Unit 36B, Idaho

Unit 36B encompasses a broad range of terrain from rolling foothill breaks and buttes along the eastern edge near the Salmon River to steep, mountainous country in the western two-thirds of the unit. Elevation ranges from approximately 5,800 feet along the lower Salmon River benches to over 10,000 feet on alpine peaks in the western reaches. High basins and meadows are interspersed among the ridgelines. The terrain is broadly described as very physically demanding.

Primary vehicle access is provided by U.S. Highway 93, which runs along the Salmon River on the eastern unit boundary, and Idaho State Route 75, which follows the river along the southern edge. Challis (approximately 8 miles east) serves as the staging town. Morgan Creek Road (Forest Road 057) is the principal interior access route, departing U.S. 93 north of Challis and penetrating northwest into the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The unit is administered by both the Salmon-Challis National Forest and the Sawtooth National Forest (Challis Ranger District) and Bureau of Land Management. A small portion (27 acres, 0.01% of hunt area) of the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness falls within unit boundaries in the western portion; motorized access is restricted there. No Access Yes! properties are currently listed within this unit.

The eastern third of the unit consists primarily of sagebrush-steppe, grasslands, serviceberry shrubfields, and open breaks characteristic of the Salmon River foothills (approximately 49% rangeland across the unit). The western two-thirds transitions into contiguous mixed conifer forest of spruce, true firs, and lodgepole and ponderosa pine, extending to timberline (approximately 46% forest cover). Riparian corridors follow creeks draining into the Salmon River. Some peaks reach above treeline into alpine rock and talus zones where bighorn sheep and mountain goats are found.

Unit 36B supports mule deer as the primary deer species, with pronghorn antelope occupying the eastern sagebrush-steppe foothills and benches. Elk are distributed across the unit and are the most popular big game pursuit. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep inhabit the steeper cliff bands and high ridges, typically above 8,000 feet during hunting season. Mountain goats are also present in the unit. Black bears are present in the forested zones. Mountain lions occur throughout the unit following deer and elk. Gray wolves are present and active in this region of central Idaho, and packs have been documented in the Salmon River drainage.