Our flash sale is live! Save up to 20% on premium hunting gear!

Washington State Flag

Unit 139 - Steptoe

Last Updated: Sep 9, 2024
  • Share on Twitter

  • Share on Facebook

  • Email

Topographic Loading Image

A map error has occurred


Quick Tips

  • Glass from high-ground early and late in the day
  • Spend time behind the glass to find game
  • Key in on game trails between bedding and forage
speciesgeneral Sizetrophy potential
Mule Deer120"-140"150"+
Whitetail Deer110"-130"140"+
Elk250"-280"280"+

On The Ground

This sizeable unit along the Idaho border is made up largely of decent, but privately owned, deer habitat. There are decent tracts of private land enrolled in the WDFW as “hunt by reservation”. It is certainly worth the work digging deeper into this and other public trespass options found in this unit. The northeastern portion holds the vast majority of BLM and state ground, along with the 2,291-acre Revere Wildlife Area. Along with deer, there is a small population of elk, coyotes, pheasants and quail. There are multiple springs and seeps in the Rock Creek Drainage, upstream from Rock Lake, located in the northwestern region. The Palouse River flows through the bottom third of the unit. The western portion of the unit is much drier, with lots of large, dry land crops plus a few irrigated circles. The eastern and southeastern areas are the famous Palouse regions, and these rolling hills are absolutely stunning at sunset. This is big hilly country and holds the largest degree of elevation change in the unit. Good access to hunt by written permission and a few sections of state. Private land access typically yields higher hunter harvest success rates.

“Hunt by reservation” ground fills up fast on the WDFW website.

Terrain

Large rolling hills are steeper in the east than they are in the west. This unit has some big country with lots of drainages and cuts holding wildlife. Farming and ranching are the main use of land, as this ground is very fertile. Draws range from light foliage to dense brush and trees with the deciding factor typically being farm-ability and groundwater.

  • Roughly 1,334 square miles

  • 3% public land

  • Elevations range from 1,900– 2,900 feet

Crops here range from wheat, cereal grains, hay, lentils, canola, barley, peas and grass seed. Cattle and sheep graze the native grasslands and numerous hay meadows. Along Rock Creek and the Palouse you will find several various species of reed grasses, lush turf grasses, wild flowers, berry producing bushes and trees. The scabland holds a variety of dry land bunch grasses and sage.

Access throughout most of the unit is tough, with key private lands typically offering the best success. Between the BLM, Hunt by Reservation, Feel Free to Hunt, wildlife area, state sections and Register to Hunt ground, there are some great option for hunters willing to do a bit of work early.

  • Look into different public access points early

  • There are public land options throughout unit

This unit has limited camping areas. Colfax, Palouse, and Pullman will be the best towns as far as lodging, gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores are concerned.

High

Low

April 2025


Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

30

31

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

1

2

3

insider access

Become a member to access this content

Only Insiders can access this content. For premium hunting content, tips & tricks, and access to our full suite of hunting tools, become an Insider today.

Already have an account?

Log in

insider Membership

Our top tier membership gives you everything we offer! Research tool, maps, and gear shop rewards, all in one plan.