Unit 77, Idaho

Unit 77 covers the western slope of the Bear River Range within Franklin County. Elevation spans roughly 4,400 feet on the valley floor near Preston to approximately 9,484 feet along the Franklin-Bear Lake County line. The terrain features steep ridgelines, deep canyons (Strawberry Canyon, Emigration Canyon, Hillyard Canyon), and the Franklin Basin plateau. Limestone and dolostone geology produces numerous springs. The unit has no federally-designated wilderness areas.

Primary highway access via US-91 along the western edge and State Highway 34 north from Preston to Cleveland Bridge, which define the unit's western and northern boundaries. The Caribou-Targhee National Forest (Westside Ranger District) administers Forest Service lands (41.67% of unit). Key interior access routes include Franklin Basin Road, Strawberry Canyon Road, and Emigration Canyon Road. Four-wheel-drive recommended for off-pavement travel. No federally-designated wilderness exists in the unit; motorized vehicle use on National Forest lands is restricted to established roadways legally open to full-sized automobiles during hunting seasons (Aug 30–Dec 31). No Access Yes! properties were available as of the most recent IDFG Hunt Planner data. Preston (Franklin County seat) is the closest service town.

Land cover is approximately 41% forest, 37% rangeland, and 21% irrigated and dryland agriculture (IDFG Hunt Planner: 40.96% forest, 36.56% rangeland, 11.78% irrigated-sprinkler, 9.63% irrigated-gravity, 1.09% dryland). Forest cover on upper slopes includes Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, blue spruce, subalpine fir, and mountain mahogany, with aspen stands prominent in mid-elevation basins such as Franklin Basin. Chokecherry and serviceberry brush occur on mid-slopes. Lower foothills support sagebrush-steppe. Agricultural valley-floor fields provide winter forage for deer and elk migrating out of high country.

Mule deer are the primary big game species, concentrating in aspen and mahogany brush on mid-elevation slopes during archery season and moving to forested ridges and canyon rims during the general season. Elk occupy forested upper slopes and Franklin Basin as part of the Bear River Elk Zone (Units 75, 77, 78); they migrate to lower agricultural areas and adjacent units during severe winters. Black bear are present in the forested portions. Mountain lion occur at low densities. Moose are present near water sources and riparian areas. Gray wolf have been documented in the zone. Upland birds include sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, chukar, gray partridge, forest grouse, pheasant, and turkey. Small game and waterfowl use valley-floor wetlands.

1. Deer general season dates (Oct 10-24, 2025) are drawn from historical IDFG patterns for the Southeast Region; verify against the current 2025-26 Idaho Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure. 2. Elk B-Tag general season Oct 15-24, 2025 confirmed via hunt/77243 (antlered bulls only, any weapon). 3. Elk A-Tag archery season dates (Aug 30-Sep 30) reflect standard Idaho archery season; the hunt planner page for hunt/43746 displayed stale 2016 dates. 4. Elk harvest: 50 harvested/365 hunters/14% success is B-Tag general season 2025 for Unit 77 only; A-Tag archery was 20 harvested/165 hunters/12% success. 5. Deer harvest: 194 any-weapon general (780 hunters, 25%), 1 archery (143 hunters, 1%), 195 total. 6. Public land 47% confirmed: USFS 41.67% + BLM 3.69% + State 0.86% + BOR 1.16% = 47.38%. 7. Starting 2026, nonresident general elk tags move to a draw system.