Quick Tips
- Four-wheel-drive is recommended for dirt roads
- Wolves have hurt the elk herd
- Grizzly country be prepared
- Buy a wolf license
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 160"+ |
| Whitetail Deer | 110"-130" | 130"+ |
| Elk | 260"-300" | 300"+ |
On The Ground
This areas borders Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Hunters can buy archery tags over the counter as well as muzzleloader deer tags. Rifle elk and muzzleloader antelope tags are issued in the annual tag drawing.
Good numbers of bull elk and a few mature bucks occupy isolated canyons. Small to medium-sized antelope can be found in lowlands, mostly near Henry's Lake. There is a late muzzleloader season for bulls migrating from Yellowstone as well as extended deer seasons though there are low buck numbers.
Terrain
This area has high plateaus and rugged mountains bordering Yellowstone National Park. Sheer rock cliffs and timbered ridges on the Continental Divide, which also is the Montana line. There are a lot of grasslands near Henry’s Lake, drainages of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, high desert flat lands and foothills along the Nez Perce National Historic Trail and the wetlands and mountains north of Island Park Reservoir are also in this unit.
Roughly 792 square miles
82.1% public land
Elevations from 5,850-10,420 feet
Vegetation
Bark beetles have killed millions of lodgepole pines in the Island Park area since the 1970s with brush and smaller trees replacing them, but in other parts of the unit hunters can expect to find sagebrush flats, foothills with aspen and conifer pockets, forests of pine, fir, spruce and aspen. There are a lot of grassy parks and hillsides in this area as well.
Access
Public access is decent except along the southern boundary, where private land keeps hunters from reaching some public tracts. There is no designated wilderness, but hunters can hike miles from roads in some areas. Exits off I-15 lead to roads in the unit’s western boundary. Roads east of Spencer, including the Nez Perce National Historic Trail lead to improved and unimproved roads that snake up drainages and ridges of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
State Road 20 to West Yellowstone accesses the eastern third of the unit
Camping and Lodging
If hunting in the eastern half of the unit, consider renting a cabin or condo at Island Park. RV park, cabin rentals and riverfront condos can all be found at Mack’s Inn Resort on Highway 20 on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.
Most hunters camp along four-wheel-drive roads
Most Forest Service campgrounds close Sept. 15
Historical Temperatures
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