Quick Tips
- Hauser Lake has tiger muskies to 46”
- Lake Pend Oreille has Kamloops trout from five to 30 pounds
- Use a GPS unit with private landowner data
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 160"+ |
| Whitetail Deer | 130"-150" | 160"+ |
| Elk | Raghorn-290" | 290"+ |
On The Ground
Whitetail deer, mule deer and elk are hunted in this unit, which is mostly private land along the Washington border between the Pend Oreille River and Coeur d’Alene.
Whitetail hunting is the main draw of this unit. Hunters need landowner permission to hunt most areas. Elk rarely reach trophy size and the numbers are kept low to minimize landowner conflicts. Mule deer are scarce, comprising only about 2% of the yearly buck harvest.
Terrain
Composed mainly of flat land and low hills between the Washington line and Lake Pend Oreille, this unit is mostly between 2,200 and 3,000 feet above sea level. It stretches south to Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene and north to the Pend Oreille River.
Roughly 695 square miles
19% public land
Elevations from 2,431-6,200 feet
Vegetation
Most land in this unit has been cut into rectangular pastures, hay farms and forests. Some hills and mountains are heavily forested, mainly with conifers. Western white pine, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and western red cedar are common tree species. Poplars and other trees that lose their leaves every year grow along creeks and on much of the lower land.
Access
A hunter in this unit doesn’t have a lot of public land to hunt, and some of it is closed to hunting, or hard to access. Farragut State Park and Farragut State Wildlife Management Area are closed to big game hunters unless specifically declared open by state officials. Many state and federal parcels are scattered and surrounded by private property. The largest pieces of federal land are a 2-mile-wide strip of the Coeur d’Alene National Forest bordering Washington. Hunters can reach 4,000-5,000 public acres near Long and Huckleberry mountains, these are southwest of Cocolalla Lake.
Most forest roads are open to all vehicles
Some trails are restricted to ATVs or motorcycles
Four-wheel-drive trucks recommended on secondary and primitive roads.
Camping and Lodging
Camping is permitted along forest roads in the Kaniksu National Forest, which maintains campgrounds near Sandpoint. Most campgrounds close in September. The Forest Service has new rules that require food and game carcasses in camps to be kept away from grizzlies and black bears. For lodging, Sandpoint has options in the north, and Coeur d’Alene is the largest town in the south with multiple places to stay.
Coeur d’Alene lodging options:
Sandpoint lodging options:
Guesthouse Lodge Sandpoint
Best Western Edgewater Resort
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