Unit 31, Idaho

The unit covers approximately 599 square miles at elevations ranging from roughly 2,200 feet along the Snake River and Brownlee Reservoir shoreline to about 7,500 feet in the upper Hitt Mountains. Terrain varies dramatically: steep canyon breaks and gulch walls drop to the Snake River corridor along the western edge, while the eastern and southern slopes of the Hitt Mountains give way to the gentler agricultural Shoe Peg Valley near Midvale and the flatter Snake River Plain west of Weiser. The northern portion contains the most rugged and timbered country.

The unit is bounded by State Highway 71 (Cambridge to Brownlee Dam) on the east, U.S. Highway 95 on the south and west (Weiser to Cambridge), and the Snake River/Brownlee Reservoir on the west. Public land totals approximately 49% of the unit: BLM (23%), USFS/Payette National Forest (19%), and Idaho State lands (7.5%), with a small BOR/NWR trace (IDFG Hunt Planner). The Weiser Ranger District of Payette National Forest administers the national forest portions. Primary road access: Mann Creek Road (FS Road 600) leaves U.S. 95 approximately 12 miles north of Weiser and climbs to Mann Creek Reservoir, continuing into the Hitt Mountains; West Pine/Pine Creek Road (FS Road 034) leaves Highway 71 at West Pine Creek; Keithly Creek Road (FS Road 037), Mill Creek Road (FS Road 008), and Middle Fork of Brownlee Creek Road (FS Road 085) provide additional entry from Highway 71 (USFS Payette NF). Boat access is available from Brownlee Reservoir. Four-wheel drive with tire chains recommended during wet or winter conditions. Campgrounds within or adjacent to the unit: Mann Creek Campground (13 sites, Bureau of Reclamation land near Mann Creek Reservoir), Spring Creek Campground (elevation 4,750 ft, ponderosa/fir shade), Justrite Campground, and Paradise Campground. Sturgill Creek Access Yes! property provides additional public access. No federally designated wilderness areas exist within Unit 31.

Land cover is predominantly rangeland (approximately 74%), with forest accounting for roughly 19% and irrigated or dryland agriculture about 6% (IDFG Hunt Planner). North and east-facing slopes in the Hitt Mountains support ponderosa pine and fir stands. South- and west-facing slopes, lower foothills, and the canyon breaks are covered in open grasslands dominated by Idaho fescue and wheatgrass, interspersed with brush. Riparian corridors along Mann Creek, Spring Creek, and Brownlee Reservoir support willows, birches, and alders. Sagebrush-steppe occupies transitional areas in the lower foothills.

Mule deer are the dominant big game ungulate; summer habitat concentrates deer in higher-elevation timber of the Hitt Mountains, with seasonal migration to lower winter range along the foothills and canyon breaks. White-tailed deer occur in small numbers, primarily in riparian corridors. Elk populations in the Brownlee Zone are well above management objectives as of 2025, with IDFG adding a Brownlee B tag and new controlled hunts for the 2025-26 season. Elk often seek refuge on private lands under hunting pressure. Pronghorn antelope occupy the lower sagebrush-grassland and agricultural fringe areas, shared across the broader Units 31/32/32A landscape. Black bear, mountain lion, and gray wolf are also present and huntable. Upland birds include quail, chukar, gray partridge, pheasant, sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkey. Brownlee Reservoir and the Snake River support waterfowl and hold bass, trout, catfish, and white sturgeon.