Unit 50, Idaho

GMU 50 covers approximately 1,056,172 acres with elevations ranging from about 5,500 feet in the Big Lost River valley bottoms up to the high summits of the Pioneer Mountains. Valley floors are mostly flat with dry and wet creek beds and ravines; surrounding ranges are steep with milder basins such as Copper Basin (7,500–8,000 ft) and the Sawmill Creek bottoms. Timberline occurs at roughly 9,000–9,500 feet. The unit includes a portion of Craters of the Moon National Monument (closed to hunting) in its southern extent near Arco.

Primary highway access is U.S. Highway 93, which runs northwest to southeast along the Big Lost River corridor connecting Mackay (the main service town, home of the Lost River Ranger District office) to Arco. Trail Creek Road (Forest Road 208) leaves Highway 93 northwest of Mackay and provides major interior access into the Pioneer Mountains and Copper Basin. From Trail Creek Road, Forest Road 128 (North Fork Road) reaches the North Fork of the Big Lost River drainage. Forest Road 135 and Forest Road 138 serve Copper Basin; Road 101 accesses Sawmill Canyon; Road 122 accesses Pass Creek; Road 137 accesses Antelope Canyon. Four-wheel drive is recommended on secondary roads. ATVs and motorized vehicles are restricted to established full-size-vehicle roads under Idaho's Motorized Hunting Rule (Aug 30 – Nov 14 in Unit 50 per 2026 IDFG regulations). Mountains are primarily administered by the Salmon-Challis National Forest (Lost River Ranger District); foothills and lower valleys are managed by BLM. There are no federally designated Wilderness areas within unit boundaries. Craters of the Moon National Monument (NPS) occupies a portion of the southern unit and is closed to hunting.

Lower elevations and foothills are dominated by sagebrush-steppe and wild bunchgrass communities, with scattered juniper and mountain mahogany. Mid-elevations support dense conifer forest — primarily Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, aspen, and ponderosa pine. Upper forest zones transition to sparse fir, pine, and spruce stands near timberline. The alpine zone above roughly 9,500 feet features lichens, mosses, low shrubs, and grasses. Riparian corridors along the Big Lost River and its tributaries provide willow, cottonwood, and wet meadow habitat. Overall land cover is approximately 73.6% rangeland and 11.5% forest, with irrigated agriculture in lower valley bottoms.

GMU 50 supports a diverse big-game community anchored by elk (Pioneer Zone herd) and mule deer, both managed under controlled-hunt structures. Pronghorn antelope occupy the sagebrush flats and lower foothills under a controlled draw. Black bear are present in forested mid- to upper-elevation areas. Mountain lion, wolf, and moose have established huntable presence. Bighorn sheep and mountain goat are listed as present on the IDFG Hunt Planner. Sage-grouse, chukar, pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, and forest grouse provide upland bird hunting. Elk movement in the Pioneer Zone is tied to seasonal migration between summer range in the high Pioneers and winter range on lower BLM and private agricultural ground along the Big Lost River valley, which historically creates crop-depredation pressure near private fields — a factor driving the antlerless-only, any-weapon season open Aug 1–Aug 29 outside the National Forest boundary within one mile of private agricultural lands.

1. MAJOR CORRECTION: Pioneer Zone (Units 36A, 49, 50) has NO OTC A Tag or B Tag for elk. All elk hunting is controlled hunts only per 2026 IDFG Big Game Seasons and Rules. The draft's claim of 'OTC general (A Tag)' was incorrect. 2. CORRECTION: Pronghorn Hunt 4013 covers Unit 49 (25 tags). Unit 50 pronghorn is Hunt 4014 (50 tags, 2026), not 75 tags as drafted. The 75-tag figure and 98% success rate are from 2018 data for a different hunt configuration. 3. CORRECTION: Mule deer general any-weapon season for Unit 50 is Oct 10–Oct 24 (not Oct 10–Nov 17 as drafted). 4. Elk harvest stats (200 harvest, 18% success) are 2024 all-weapons combined for Unit 50 per IDFG mandatory harvest records. 5. Deer harvest stats (382 harvest, 23% success) are 2024 all-weapons combined for Unit 50. 6. Motorized Hunting Rule in Unit 50 runs Aug 30–Nov 14 (confirmed in 2026 rules). 7. Public land 82% confirmed: USFS 50.62% + BLM 29.31% + State 1.66% + NPS 0.97% = 82.57%. 8. White-tailed deer presence confirmed by 2026 rules listing a separate white-tailed deer tag season for Unit 50. 9. Standhope Peak elevation (11,878 ft) unverified in this session; removed from terrain description pending confirmation.