Unit 15, Idaho

Unit 15 covers approximately 560,305 acres of rugged mountain terrain with elevations ranging from roughly 3,400 feet in the South Fork Clearwater River canyon to 8,800 feet on the highest ridges. Notable peaks include Gospel Peak (8,345 ft) and Pyramid Peak (8,369 ft). The landscape is characterized by flattened ridge tops with steep canyon sides and narrow, rugged ridgelines. The South Fork Clearwater River cuts a steep canyon through the lower elevations. The Gospel Hump Wilderness (206,053 acres total; approximately 66,216 acres within the Unit 15 boundary, about 12% of the unit) occupies the southern portion.

The unit is approximately 90% U.S. Forest Service (Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, Elk City Ranger District), 2.4% BLM, 0.3% State of Idaho, and 7.25% private. Virtually all private land is posted. The primary access corridor is Idaho Highway 14, which follows the South Fork Clearwater River from Grangeville eastward to Elk City. From Highway 14, a network of paved, graveled, and primitive two-track forest roads branches into the unit. Key access roads include Forest Road 222 (Dixie Road) and Forest Road 311/311A south from Elk City toward the Gospel Hump area, as well as Sourdough Road (FR 492) and Orogrande Road (FR 233) off Highway 14. Gospel Hump Wilderness (66,216 acres within the unit) prohibits all motorized vehicles and equipment; non-motorized access only. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness clips the unit boundary (~12,119 acres overlap in combined Units 15-16 hunt area). ATVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles are strongly recommended on back-country forest roads. Snow can close higher-elevation roads as early as October.

The unit is 96% forested. Lower-elevation slopes and canyon bottoms support a mix of conifer woodlots, grassy meadows, and brushy slopes. Mid to upper elevations are dominated by firs (subalpine and grand), Engelmann spruce, and lodgepole and ponderosa pine. Areas affected by past logging and wildfire contain brushy regeneration with saplings, berry bushes, and grass openings that provide important elk and deer forage. Alpine meadows and exposed rocky ridges occur near the highest summits. The Elk City valley itself has open meadows surrounded by dense conifer forest.

Elk and white-tailed deer are the primary big game species. Mule deer are present, particularly on drier, more open slopes, though mature mule deer bucks are less commonly encountered than whitetails. Black bear inhabit the forested drainages. Mountain lion are present throughout the unit. Gray wolf packs have established territories in the unit and adjacent areas. Moose are listed as present by IDFG, likely in riparian and marshy areas. Forest grouse (blue and ruffed grouse) are abundant in the mixed conifer forest. The South Fork Clearwater River and its tributaries support steelhead runs. Elk in Units 15 and 16 remain below long-term population averages as of 2025, with recent improvements in calf recruitment offering a more optimistic outlook for future seasons; the bulk of Elk City Zone elk population is concentrated in neighboring Unit 14. White-tailed deer populations in the Clearwater Region are characterized as strong overall.