Unit 16A 16A (Selway)
A roadless Selway-Bitterroot foothold of steep timber and high ridges — backcountry deer, bears, and general elk for hunters willing to walk.
North-Central Idaho — Selway Country, Idaho County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
280
sq mi
Public land
99%
approx.
Elevation
1,600–8,000
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
Unit 16A is a small, nearly all-public block on the north edge of the Selway Elk Zone, drained by Meadow, Mink, and Selway River tributaries and framed by the Bilk Mountain and Elk Mountain ridgelines. It is over 99% Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, with roughly a sixth of the unit inside the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and the rest steep, largely roadless timber accessed by trail. Deer hold in the drainages and on the high ridges, bears are plentiful in the brush, and elk are a general opportunity in a zone whose herd has declined from its 1990s peak.
Terrain
Deep river and creek drainages climbing hard to timbered ridgelines and open high parks along Bilk and Elk Mountains; broken, steep, and physically demanding.
Cover: Dense grand fir, cedar, and Douglas-fir on north slopes and drainage bottoms; brushfields, avalanche chutes, and old burns; grassy ridgetop parks and rangeland openings at the highest elevations.
Landmarks: Selway River · Meadow Creek · Mink Creek · Bilk Mountain · Elk Mountain · Wolf Point / Highline Ridge
Access
Effectively all national forest, roughly 16% designated wilderness. Access is primarily trail-based off perimeter forest roads; interior is roadless and steep. Expect to backpack or use stock to reach the best country. No Access Yes! private properties.
Managers: Nez Perce-Clearwater NF (USFS), Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (USFS)
Access points: Selway River Road / perimeter FR trailheads · Meadow Creek trail system · Wilderness boundary trailheads toward Bilk and Elk Mountains
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetails hold in the lower creek bottoms and river-drainage cover, a general/OTC option most productive in the timbered lower reaches during the November rut.
- →Still-hunt cedar and fir drainage bottoms in the rut
- →Glass brushy openings at first and last light
- →Work the lower Meadow Creek and Selway breaks cover
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer occupy the high open ridges and parks along Bilk and Elk Mountains; the reward for the climb is less-pressured backcountry bucks.
- →Backpack to ridgetop parks and glass at dawn
- →Hunt south-facing burns and grassy benches
- →Watch timberline edges where bucks feed before bedding
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityGeneral-tag Selway Zone elk; the herd is well below its 1990s peak, so success is low and this is a walk-in, effort-rewarded hunt rather than a numbers play.
- →Hunt north-slope holding timber and old burns
- →Get deep on foot away from the roaded perimeter
- →Bugle timbered basins in the early-September rut
- →Focus on drainage heads and benches with feed and cover
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are numerous in the brushfields, avalanche chutes, and burns — one of the more reliable pursuits in the unit.
- →Glass green avalanche chutes and south slopes in spring
- →Watch huckleberry benches in late summer
- →Hunt creek-bottom brush at dusk
Pro tips
- →Treat this as a fitness-gated backcountry hunt; the animals are here but you must walk to them.
- →Bears and high-ridge mule deer are the highest-value targets for the effort.
- →Set camp between low whitetail cover and high mule-deer parks to hunt both without relocating.
- →Know your wilderness boundary — it is foot/stock only for roughly a sixth of the unit.
- →Early snow can trap you on the wrong side of a ridge; build weather margin into your trip.
Watch out for
- !Steep, roadless terrain with long pack-outs — meat care and physical conditioning are non-negotiable.
- !Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (~16%) prohibits motorized and mechanized travel.
- !Declined Selway elk herd means low elk success; don't build a trip around elk numbers.
- !Early-season snow at ridgeline can close access and strand hunters.
Logistics
This is a backcountry unit — stage out of Kooskia or Grangeville for supplies and reach trailheads off the Selway and Meadow Creek road systems. Plan for backpack or stock-supported camps; there is no roaded interior and little day-hunting to be had. Come self-sufficient with wilderness gear and a meat-hauling plan.
Nearest towns: Elk City, Kooskia, Grangeville
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 16A · IDFG Hunt Planner — Selway Zone · Nez Perce-Clearwater NF (USFS)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 16A in Idaho?
- Unit 16A (16A (Selway)) covers about 280 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,600 to 8,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 16A?
- Approximately 99% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Nez Perce-Clearwater NF (USFS), Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (USFS). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 16A?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 16A on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.