Unit 32, Idaho

The unit covers approximately 922,507 acres (1,441 square miles) at elevations ranging from roughly 2,300 feet in the Snake and Payette River valleys to about 5,800 feet along the eastern ridgelines near the Boise National Forest boundary. The western and central portions are dominated by low desert hills, broad mesas, arid flatlands, and steep gulches cut by creeks. Some buttes display bluffs and exposed rocky slopes. The eastern end transitions into steeper forested terrain along the drainages that feed the North Fork Payette and Weiser rivers.

The unit boundary follows State Highway 55 from Banks, then State Highways 16 and 52, the Payette and Snake Rivers, U.S. Highway 95, the Emmett-Council Road at Indian Valley, Sheep Creek Road, Squaw Creek Road, and local roads back to Banks. Public land is approximately 29% of the unit: BLM Boise District 22.59%, Idaho State Department of Lands 5.11%, USFS 0.91%, and other agencies 0.65%. There are no federally designated wilderness areas within Unit 32. Key access corridors include U.S. Highway 95, State Highways 52, 16, and 55, and the Emmett-Council Road. The Montour Wildlife Management Area and Payette River WMA are within or adjacent to the unit; both restrict hunters to short-range weapons only (archery, muzzleloader, handgun). The Motorized Hunting Rule applies in Units 32 and 32A — motorized vehicles restricted to established roadways August 30 through December 31. The Paddock Valley Reservoir is listed as an Access Yes! property. Private land dominates at roughly 71% of the unit; elk frequently use private agricultural lands for forage and security.

The majority of the unit (roughly 84% rangeland) is characterized by sagebrush-steppe with wild grasses, forbs, bitterbrush, serviceberry, and maple brush, with scattered western juniper. Eastern sections along the Boise National Forest fringe support ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir with large grassy parks and meadows. Riparian corridors along the Weiser River, Squaw Creek, Sheep Creek, and smaller drainages host cottonwood, willow, river birch, sedge, and cattails. Agricultural lands (irrigated hay fields and dry farms) account for roughly 10-12% of the unit and concentrate in the valleys near Emmett and Weiser, providing supplemental forage for resident elk and deer.

Unit 32 supports a significant elk population — the Weiser Elk Zone (Units 22, 32, 32A) is well above IDFG population objectives and trending upward. A resident year-round non-migratory herd of approximately 350 animals concentrates on private agricultural lands west of Emmett (confirmed via GPS collar data), while a separate migratory population of roughly 1,000 elk winters in the unit but summers at higher elevations in adjacent units. Agricultural damage from the resident herd exceeded $1 million in a recent year. Mule deer are the primary deer species; populations were impacted by the 2024 Lava, Paddock, and Limepoint fires that burned both summer and winter range, increasing fawn mortality and reducing yearling buck numbers in the near term. White-tailed deer occur in low numbers, primarily in riparian corridors. Pronghorn are present at low densities in the open sagebrush-steppe terrain in the western portion. Black bear numbers are notably high, particularly in brushy creek drainages and the forested eastern fringe; Unit 32 moved to a general season bear hunt as of 2025-26. Mountain lion are present throughout following deer and elk. Gray wolf presence is confirmed in the Southwest Region. Wild turkey, chukar, Hungarian partridge, and quail add upland bird hunting value.