Located in the farthest northeast corner of the state, this unit’s western border follows the Pend Oreille River south from the Canadian border until crossing the Idaho state line at Newport. From there it heads north following the Idaho state line until it reaches the Canadian border again. This unit is primarily public land, but access on the western side of the unit can still be an issue; small pieces of private land, along with the Kalispell Reservation along the Pend Oreille River have many access points to the forest locked. This unit consists of a large mountain range, the Selkirk Mountains, running north to south, centered up in the unit. Elevation change in this unit happens quickly and is substantial. Moose populations are spread across the unit but tend to be best in the foothills along the Pend Oreille River on the western and southern border.

Word on the street is that there are lots of whitetails in this unit and with a number of overlapping options during different times of the moose season. If you are lucky enough to draw the moose permit, heading into the woods without a whitetail tag would be a shame.

With elevations starting at less than 1,300 feet on the banks of the Pend Oreille River on the far eastern boundary, and climbing to over 7,300 feet in the Salmo-Priest Wilderness atop Gypsy Peak, you can expect lots of very broken country as you leave the rivers and scattered valleys and continue to gradually gain elevation heading east, eventually breaking the summit and then heading down into sub 2,000 feet elevations closer to the Idaho border. The majority of the unit is covered in sparse hills that lead into large tracts of conifer timber. You will find a large number of clear cuts in the denser parts of the forest, which can make for great calling locations in early October. Scattered timber on many of the slopes make glassing possible in many locations, even early on in the fall.

The northern half of the unit is mostly within the Colville National Forest, but many of the roads are gated limiting most of the vehicle access. The southern half of the unit is a mix of private timber company, private property, and National Forest. Most timber company gates, as well as some forest service roads, are locked year-round. If you are interested in hunting on the timber company property, you will need to look up their respective websites or call them to get a clear description of their rules and regulations as each company is different. Near the bottom of the unit and just outside of Newport on the north side of the river, the Bead Lake Road (a main access road), will head north, winding around both Bead and No Name Lake. If you continue on this road, you will eventually have the option to turn left onto Cooks Lake Road, which will continue north or head right onto Bear Paw Road, which heads back to the east. The main county roads all have many less maintained roads and trails coming off of them in all directions. Using a land use map or GPS will help you as there is some private property along these roads that you will need to navigate and hunt around. The Bead Lake and Bead Lake Spur Trails will keep you on or near the banks of Bead Lake, on the eastern and northeastern portions of the lake. During the early season, calling in these areas can be productive. There are a large number of trail systems covering the northern end of the unit in the Salmo-Priest Wilderness, where vehicle access is either very limited or not possible at all. Four-wheel drive vehicles are strongly encouraged on this hunt.

Douglas fir and western hemlock are the main vegetation in this part of the state. There are pockets of old-growth red cedar as well scattered throughout the unit, as well as the famous western larch and lodgepole pine. There are many areas with little to no ground cover, and what is there is often very low profile, making for some great opportunities to locate game. Creek beds, river bottoms, and marshy areas are scattered across the unit and are lined with willows and a variety of grasses.

Newport, Washington sits on the very southeast corner of the unit along the banks of the Pend Oreille River. This small community offers multiple locally owned hotels, grocery stores, gas stations, and a locally owned sporting goods store in case you forgot any gear or supplies for your hunt. If you are looking for places to camp, there are multiple established camping sites including Pioneer Park, which is very close to the beginning of Bead Lake Road. There are also some campgrounds on, or close to Marshall Lake, Bead Lake, and No Name Lake as you move further north into the forest. Camping is permitted in the forest at most times but call ahead before you set camp to double check any restrictions that may be in place. If you are looking to stage your hunt further north, look towards the Sullivan Lake area as there are a number of established campgrounds in and around this lake. Fuel and a small number of supplies are available at the Metaline mini-mart back on Hwy 31 next to the river.