Unit 74, Idaho

Terrain spans roughly 4,800 to 9,100 feet in elevation across the unit, with the Portneuf WMA ranging from approximately 4,700 feet along the Portneuf River to 7,500 feet on timbered ridges. The unit transitions from irrigated valley floors and dryland agricultural foothills up through open sagebrush-covered hillsides to timbered ridges and rocky mountain terrain. Western and southern exposures are generally open; north and east-facing slopes carry heavier timber and dense brush. The Portneuf and Fish Creek Ranges provide the most rugged relief within the unit.

The unit contains no National Forest lands and no federally designated wilderness areas (confirmed per IDFG unit page). Public land totals approximately 25.7% of the unit: BLM administers approximately 12.5% concentrated in the Fish Creek Range, and the State of Idaho holds approximately 13.1% including the 3,950-acre Portneuf WMA in Bannock County. The remaining 74.3% is private (IDFG Hunt Planner). Primary highway access is via US-91/I-15 on the western boundary, US-30N along the north, and State Highway 34 on the eastern edge. The boundary follows US-91 north to I-15, north on I-15 to US-30N, east to the Pebble-Bancroft county road, northeast to SH-34, and south to Preston. Access roads into the Portneuf Range include Cottonwood Creek Road and routes from Swan Lake, Downey, and Grace. In the Bancroft area, Squaw Creek Road, North Canyon Road, and Mill Creek Road provide access toward BLM and state parcels. Motorized vehicle access on the Portneuf WMA is seasonally closed November 15 through May 15 to protect wintering wildlife; walk-through gates allow non-motorized access year-round. No Access Yes! properties are currently available in Unit 74.

Valley bottoms and lower foothills are dominated by irrigated alfalfa fields and dryland grain crops. Draws and drainages support sagebrush-grass steppe with scattered willows and riparian brush along creek corridors. Foothills carry bigtooth maple, sagebrush, and scattered juniper with patches of aspen. Higher mountain slopes support fir, pine, and spruce forest mixed with aspen; north and east-facing aspects carry the densest timber. The Portneuf WMA (3,950 acres in Bannock County, established 1970) provides sagebrush steppe, shrubland, riparian woodland, and aspen forest managed as critical deer winter range and sharp-tailed grouse habitat. Land cover by area per IDFG unit page: dryland agriculture 27.6%, rangeland 24.8%, forest 22.9%, irrigated cropland 22.0% (sprinkler 18.2% + gravity flow 3.8%), urban 2.8%.

Mule deer are the primary big game species, with the population recovering from severe declines associated with drought, the 2022-23 winter, and predation; the past two winters have produced above-average survival per IDFG's 2025 outlook. Elk are present in moderate numbers, primarily in the Fish Creek Range and upper Portneuf Range; Unit 74 is part of the Bannock Elk Zone. Black bear and mountain lion occur throughout the timbered portions of both ranges. Gray wolf presence is established in the broader Southeast Region. Wild turkey, introduced to the Portneuf area in 2002, have reached huntable levels. Sharp-tailed grouse are actively managed in the Portneuf WMA. The unit also supports upland birds including pheasant, Hungarian (gray) partridge, chukar, sage-grouse, and forest grouse in agricultural and rangeland fringe areas. Mule deer exhibit seasonal migration from higher summer range down to valley-edge and foothill winter range; the Portneuf WMA is specifically managed as critical deer winter range. Elk concentrate in timbered north and east aspects during summer and move to lower private-land edges as weather deteriorates in fall and winter. Moose are listed as a huntable species on the IDFG unit page but are a rare/draw-only opportunity.