Quick Tips
- Buy a wolf tag
- Carry a GPS and good maps
- Steelhead and trout fishing can be excellent
- Snow aids hunters immensely
On The Ground
Terrain
Vegetation
Access
Camping and Lodging
Historical Temperatures
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This area borders the Dworshak Reservoir and runs northwest about 40 miles. Shiras moose can be found here on a blend of private, state and national forest land.
Although there are not as many moose in this unit as in the northern Panhandle, hunters rarely have a hard time filling their tags on mature bulls. Bull moose often have antlers with spreads of 35-40”
This land is mostly private but contains large portions of the St. Joe and Nez Perce/Clearwater national forests, many square miles of state land and part of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Peaks include heavily forested Baby Grand Mountain, Beals Butte, Sand Mountain, Jackson Mountain, and McGary Butte. Main drainages are found in the north fork of the Clearwater River, Potlatch river and Palouse river and tributaries. Land is between 2,700 and 3,700 feet above sea level. Parts of the Potlatch River canyon and around Mica Hill are made up of steep terrain, but most land is flat to moderately inclined.
Patchworks of old logging areas in various stages of regrowth are found here with large portions that are heavily forested with pines, firs and cedars. Moose can usually be found feeding along edges of meadows and clearcuts. Moose prefer browse that is five to eight feet off the ground and feed on the saplings and brush that grow in logged-over areas.
Hunters enjoy a lot of federal and state land with a good network of forest roads that reach a lot of good hunting areas. This unit has large pieces of state land bordering federal land and is easy to reach on public roads and trails. The Nez Perce Indian Reservation also has land here. Non-tribal members can not hunt on tribal property but can hunt on private inholdings with landowners’ permission. Hunters can reach interior roads by taking major forest routes off State Routes 6 and 8/3.
Camping is allowed on state and federal land and some hunters camp along improved roads. Dam View and Canyon Creek campgrounds near Dworshak Reservoir are typically open until December and sometimes as late as December 15. Giant White Pine Campground offers 14 developed sites northeast of Harvard. Laird Park Campground in Potlatch has 31 developed campsites and a group site.
Roughly 731 square miles
40.7% public land
Elevations from 2,100-4,800 feet
A network of federal, state and county roads provide access
ATVs are useful on dirt roads
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended
Stay off roads when wet and susceptible to damage