Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep have survived population changes in this unit, located on the north side of the Salmon River, but sheep numbers are currently stable.

This is a difficult area to hunt bighorn sheep, but hunters can hire outfitters or invest time in scouting and hunting to fill their tags. Rams are typically moderate in size and much of the unit is wilderness.

This area contains all of Unit 19 and parts of Units 14 and 20. This unit is located on the north side of the Salmon River from the mouth of Big Mallard Creek all the way downriver to Wind River and includes the Wind River drainage. The western half features mountainous terrain that is steep and open with some rocky, high peaks and lots of talus slopes, rock slides, formations and cliffs. The eastern half has forested mountains that are between 5,000 and 6,500 feet in elevation. Some buttes, peaks and ridges in the west exceed 8,000 in elevation and much of the terrain is above 7,000 feet. High points in the east include the northern boundary and some interior mountains such as Churchill Mountain, Blowout Mountain, Mammoth Mountain and Jersey Mountain. The Salmon River flows from 2,400 feet in the east down to 1,965 feet in the west along the southern edge of the unit.

The high, open country in the western half of the unit features many rocky peaks and grassy ridges with lots of avalanche chutes, meadows and high basins full of grass, shrubs and rocks. Lichens can be found growing on the rockiest slopes within this area. A lot of land is covered by a mixture of pines, firs, cedars and spruces. South-facing slopes along the Salmon River are grassy, brushy and rocky with scattered trees. Large meadows can be found in some big basins at the heads of drainages. A lot of acreage was burned by forest fires and is now being overtaken by jungles of brush and saplings.

Most sheep in this area live in the Gospel Hump Wilderness and other remote, roadless mountains in the Nez Perce National Forest. No motorized or wheeled vehicles are allowed in the Gospel Hump Wilderness, which takes up about half of the unit. Several National Forest roads lead to trailheads and jump-off points. Dixie Road also intersects Forest Road 1108, which accesses the Burpee Mountain ridge. Forest Road 313 provides close access to Sheep Mountain and Square Mountain.

Hunters can camp in the backcountry. Most of the unit is too remote for backpacking sheep hunters or even horseback hunters. Some sheep hunters hunt from spike camps carried by horse or foot. No special permits are needed to camp in the Gospel Hump Wilderness or other Forest Service land. Elk City is roughly 25 miles from the Wildhorse Lake area. Elk City Hotel offers lodging and there are campgrounds near Wildhorse Lake and the Dixie Mine area. Wildhorse Campground is near two trailheads into the Gospel Hump Wilderness. No stock is allowed in the campground, which has seven campsites.