Quick Tips
- Bring a shotgun to hunt pheasants
- In early seasons motorcycles are helpful on designated trails
- Watch for rattlesnakes in warm weather
On The Ground
Terrain
Vegetation
Access
Camping and Lodging
Historical Temperatures
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This unit has excellent hunting despite a decline in moose numbers. It is made up of several isolated mountain ranges and the valleys between them in Cassia, Oneida and Power counties.
This unit has a high success rate for moose hunters who want mature animals. The terrain is steep enough that hunters can glass moose at long distances and then stalk within range.Hunters usually have little trouble filling their tagsAntlers from 2008-2013 averaged 40.7” wideMost bulls are taken in the Albion, Sublett and Black Pine ranges
Several mountain ranges and valleys make up this area in Cassia County, Oneida and Power counties. The Sawtooth National Forest has a lot of land in Black Pine, Albion and Sublett mountains, while the BLM controls most of the Jim Sage and Cotterel ranges. One of the highest peaks in southern Idaho is 10,339-foot Cache Peak in the Albion Mountains. Some ridges on the Black Pine Mountains are over 9,000 feet. The mountains are steep with rimrock and bluffs in some places. The valleys are between 4,150 and 5,000 feet in elevation and are divided by wet, dry and intermittent creeks.
Sagebrush, greasewood, rabbitbrush, wild grasses, junipers, low shrubs and forbs grow on many lowlands and foothills. Willows, cottonwoods and riparian brush and some conifers grow sparsely along some creeks. Creek bottoms are marshy and choked with thistles, foreign tamarisk, cattails and bulrushes. Bitterbrush, chokecherries, service berries and small and large stands of quaking aspen grow on foothills and the higher mountains.Higher mountains are usually heavily forested with Douglas firs, spruces and pines on north slopes. South and west slopes have open brush fields with stands of aspens, mahoganies and junipers providing cover. Alfalfa, grass hay and grains are the main crops grown in private farm fields.
Some hunters camp along dirt roads which is allowed almost anywhere on public land in the unit. Four campgrounds are north and northwest of Mount Harrison in the Albion Mountains, including two campgrounds on the shore of Lake Cleveland. These campgrounds are usually open into October. Lodging is available in Albion at Marsh Creek Inn and Albion Bed & Breakfast. Some lodging options in Burley include Burley Inn and Convention Center, Fairfield Inn & Suites and Budget Motel. American Falls is a few miles northeast of the unit and has Indian Springs Resort & RV Park. Bingham County provides RV sites and tent sites at Sportsmans Park near American Falls Reservoir.
Roughly 2,276 square miles
53.8% public land
Elevations from 4,100-10,300 feet
A lot of the mountains and foothills are public land managed by the state, the National Forest Service or the BLM. Most of the City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park are open to hunting. A lot of public land is in some valleys, but most lowlands and foothills are private. Some good roads and a few ATV and motorcycle trails provide good access to foothills and mountains. Hunters must hike from one to two miles to reach some parts of the unit. Hunters can not drive ATVs or motorcycles in the eastern third of the unit except on roads that are designed for and open to full-size vehicles.
Carry a GPS with land ownership data
Hunters can use ATVs or dirt bikes on designated routes in part of the unit
Sawtooth National Forest publishes an online vehicle use map