Lake Roosevelt and the Spokane River make up the northern border of this unit, as well as the majority of the prime sheep habitat. There are some intense elevation changes coming up the south side of the river that range from steep to vertical, depending on where you are. Expect to run into major access issues in this unit as it is almost entirely private property and locating a sheep on public land is very unlikely. Overall this is a great hunt if you are planning on hiring an outfitter regardless of where you draw a tag, and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Many hunters and hikers have reported running into sheep near Whitestone Rock. Although this unit isn’t considered one of the best in the state, the terrain here is milder than some other sheep units in the state. Securing private property access will give you your best shot at a good ram.

The dominant terrain feature of this unit are Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, which is a dammed up section of the Columbia River, and the Spokane River which continues east more directly where the bridge on Hwy 25 crosses over into the Spokane Reservation; these bodies of water cover the entire northern border of this unit. The elevation change from the river to the tops of the ridges is as dramatic as 1,500 vertical feet in some areas in as little as 2/3 of a mile, and is extremely steep to even vertical at times, creating an ideal habitat for the sheep. The majority of the sheep in the unit tend to hang closer to the river or in the numerous canyons and drainages that spill into it from the plateau above. There are a number of these canyons and drainages along the river, offering excellent habitat and travel routes for the sheep. The top of the plateau is covered in sage, grass, and sparse shrubbery as well as some cactus. Drainages tend to be covered in dense aspen and pine particularly the more you move west and on the north facing slopes. A few miles from the river, you will run into different types of agriculture, some even on the edges of the canyons that lead back to the north and the river. Some of these agricultural areas are known to have sheep in or close to them as well, especially if they are close to some steep rugged terrain.

This unit has miles of sage and grass-covered ridges mixed with different species of shrubbery, as well as some cactus in the lower elevations. Aspen groves and ponderosa pine, douglas fir, grand fir, and some western larch are the primary trees found in the unit, and get denser the more west you go, particularly on the north facing slopes. Once you are further south, expect to find different types of agriculture as you get closer to Hwy 174 and Hwy 2.

The majority of this unit is private property, so access will be a major issue without prior arrangements made with the landowners or an outfitter with secured permission to hunt these areas. There are a number of paved access roads going to all different parts of the lake, including but not limited, to Hwy 174, 21, 25, and 231. There are many less maintained roads coming off of each of these highways, making their way into excellent sheep habitat. However, leaving any of these highways and taking one of these roads will most likely lead you to private land. Other methods of access would be from a boat on either the Lake Roosevelt area or the Spokane River, looking for sheep in the cliffs and crags above on the south side. Again, the odds of finding a sheep on public land this way are also slim.

There are no options for primitive camping on this unit outside of a couple of very small pieces of BLM property scattered across the unit. Remember that it is illegal to camp further than 100 yards from a road on BLM property. There are a number of established campgrounds along the river such as the Hawk Creek Campground in Hawk Creek Harbor, and Jones Bay and Keller Ferry Campgrounds which are both further west. Further south in the unit, at the intersection of Hwy 174, 21, and 2, is the town of Wilber, which is more or less at the center of the unit. Here you will find both Country Lane and Goose Creek Campground and RV parks, privately owned destinations in a great location. If you are more interested in a bed and a shower, you can find a number of resorts and lodge style facilities along the Columbia River, particularly on the far western side of the unit in or near Grand Coulee. There is also the Davenport Motel on the south side of the unit, off of Hwy 2, but much further east in the unit. Many of the hunters who draw this permit tend to get help from outfitters who have access to private property accommodations, and will typically be dependent on where they are seeing the sheep, and where you will be hunting them.