This area includes several hundred square miles of elk and deer habitat on the north side of the Salmon River. Hunters can buy tags over the counter to hunt deer, mule deer and whitetail. About two-thirds of the unit is the northwestern part of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

This is a good place for hunters who don't mind seeing other animals while looking for mature elk and mule deer in the backcountry. About one in five bucks harvested are whitetails. Wolves have reduced elk herds significantly.

On the north side of the Salmon River and including a lot of the northern section of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness on the west end. The eastern part of the area is generally steeper than the western half that includes a strip of wilderness along the river and steep terrain in the Nez Perce National Forest. The wilderness features canyons, steep slopes, long ridges and some high peaks in the central and eastern parts of Unit 20.

The highest peaks and ridges are rocky, open and barren with a lot of land that is forested with pines, spruces and firs. Old burns and some logging areas have dense brush, small saplings and along with many large rockslides and avalanche chutes, create edges that deer favor. The south-facing exposures above the Salmon River are mostly grassy, rocky and open steep slopes with brush and trees growing in draws and canyons. Much of the forest floor is covered with bear grass. Some meadows and old burns have a lot of grass, wildflowers and forbs.

Hunters without horses should consider hiring an outfitter. Some hunters camp along roads like the Orogrande-Dixie Road and the Magruder Corridor on the north and hike into high basins for morning and evening hunts. Hunters can camp free at the Poet Creek Campground on the Magruder Corridor northeast of Boston Mountain. The campground can accommodate RVs as long as 24 feet. The 14-Mile Trailhead is north of Boston Mountain and is also on the Magruder Corridor. The trailhead leads into the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness on the Cache Creek Trail and the Boston Mountain Trail and has two camp pads.

Most of this unit is in wilderness area or is rugged and remote and accessible only to hunters who backpack or travel by horse. Backcountry hunters without horses should consider hiring an outfitter. Some parts outside the wilderness have some roads. You can reach some of the western edge on roads such as the Mackay Bar Road and Orogrande-Dixie Road, which lead to primitive forest roads. The Magruder Corridor, also known as Forest Road 468, gives road access on the north end to the upper drainages of Mallard, Bargamin and Sabe creeks. Popular trailheads are at Corn Creek on the Salmon River on the east end and north of Boston Mountain on the Magruder Corridor.