Unit 52 52 (Smoky - Bennett)
Big-buck desert hills between Fairfield and Gooding — drawn pronghorn, elk, and mule deer
South-Central Idaho — Bennett Hills / Smoky Mountains foothills (Camas, Gooding & Blaine Counties) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
820
sq mi
Public land
55%
approx.
Elevation
3,500–6,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 52 sits northeast of Gooding and southeast of Fairfield, a landscape of low Bennett Hills, desert shrub-grasslands, and extensive private farmland and pastures. It has a reputation for producing big mule deer bucks even though most hunters take smaller animals, and it holds pronghorn on the flats and elk that use the hills and ag edges. Elk numbers have been intentionally reduced in the Smoky-Bennett Zone to curb chronic crop depredation, and hunters must draw tags for deer, elk, and pronghorn.
Terrain
Low rolling hills and desert flats rising toward the southern edge of the Smoky and Soldier Mountains; broad ag valleys and pastures break up the public ground.
Cover: Sagebrush, rabbitbrush and desert grassland on the hills and flats, with irrigated farmland and pasture in the valleys and scattered juniper and aspen at higher edges.
Landmarks: Bennett Hills · Camas Prairie · Malad Gorge / Big Wood River country · Soldier Mountains foothills
Access
Most of the unit is BLM served by a network of roads open to all motor vehicles, but large blocks of private farmland and pasture are interspersed — knowing boundaries is essential. Public-land share is approximate.
Managers: BLM, IDL, USFS — Sawtooth NF (northern edge)
Access points: U.S. Highway 20 near Fairfield · Interstate 84 / Gooding access from the south · BLM road network across the Bennett Hills
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityKnown for producing big mule deer bucks, though most hunters kill smaller ones; a drawn tag with modest overall success but real trophy potential.
- →Glass the Bennett Hills draws and sage benches at dawn and dusk
- →Watch the transition between BLM sage and private ag edges where bucks feed
- →Still-hunt juniper pockets and brushy coulees during the rut and cold snaps
Pronghorn
common qualityGood pronghorn on the desert flats and rolling hills, with big antelope taken here in the past. Tags are drawn.
- →Glass wide across the open flats and hill saddles at first light
- →Use the rolling terrain to stalk within range
- →Focus near water and green feed early season
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityElk use the hills and ag margins, but the Smoky-Bennett Zone herd has been deliberately reduced to mitigate crop depredation, so opportunity is capped and managed.
- →Hunt the hill-to-farmland transition where elk raid crops at night and retreat by day
- →Glass brushy coulees and juniper stringers at first light
- →Move quietly — pressured elk here go nocturnal fast
Black Bear
transient lowBlack bears are rare and only incidentally present in this predominantly desert/ag unit — not a target species.
- →Incidental only; check the higher juniper and aspen fringes if pursuing
Pro tips
- →This is a big-buck sleeper — put in glassing time; the trophy potential outstrips the average kill
- →Hunt the seam between BLM sage and private farmland where game concentrates
- →Get maps straight on the checkerboard of public and private before you hunt
- →Roads turn to greasy clay mud when wet — time your access around storms
- →Expect elk to be scarce and heavily managed for depredation; keep expectations calibrated
Watch out for
- !Extensive private farmland and pasture interspersed with BLM — trespass risk is high, verify boundaries
- !Clay-soil roads become impassable mud when wet
- !Elk are deliberately reduced for depredation — low densities and capped opportunity
- !Limited water and shade in the desert hills during warm early seasons
Logistics
Fairfield to the north and Gooding/Bliss to the south provide fuel, food and basic lodging, with I-84 and U.S. 20 giving easy highway access; Twin Falls is the nearest full-service hub. The BLM road grid makes most of the public ground drivable in dry conditions. Cell coverage is fair near the highways, thinner in the interior hills.
Nearest towns: Fairfield, Gooding, Bliss, Shoshone
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 52 · IDFG Hunt Planner — Smoky-Bennett Zone · Idaho Mountain Express — Fish and Game proposes reducing elk hunts (Smoky-Bennett)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 52 in Idaho?
- Unit 52 (52 (Smoky - Bennett)) covers about 820 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,500 to 6,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 52?
- Approximately 55% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, IDL, USFS — Sawtooth NF (northern edge). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 52?
- Mule Deer, Pronghorn, 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 52 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.