Unit 33, Idaho

Unit 33 covers approximately 428,810 acres (roughly 670 square miles) of rugged, forested mountain terrain in the Salmon River Mountains. Elevations range from approximately 3,100 feet in the lower Payette River canyon bottoms to about 8,100 feet on ridge tops, with the majority of huntable terrain between 3,500 and 7,000 feet. Valleys are long and relatively narrow, flanked on both sides by steep, timbered mountain slopes. A handful of roadless areas are large enough that hunters can be 2–3 miles from the nearest road.

Primary highway access is via Idaho State Highway 21 (Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway), which connects Boise to Stanley and follows Mores Creek through Idaho City before turning north along the upper South Fork Payette River through Lowman. The Banks-Lowman Road (County Highway 17 / Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway) runs along the South Fork of the Payette River from its mouth at Banks (on Highway 55) upstream 35 miles to Lowman, where it meets Highway 21. Idaho State Highway 55 borders the western edge of the unit and provides access to the Banks junction. The unit falls within the Lowman Ranger District of the Boise National Forest. Numerous Forest Service roads provide good vehicle access throughout the national forest, particularly west of the Middle Fork Payette River and south of Garden Valley; some roads require four-wheel drive. Named trailheads include the Bluebunch/Bear Valley Trailhead (with horse loading facilities near Fir Creek Campground) and the Blue Jay Trailhead near Warm Springs. Campgrounds within or adjacent to the unit include Deadwood Campground (confluence of Deadwood River and South Fork Payette), Bonneville Campground (~4,700 ft), and Bear Valley Campground; the Forest Service also rents the Boiling Springs Cabin. There are no federally designated wilderness areas within Unit 33 itself, though adjacent units include portions of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. No Access Yes! (IDFG walk-in access) properties are listed in this unit. Hunters should check Forest Service websites for road closures and hazardous snag conditions resulting from recent burn scars in the unit.

The unit is 93.6% forested, dominated by ponderosa pine at lower elevations, transitioning upslope through Douglas fir, western larch, lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, and subalpine fir. Lower river corridors and riparian zones along the South, Middle, and North Fork Payette River support willows, alders, and cottonwoods. Rangeland and open grassland account for approximately 4.4% of the unit, concentrated in lower-elevation benches and around Garden Valley. The Garden Valley area contains scattered farm fields within the otherwise heavily forested landscape.

Elk (Rocky Mountain elk) and mule deer are the primary big game species; white-tailed deer are present (approximately 16% of deer harvest), generally associated with riparian and lower-elevation habitats. Black bear are widespread throughout the forested unit. Mountain lion occur across the unit. Gray wolf packs are present; Unit 33 is part of a multi-unit wolf management area (Units 33, 34, 35, 36, 39). Mule deer in the southern Central Mountains (Units 33–35) have been on a steady recovery trajectory since the severe 2016–17 winter, with the 2024–25 winter survey recording the highest antlered deer and fawn-to-doe ratios since that recovery period began. Elk are visible from the Banks-Lowman Road and through Garden Valley, particularly during winter and spring as animals move to lower-elevation winter range. Upland birds including forest grouse and turkey are also present.