Unit 29, Idaho

Unit 29 spans a dramatic elevation gradient from roughly 4,000 feet in the Lemhi River valley floor up to over 11,000 feet along the crest of the Lemhi Range, with peaks such as Big Creek Peak at approximately 11,350 feet and Flatiron Mountain at approximately 11,019 feet. Valley floors and river bottoms transition to broad, arid, open foothills, then to steep forested mountainsides and finally alpine terrain near the ridgelines; timberline sits near 9,000–9,500 feet. The unit is approximately 46% forest, 38% rangeland, and 13% agriculture/irrigated land (gravity and sprinkler irrigation combined).

The primary highway access corridors are U.S. Highway 93 south and southwest of Salmon and Idaho Highway 28, which enters from the south at Gilmore Summit and parallels the Lemhi River through Leadore and Lemhi to Salmon. The majority of public land is administered by the Salmon-Challis National Forest (Leadore Ranger District, 103 Ranger Street, Leadore, ID 83464; 208-768-2500) and the BLM Salmon Field Office. Key Forest Service access roads include Forest Road 96 (Big Eightmile Creek) and routes to Meadow Lake trailhead; Pass Creek Road (FR 122) and Sawmill Canyon Road (FR 101) also provide access to the Lemhi Range. Campgrounds within or near the unit include Meadow Lake Campground, Timber Creek Campground (12 units), Big Eightmile Campground/Trailhead (10 sites), Bear Valley Horse Camp, and Hawley Creek campgrounds (upper and lower). There are no federally-designated wilderness areas within Unit 29. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies from August 30 through December 31, restricting vehicle use to established roadways legally open to full-sized automobiles. No Access Yes! properties are currently available in this unit.

The valley floors and lower foothills are dominated by sagebrush-steppe and bunchgrass, providing prime pronghorn and mule deer winter range. Mid-elevation slopes transition to mountain shrublands and open timber. Dense conifer forests of Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, and aspen cover the mid-to-upper mountain slopes. The upper elevation zone features sparse conifers, low shrubs, and alpine meadows above timberline. Irrigated agricultural fields along the Lemhi River corridor attract elk from adjacent National Forest lands, especially during summer and fall.

Mule deer are distributed throughout the unit, with highest densities in the sagebrush and foothill zones; populations are described as mostly stable in the Lemhi mountain valley area per 2025 IDFG outlook. Rocky Mountain elk utilize forested mid- and upper-elevation habitats and move to lower agricultural fields near the Lemhi River corridor seasonally, particularly in late summer and fall when they concentrate on private irrigated lands. Pronghorn antelope occupy the open sagebrush-steppe of the valley and lower foothills, with a huntable population supporting a 40-tag controlled draw. Shiras moose are present in small numbers in willow and riparian habitats. Rocky Mountain goat occupy high-elevation rocky terrain in the Lemhi Range. Black bear and mountain lion are present throughout forested portions of the unit. Gray wolf is present and has a regulated season. White-tailed deer occur in the unit but are primarily found on private lands along river bottoms, comprising approximately 12% of the deer harvest. Upland birds including chukar, Hungarian partridge, sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, blue and ruffed grouse, pheasant, and wild turkey are present.