Unit 38, Idaho

The unit is predominantly flat to gently rolling prairie, irrigated farmland, and open rangeland north of the Snake River, with eroded canyons, draws, and isolated basalt buttes breaking up the landscape as it drops toward the Snake River Canyon. Elevation ranges from roughly 2,300 to 3,200 feet. Center-pivot and gravity-flow irrigation fields dominate the northern sections, while lava cliffs, canyon rims, and desert plateau typify the BLM land in the southern portion along the Snake River. No National Forest lands or federally designated wilderness areas exist within Unit 38.

Public land is concentrated in the southern portion of the unit and totals approximately 41% of the unit's 1,273,259 acres. The Bureau of Land Management administers 32.57% (including the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area along 81 miles of the Snake River canyon); the State of Idaho holds 5.02%; Bureau of Reclamation 1.29%; U.S. National Wildlife Refuge 0.10%; and the U.S. Military 0.61%. Private land (59.07%) controls much of the northern and western sections around Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Meridian, Kuna, Parma, and New Plymouth — hunters must secure landowner permission to access or cross these areas. Key public-land access routes include Interstate 84 (east-west corridor), U.S. Highway 20/26 (north of the Snake River), State Highway 51 (into BLM lands south toward the Snake River Plain), State Highway 69 (southwestern boundary), and Swan Falls Road (access into the Birds of Prey NCA and southern BLM blocks). The Lake Lowell Sector of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is closed to general hunting and requires a controlled hunt permit. The Morley Nelson NCA allows hunting subject to a published safe-shooting zone map; BLM campfires may be restricted seasonally. No Access Yes! properties are currently available within the unit.

Sagebrush-steppe and native bunchgrass dominate the rangeland portions at approximately 47% of unit cover. Irrigated alfalfa and row crops (gravity-flow and sprinkler combined) account for roughly 44% of the unit footprint. Juniper, bitterbrush, and shrubs grow along basalt uplift edges, buttes, and the rims of eroded canyons. Riparian corridors along the Snake River support cottonwood and willow stands. The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA represents classic desert plateau habitat with sparse shrub cover over lava flows. There is no significant conifer cover within the unit.

Mule deer are the primary big game quarry, occupying sagebrush-steppe, canyon draws, and agricultural edges across the unit. White-tailed deer are present but represent only about 3% of the deer harvest. Pronghorn occupy the open BLM desert and grassland terrain of the southern unit (Hunt Area 38-1, approximately 599,000 acres bounded by I-84, SH-69, Swan Falls Road, and the Snake River), where they remain year-round on the sagebrush flats. Elk are present only in small numbers associated primarily with private agricultural lands; Unit 38 has minimal suitable elk habitat and IDFG cautions hunters not to pursue elk here without pre-arranged private land access. Mountain lion and gray wolf are listed as huntable species within the unit. The unit is also notable for Greater Sage-Grouse, chukar partridge, California quail, and sharp-tailed grouse. The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA supports the densest concentration of nesting raptors in North America, including golden eagles, prairie falcons, ferruginous hawks, and great horned owls.

1. Deer season dates (archery Aug 30–Sep 30; SRW Oct 10–Nov 24) drawn from IDFG Hunt Planner; the Hunt 41240 page returned historic 2015 dates — the date pattern is consistent across sources but exact 2025-26 close dates should be verified in the official Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure at idfg.idaho.gov/rules/big-game. 2. Pronghorn tag quota of 10 comes from the Hunt 53869 page (Hunt Area 38-1 specific); the tag/30900 page shows 60 tags which likely reflects a combined or statewide pronghorn pool — the 10-tag figure is used here as it is specific to Hunt Area 38-1. 3. Pronghorn season dates (~Sep 25–Oct 24) come from a 2017 season record on the Hunt 53869 page; exact 2025 dates were not confirmed and may shift slightly year to year. 4. Elk harvest data (312 hunters, 50 harvested, 16% success) is from Hunt 77247 (2025). 5. Unit acreage confirmed at 1,273,259 acres (~1,989 sq mi) from the Hunt 77247 page. 6. Land cover: rangeland 46.76%, irrigated gravity-flow 35.82%, irrigated sprinkler 7.83%, per IDFG Hunt Planner unit page.