Unit 46 46 (South Hills)
Sprawling Snake River desert unit — pronghorn on the flats, mule deer in the canyon breaks
Magic Valley — Owyhee/Twin Falls/Elmore County high desert · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,868
sq mi
Public land
78%
approx.
Elevation
2,400–6,000
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 46 is a vast (roughly 2,870 sq mi) high-desert unit on the south side of the Snake River, reaching from the Bruneau River east to U.S. 93 west of Twin Falls and south nearly to the Nevada line. Terrain is a mix of flat and rolling sagebrush rangeland cut by deep basalt gorges — most dramatically the Bruneau and Jarbidge River canyons on the western edge. Pronghorn are the marquee opportunity, with a solid mule deer harvest concentrated in the canyon rims and CRP/ag edges; elk are limited and bull tags are controlled.
Terrain
Broad sagebrush desert benches sloping up from the Snake River, dissected by the sheer basalt gorges of the Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers and a network of washes, ravines and rimrock canyons.
Cover: Big sagebrush and salt-desert shrub steppe with bunchgrass, greasewood in the bottoms, scattered juniper on higher breaks, and irrigated ag/CRP along the Snake River and Bruneau Valley.
Landmarks: Bruneau River Canyon · Jarbidge River Canyon · Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness · Salmon Falls Creek · Snake River rim · Saylor Creek
Access
Overwhelmingly BLM (about 70%) with checkerboard state (IDL) sections, laced with unpaved BLM and ranch roads that turn to impassable gumbo when wet. A large block in the northwest is the Saylor Creek Air Force Range (Mountain Home AFB) — closed to public entry. The Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness is non-motorized. Diamond A Livestock is enrolled in Access Yes! Three Island State Park and certain Snake River islands are closed to hunting.
Managers: BLM, IDL, U.S. Air Force (Saylor Creek Range), Bureau of Reclamation
Access points: Bruneau · Clover-Three Creek Road · Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir roads · State Highway 51 / Bruneau · BLM roads off U.S. 93 near Rogerson
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityThe unit's signature big-game opportunity — controlled pronghorn tags produce a strong, consistent harvest (roughly 150 animals a year at healthy success) across the open sage flats and benches.
- →Glass expansive benches at first light and drive between waterholes/reservoirs mid-day
- →Bucks hold near stock tanks and playas in dry years — pattern water
- →Use terrain folds and washes to close the gap; flat light makes long spot-and-stalk the norm
- →Scout access to IDL sections in advance to avoid landlocked private
Mule Deer
common opportunityDeer tags are over-the-counter here; the harvest of several hundred bucks comes off the canyon breaks, rimrock and brushy draws rather than the open desert. Age structure is modest but pressure disperses across the huge unit.
- →Focus the Bruneau/Jarbidge canyon rims and side draws where deer bed in shade
- →Hunt CRP and sagebrush edges near ag in the cooler early and late season
- →Water and green browse concentrate deer in this dry country — start with reservoirs and creeks
- →Cover ground; densities are low and spread thin
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are a low-density, opportunistic prospect on a desert unit — antlerless and any-weapon bull tags are controlled and the annual bull harvest is small. Elk relate to river bottoms, ag and the rougher canyon country.
- →Check the Snake River and Bruneau bottoms and adjacent ag where elk shelter
- →Expect to cover a lot of empty desert between pockets of animals
- →Controlled tag only for bulls — plan around draw odds
- →Watch for elk pushed onto private ag; secure permission early
Bighorn Sheep
limited trophyA very small controlled California bighorn hunt exists in the Bruneau/Jarbidge canyon complex — a rare, hard-to-draw once-in-a-lifetime tag with rams keyed to the sheer canyon rims.
- →Sheep live on and below the rimrock of the Bruneau and Jarbidge gorges — glass canyon walls at dawn
- →Access is rugged and largely non-motorized within the wilderness; plan multi-day
- →Extremely limited tag — treat any draw as the hunt of a lifetime and pre-scout hard
- →Coordinate with the IDFG Magic Valley regional biologist on ram distribution
Pro tips
- →This is water-driven country — start every hunt by mapping reservoirs, stock tanks and creeks
- →Pronghorn is the reason to draw here; deer are a bonus taken in the canyon breaks
- →Respect the Saylor Creek Air Force Range boundary — it is closed and enforced
- →Checkerboard IDL/BLM/private means you can be legal one section and trespassing the next; run a mapping app with land layers
- →Rims of the Bruneau and Jarbidge canyons hold deer and the rare sheep — glass them early
Watch out for
- !Saylor Creek Air Force Range (U.S. military) is closed to public access
- !Clay/gumbo roads become impassable when wet — getting stranded miles out is a real risk
- !Little to no water for people or animals — dehydration and heat are the main hazards early season
- !Three Island State Park and some Snake River islands are closed to hunting
- !Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness is non-motorized; know the boundary
Logistics
Twin Falls and Mountain Home are the full-service supply hubs; Bruneau, Hammett and Grand View offer fuel and basics. Distances are long and cell service is spotty to nonexistent across the interior. Carry extra fuel, water, and recovery gear — the clay two-tracks become undrivable gumbo after rain or snowmelt.
Nearest towns: Bruneau, Hammett, Rogerson, Grand View, Twin Falls, Mountain Home
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 46 · IDFG Hunt Planner — South Hills / Owyhee-South Hills Zones · BLM Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness
FAQ
- How big is Unit 46 in Idaho?
- Unit 46 (46 (South Hills)) covers about 2,868 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,400 to 6,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 46?
- Approximately 78% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, IDL, U.S. Air Force (Saylor Creek Range), Bureau of Reclamation. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 46?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 46 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.