Quick Tips
- Gain permission to private land before drawing elk permits
- GPS should be used at all times so you know the borders
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 110"-130" | 130"+ |
| Whitetail Deer | 100"-110" | 120"+ |
| Elk | 230"-260" | 260"+ |
On The Ground
This fairly large unit runs from Warden and irrigated center pivots on the western boundary, to wide-open dry land farming and ranch land in the pothole dotted eastern plains. The bulk of public hunting takes place in the vast eastern portion of the unit. Doing some planning early on is key to gaining private land access. There are multiple tools and downloadable maps online for hunters to check out DNR managed state sections. The BLM has a large chunk of public right on the eastern border for easy public access, however, this is no secret. For your best chance at success, you should plan on seeking permission to access private land or hunt lands enrolled in the WDFW Access Program. Mule deer can be found throughout the unit; they do well in each zone, with some great bucks taken every season. This is the best unit in District 5 for elk hunters, with part of the Hangman Creek sub-herd residing within the unit, typically on private land. I-90 cuts through the top third of the state and there is a good road system throughout.
Public ground gets hammered here. The big deer are likely going to be on private land.
Terrain
Relatively flat with elevations running between 1,300- 1,700 feet in large rolling hills. The eastern portion is the roughest and interspersed with pothole ponds, marshes and important wetlands. Due to this the very nature, there is significantly less farming and consisting of enormous dry land crop where the land is fairly flat and will drain water, the rest is left for grazing livestock mainly cattle. Moving west the unit mellows out just a touch and transitions form largely dryland crops to irrigated center pivots on the western boundary only leaving a web of draws and creeks with any amount of cover for wildlife.
Roughly 1,672 sqaure miles
6% public ground
Elevations range from 1,300 – 1,700 feet
Vegetation
This unit is mostly private land and is used for agriculture. The majority of the agricultural land is dryland tilled farmland consisting of various grains, mainly winter wheat. The network of small creeks, cuts, draws, drainages and ponds offer the only wildlife habitat and cover. These regions offer a variety of graze and browse with willows, golden currant, wild rose and Russian olive. The more open and arid eastern portion has large rolling hills and native warm and cool season bunch grasses, sage, bitterbrush, greasewood, and spiny hop sage doing well in this sandy soil. Seasonal rains, along with total rainfall, when compared to ranching AUM (animal units per month) numbers, determine the overall grazing conditions of the range for both livestock and wildlife and can vary drastically year to year.
Access
One large chunk of BLM ground right on the eastern border and several spread out sections of Washington State of Leases Only Department of Natural Resources land are the extent of public land here. The WDFW has done a great job adding many of acres to the Feel Free to Hunt and Hunt by Written Permission programs, providing public access on private ground.
WDFW public access on private ground is definitely worth looking into
Seeking permission on private is important, especially if you plan on hunting elk
Camping and Lodging
Camping is limited within the unit. If you are more interested in lodging and being closer to gas stations, restaurants, and a grocery store, your best options will be in the small towns of Warden in the west, and Ritzville in the north central region of the unit.
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