Unit 59, Idaho

The northern two-thirds of the unit is characterized by steep, rugged mountains and foothills with deep canyons carved by drainages running off the Beaverhead Range; multiple ridges and peaks exceed 9,500 feet, including Red Conglomerate Peaks South. The southern third transitions to flatter basin terrain around Dubois. Elevation ranges from roughly 5,600 feet on the lower flats to over 10,000 feet in the high Beaverheads along the Montana border. Slopes above timberline in the northern reaches are generally too rough for consistent deer and elk use.

Primary corridors are Interstate 15 (southern boundary near Dubois), Idaho Highway 22 (southern boundary running east-west), and Idaho Highway 28 (eastern corridor). Medicine Lodge Road is the main interior artery on the eastern edge, paved for roughly the first 20 miles north of Hwy 22 and maintained to Bannack Pass (passable to passenger vehicles, rockier near the top). Chandler Canyon Road (west side) is a narrow dirt road generally passable; Crooked Creek Road (central) is typically well-maintained. County and Forest Service roads branch off main routes into interior terrain. ATV/OHV use is restricted to roads built for full-sized vehicles. The unit falls within the Dubois Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National Forest (office: 98 N. Oakley, Dubois, ID 83423; 208-374-5422). Most flat terrain in the northern and southern tips is private; most foothills are BLM. Private land minimally blocks access to public land. No Access Yes! properties exist in the unit. A Motorized Hunting Rule applies from August 30 through November 14 (limiting motor vehicle use to legally open full-sized roadways) for Units 58, 59, and 59A.

Rangeland (sagebrush-steppe with forbs and bunchgrass) dominates at approximately 87.9 percent of land cover, blanketing lower elevations, south-facing slopes, and open high country. North-facing mountain slopes carry conifer forest cover at roughly 7.3 percent of the unit. Irrigated agricultural land (gravity-flow and sprinkler) is present in the Dubois area at approximately 4.7 percent combined. High-country terrain above treeline supports grasses, low shrubs, and lichens. There are no designated wilderness areas within Unit 59.

Elk are present and managed under the Beaverhead Elk Zone (Units 30, 30A, 58, 59, 59A); populations were reported as mostly stable in recent years with 2025 survey data placing elk numbers above management objectives in the broader region. Mule deer are the primary deer species with strong population recovery — 2024-25 winter surveys documented dramatic increases in abundance compared to the 2020 survey, and 2024 harvest in Units 58, 59, and 59A approached 2015 levels. White-tailed deer are present but rare (under 1 percent of deer harvest). Pronghorn antelope inhabit the open sagebrush-steppe portions and are managed by controlled hunt only (Hunt 4021, Unit 59-1a, 50 tags). Moose are present in low numbers. Black bear and mountain lion are resident predators. Gray wolf is established in the unit. Upland bird species include sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, pheasant, and turkey.