Unit 36A, Idaho

Unit 36A spans approximately 494,000 acres across a dramatic elevation gradient from roughly 5,000 feet in the lower Salmon River canyon and sagebrush foothills to over 10,500 feet on high ridgelines of the Pioneer Mountains. Terrain transitions sharply from low desert flats and open sagebrush benches along the river corridor to steep-walled drainages, timbered north-facing slopes, and rugged ridgelines. The East Fork of the Salmon River bisects the unit. Canyon country predominates in middle elevations, giving way to broad alpine basins above timberline. Land cover is dominated by rangeland (69.96%) and forest (27.73%). No federally designated wilderness areas exist within the unit boundary.

Primary road access enters from U.S. Highway 93 southeast of Challis and Idaho State Highway 75 southwest of town. Key interior roads include East Fork Road (paralleling the East Fork of the Salmon River into the southern portion of the unit), Spar Canyon Road, and Bradbury Flat Road; many branch into secondary two-track routes accessing public land at higher elevations. The Salmon-Challis National Forest (Challis Ranger District, 208-879-4100) and Sawtooth National Forest manage forested uplands (approximately 51.45% of unit area); the BLM Challis Field Office (approximately 42.37%) administers lower-elevation rangelands and the river corridor. An Idaho statewide motorized hunting rule restricts big game hunters to established roadways legally open to full-sized automobiles from August 30 through December 31. No federally designated wilderness exists within the unit. Several primitive campgrounds are accessible along Highway 75; lodging is available in Challis and Stanley.

Vegetation is closely tied to elevation and aspect. Below 6,000 feet, big sagebrush and native bunchgrasses dominate open benches and south-facing slopes, with willows, cottonwoods, and riparian shrubs lining the Salmon River, East Fork, and their tributaries; irrigated hay and alfalfa fields occupy river bottoms near private inholdings. Between 6,000 and 8,000 feet, ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir cover drier ridges while north and east-facing slopes hold mixed conifer including lodgepole pine. From 8,000 feet to timberline, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and whitebark pine form dense stands with open parks and avalanche chutes. Above timberline, alpine meadows, talus fields, and sparse forb communities predominate. This mosaic creates strong seasonal habitat stratification that drives elk and deer migrations between high-elevation summer range and lower winter range.

Unit 36A supports Rocky Mountain elk that move seasonally between high-elevation summer range in the Pioneer Mountains and lower sagebrush-steppe winter range near the Salmon River corridor. The elk population is declining but currently within the management objective range; the bull ratio stands at approximately 31 (per IDFG outlook). Mule deer are widespread and above-average quality; 44% of harvested bucks met four-point or larger criteria historically, and 60% of 2024 any-weapon harvest were 4+ point bucks. A small number of white-tailed deer are present primarily in riparian bottoms. Pronghorn antelope occupy lower sagebrush flats and benches in western and northern portions near the Salmon River. Black bear and mountain lion are present in timbered drainages. Gray wolf populations occur in the region. Bighorn sheep, moose, and mountain goat are huntable species via controlled hunts with very limited tags. Chukar partridge are present on rocky canyon slopes; sage-grouse occupy sagebrush flats. The East Fork of the Salmon River supports trout fishing.