,100 square miles of southeastern coastal Alaska between Controller Bay and Icy Bay, stretching inland from the Gulf of Alaska coast to the interior high country. The region is defined by its maritime character—the coastline is deeply indented with multiple bays, channels, and estuaries. The unit transitions from sea-level coastal flats and braided river systems inland to rolling tundra plateaus and mountains rising toward the Suckling Hills, Robinson Mountains, and higher alpine ridges.

The Bering Glacier System dominates the western portion, while multiple named peaks and ridges structure the interior. This is genuine Alaska wilderness with minimal human infrastructure.

Water defines this unit. The coastline itself is water—Controller Bay, Katalla Bay, Icy Bay, and numerous smaller bays create protected anchorages and access points. Inland, the Bering Glacier outflows dominate hydrology, feeding braided channels and lakes across the western flats.

Major rivers—Okalee, Campbell, and Kiklukh—provide reliable water and travel routes. Glacier-fed streams and creeks are abundant at higher elevations, though turbid during warm months. Named lakes including Bering Lake, Kushtaka Lake, and Hanna Lake offer freshwater sources and create concentrations of wildlife activity.

Water scarcity is never an issue here; the challenge is often managing glacial silt and finding potable sources in coastal areas.

The unit supports diverse big game: moose and caribou thrive in the open tundra and lower valleys; elk occupy upper meadows and ridges; deer (mule and white-tailed) frequent forested draws; mountain goats and sheep use cliff terrain in higher ranges; brown and black bears are throughout. Late summer and fall are primary hunting seasons—timing depends on your target and elevation zone. Lower drainages offer moose and caribou access with reasonable logistics.

Higher terrain (Suckling Hills, Robinson Mountains) holds goats, sheep, and alpine caribou but demands mountaineering skill. Glacier systems create barriers but also concentrate wildlife at crossing points. Wind is constant; glassing from ridges is highly effective in open terrain.

Plan for unpredictable coastal weather and limited windows for boat or aircraft operations. This is expedition-level hunting requiring careful planning and self-sufficiency.