Unit 10A, Idaho

The unit occupies low to mid-elevation mountains and rolling creek drainages characteristic of the northern Rocky Mountain foothills. Elevations range from approximately 1,000 feet along the Clearwater River near Orofino and Ahsahka to nearly 8,000 feet in the higher reaches of the Clearwater National Forest. Terrain features long ridges, buttes, and drainages with some steep-sided draws. The Dworshak Reservoir covers approximately 17,090 acres at normal full pool elevation of 1,600 feet, with 175 miles of shoreline stretching 53 miles up the North Fork Clearwater River. Most of the unit averages 2,000 to 3,000 feet in elevation.

Primary highway access is via US Highway 12 along the Clearwater River corridor (Lewiston to Lolo Pass), with Highway 11 at Pierce and Elk River Road providing access to the north and east portions of the unit. The unit falls primarily within the Clearwater National Forest (Orofino and Kooskia/Powell ranger districts). No federally designated wilderness areas exist within Unit 10A. Key forest service roads include FS Road 457 and FS Road 220 (Goat Mountain-Getaway Point Road), FS Road 104, FS Road 500 (Lolo Motorway, forming the southeastern boundary), FS Road 101 (Smith Creek Road), FS Road 382, and Kelly Creek Road (FS 1237). The Lolo Motorway (FS 500) runs along the high divide. Dworshak Reservoir provides boat access to otherwise road-limited shoreline areas. Kelly Creek Road (FS 1237) can have weekday daytime closures for active logging operations. Private land (49%) is concentrated in lower-elevation agricultural areas and riparian bottoms; public (non-private) land is approximately 51%.

The unit is approximately 85-86% forested, with an additional roughly 13% dryland agriculture (mostly in private valley and ridge-top lands). Dominant conifers in the Clearwater National Forest portion include grand fir, western red cedar, subalpine fir, western larch, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and western white pine. Lower-elevation moist sites support western red cedar and western hemlock understories typical of the inland temperate rainforest zone; higher slopes transition to subalpine fir and lodgepole pine. Active and older clearcuts are found throughout the unit in various stages of regrowth — from open grassy brush fields to stands of regenerating conifers — providing important edge habitat for deer and elk.

The unit supports robust elk and white-tailed deer populations, which are the primary big game draw. Mule deer are present but occur in low numbers, primarily along the Clearwater River corridor. Black bear numbers are high, with historically consistent annual harvests ranging from 49 to 112 bears. Gray wolves are established and huntable. Mountain lions are present throughout the forested terrain. Shiras moose are present in wetter drainages, though populations are limited. Turkey are present as upland game. Elk in the Dworshak Zone are managed through a tiered tag system (A Tag / B Tag). White-tailed deer populations experienced an EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) outbreak in 2021, with recovery well underway by 2025; a Dworshak Elk Working Group was formed in 2024 to address longer-term elk population concerns. Wildlife movements are oriented around forested drainages, clearcut edges, and seasonal snowpack changes, with deer and elk using lower riparian corridors in winter and pushing to higher clearcut edges and north-facing forest in early fall.