Unit 5 5 (Panhandle)
Rolling Palouse-edge farm-and-timber country south of Coeur d'Alene — one of the Panhandle's best whitetail units.
Idaho Panhandle — Benewah & Kootenai County (St. Joe / Coeur d'Alene Lake) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
708
sq mi
Public land
30%
approx.
Elevation
2,125–5,000
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 5 covers the country south and east of Coeur d'Alene Lake, taking in the lower St. Joe and St. Maries river corridors and the rolling farm-and-timber hills around Plummer, Worley and St. Maries in Benewah and Kootenai Counties. Most of it is a low-elevation mosaic of private farmland, pasture and timber laced with the Coeur d'Alene Reservation — and it produces excellent whitetail deer, some of them very large. Elk and mule deer are secondary and thin, black bears work the timbered edges, and moose are a high-success once-in-a-lifetime controlled draw.
Terrain
Gentle to moderate relief — Coeur d'Alene Lake near 2,125 ft with most of the unit rolling between 2,500 and 3,500 ft, and only a few timbered summits topping 5,000 ft. This is Palouse-edge farm country grading into low forest.
Cover: A patchwork of wheat and pasture on the rolling hills, brushy draws and riparian corridors along the St. Joe and St. Maries rivers, and mixed conifer, larch and Douglas-fir timber on the higher benches and north slopes.
Landmarks: Coeur d'Alene Lake (south shore) · St. Joe River · St. Maries River · Plummer / U.S. 95 corridor · Round Lake · Coeur d'Alene Reservation
Access
This is a predominantly private and tribal unit — rolling Palouse-edge farmland and timber company ground dominate, and much of the western and southern portion lies within the Coeur d'Alene Reservation, where non-tribal hunting access is restricted. Public opportunity comes mostly from scattered IDL endowment parcels, Panhandle National Forest on the higher east benches, and access agreements. Securing private permission is often the key to hunting the best whitetail ground.
Managers: Private farm, timber & ranch, Coeur d'Alene Tribe (Reservation), Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) endowment, USFS Idaho Panhandle NF, BLM
Access points: Plummer (U.S. 95) · St. Maries (Idaho 3 / St. Joe River Rd) · Worley area · St. Joe River corridor · Benewah Lake / Heyburn State Park area
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
abundant qualityThe standout of Unit 5 and one of the Panhandle's stronger whitetail units, with a healthy herd and some genuinely large bucks in the farm-timber edge; the clear primary draw.
- →Hunt the edges where wheat and pasture meet brushy draws and timber
- →Rattling and grunt calls are deadly in the November rut
- →Glass field edges and riparian corridors at first and last light
- →Still-hunt timbered benches and creek bottoms on quiet, wet days
Mule Deer
limited opportunityA minor presence overshadowed by whitetails, scattered on the more open higher ground; incidental for most hunters.
- →Glass the higher open benches away from the ag bottoms
- →Expect low, scattered densities — this is whitetail country
- →Watch the timber-openings transition at dawn
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityA general-season opportunity with modest success; elk use the timbered benches and cover pockets but this is not a strong elk unit relative to its whitetails.
- →Work the timbered east-side benches and Panhandle NF pockets
- →Cut sign on logging roads then push into cover
- →Bugle and cow-call the September ridges away from the farmland
- →Target public timber where access allows — much of the unit is private
Moose
common trophyA once-in-a-lifetime controlled draw with very high success; Shiras moose browse the river bottoms, willow corridors and wet draws along the St. Joe and St. Maries.
- →Glass willow bottoms, wetlands and river corridors at dawn and dusk
- →Work the St. Joe and St. Maries riparian brush where moose feed
- →Move slowly and glass thick cover for holding bulls
- →Line up landowner permission early — much moose habitat is private
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears work the timbered benches and brushy draws with spring and fall opportunity, though the unit is more farmland than deep bear timber.
- →Spring: glass green-up on south-facing timber edges and logging cuts
- →Fall: hunt berry and mast pockets on the higher benches
- →Focus on the timbered east side where public access is better
Pro tips
- →This is a whitetail unit first — time your hunt to the November rut and hunt the ag-timber edges
- →Access is the whole game: much of the unit is private or Coeur d'Alene Reservation land
- →Secure landowner permission early or pinpoint IDL and Panhandle NF public parcels in advance
- →Moose here is a once-in-a-lifetime tag with excellent success — apply and scout the river bottoms
- →Rattling and calling work well on the dense, edge-dwelling whitetails
Watch out for
- !Large blocks of private farmland and the Coeur d'Alene Reservation restrict access — respect tribal land and boundaries
- !Low public-land percentage means trespass risk is high; verify ownership before hunting
- !Fog and wet weather can limit glassing on the open hills
- !Moose is a limited controlled draw, not a general opportunity
- !Crop-field and rural-residential mix demands careful shot backdrops
Logistics
U.S. 95 runs north-south through the center of the unit via Plummer and Worley; Idaho 3 and the St. Joe River Road serve St. Maries and the river corridors. Coeur d'Alene to the north is the full-service hub. Because so much land is private or tribal, road access is easy but legal hunting access is the real constraint — arrange permission or target public parcels ahead of time.
Nearest towns: Plummer, St. Maries, Worley, Coeur d'Alene, Tensed
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 5 · GOHUNT — Idaho Unit 5 Profile · USFS Idaho Panhandle National Forests
FAQ
- How big is Unit 5 in Idaho?
- Unit 5 (5 (Panhandle)) covers about 708 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,125 to 5,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 5?
- Approximately 30% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private farm, timber & ranch, Coeur d'Alene Tribe (Reservation), Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) endowment, USFS Idaho Panhandle NF, BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 5?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose, 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 5 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.