The L.T. Murry and Colockum Wildlife Areas make up the bulk of this area, located in the southern portion of the Quilomene Bighorn sheep unit in Washington. The majority of the sheep in this unit are typically found along the Columbia River, or within two miles of the river up the many different canyons and drainages that come from the west. This is a very broken unit, once you leave your vehicle expect a very serious hike, even if it’s short. Most people choose to hunt from the Columbia River, and once a ram is located they anchor up and climb the mountains and canyons to the west.

The majority of the sheep in this unit tend to hang either just above the river or as much as 2 miles away, up some of the deeper canyons in the L.T. Murry Wildlife Area. There have been some reports of sheep in the high bluffs, south of Colockum Creek, pre-rut.

The dominant terrain feature in this unit is the Columbia River, which also serves as the eastern boundary. With elevation changes as much as 2,000 feet coming off of the river, this is ideal sheep habitat both north and south. As you look at the unit from 10,000 feet, once you are above the river, you see an endless number of canyons and drainages running east and west across both the Colockum and L.T. Murry Wildlife Areas. The canyons and drainages will get deeper the closer they get to the river, creating a seemingly endless supply of ideal sheep country in each and every one of them. There is not much for timber in this unit, the small amount of timber this unit does hold will be on north-facing slopes, closer to the far western side of the unit at higher elevations. Stray Gulch, Dry Gulch, and Box Canyon are all bigger than average canyons and have excellent sheep habitat all the way through.

This unit consists of miles of sage and grass-covered ridges, mixed with different species of shrubbery, and some cactus in the lower elevations. Aspen groves, ponderosa pine, douglas fir, grand fir, and some western larch are the primary trees found in the unit, and get denser the further west you go, particularly on the north facing slopes.

The majority of the hunters with this permit choose to access this unit by boat, coming across the Columbia River and then heading up the western bank towards sheep that have been previously spotted. The most popular place to launch seems to be Sunland launch. The sheep tend to frequent the areas between the bridge across the river on Interstate 90 and West Bar to the north. If you head northeast to the edge of Ellensburg, you will find the Colockum Road which runs across the unit, traveling across the top of the unit until diving back down to the Columbia River at Moses Coulee. Coming off of this road there are a number of lesser maintained roads that head up and down many of the canyons. Two of the more major routes to watch for as you head east off of the Coluckum Road, are Brushy Road and Perkins Road, eventually running into Brewton Gulch Road which continues north just above the river.

There are no established campgrounds found within this unit. Primitive camping on the L.T. Murry and Colockum Wildlife Area is allowed most of the year, but it is a good idea to call ahead to double check any restrictions or permits necessary prior to your trip. If you are more interested in a bed and a shower, you can find a number of resort and lodge style facilities along the Columbia River, or in the town of Quincy. If you are planning on driving into the unit instead of taking a boat across the river, you may find that staying in Ellensburg is a better option.