Unit 57, Idaho

The Black Pine Mountains are a fault-block Great Basin range rising from approximately 4,700 feet in the surrounding valleys to 9,395 feet at Black Peak — nearly 5,000 feet of vertical relief. The valleys (Raft River, Curlew, Juniper) are nearly flat with broad alluvial fans and a mix of dryland and irrigated agriculture. Mountain slopes are steep with narrow canyons dissecting the flanks. The unit covers 228,121 acres (357 square miles). Land use: 51.2% rangeland, 37.0% forest, 10.3% dryland agriculture, ~1.5% irrigated.

Unit 57 is accessed via Interstate 84 (exits near Malta and Juniper). The unit boundary is defined by the Malta-Sublett Road (running east from Malta to I-84) and the Malta-Strevell Road (running southwest to the Idaho-Utah state line). Key Forest Service roads include FSR-588 (main north-to-south corridor on the west side of the Black Pine Mountains) with feeder roads into individual canyons; FSR-027 on the southwest side is gated. Sweetzer Canyon on the northeast flank is accessible from I-84. Pole Canyon Road on the east side is accessible from the Juniper exit off I-84 (take west frontage road south ~0.7 miles, then west ~7 miles to Pole Canyon Spring). Kelsaw Canyon provides access to the southwest crest. The BLM's McClendon Spring campground (five sites, no fee) lies northwest of Malta. The Sawtooth National Forest Minidoka Ranger District (Jerome, ID — 208-423-7500) manages the mountains and most foothills. Motorized vehicle use for hunting is limited to established roadways Aug. 30 through Dec. 31. No Access Yes! properties currently enrolled. No wilderness areas restrict access within the unit.

Northern and upper slopes of the Black Pine Mountains support Douglas-fir and subalpine fir, giving the range its name from the dark timber visible from a distance. Lower elevations and south-facing slopes transition to sagebrush-steppe, rabbitbrush, bitterbrush, and native grasses. Juniper and pinyon pine are present in the foothill zone. Scattered aspen stands occur in moister drainages. The valleys hold dryland farming fields, alfalfa, and irrigated pasture. No federally-designated wilderness areas exist within Unit 57.

Mule deer are the primary big-game species, managed under a limited controlled-hunt system that allows bucks to mature; the unit has a reputation for producing large-bodied, mature mule deer bucks. Rocky Mountain elk are present as part of the South Hills Elk Zone (Units 46, 47, 54, 55, 56, 57); elk use the forested north slopes and timbered drainages of the Black Pines, with the rut typically running early September through early October. Archery elk A-tag is OTC for units 55-57. Pronghorn antelope inhabit the valley floors and sagebrush-grass lowlands surrounding the mountains. Mountain lion and gray wolf are present and huntable. Shiras moose and bighorn sheep are listed as huntable species. Upland birds include sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, chukar, Hungarian partridge, pheasant, forest grouse, quail, and dove. Waterfowl (ducks, geese, coot, snipe) are present on valley wetlands. The Magic Valley Region has experienced mule deer population declines in some areas due to severe winters, summer drought, and wildfire-related habitat loss; fawn survival was below normal in 2024-25 though good cohorts from 2023-24 should be entering the harvest-age population in 2025.