Unit 56 56 (South Hills)
A high-harvest mule deer numbers unit built on the Sublett Range and broad farm valleys.
South-Central Idaho — Cassia/Oneida/Power County (Sublett Range & Raft River Valley) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
916
sq mi
Public land
49%
approx.
Elevation
4,400–7,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 56 sprawls across parts of Cassia, Oneida, and Power counties east of I-84, taking in the Sublett Range and the Raft River and Rockland valleys. It is a mixed farm-and-mountain unit — dryland grain and rangeland cover most of the ground, with the timbered Sublett Range (mostly in the Sawtooth National Forest) rising through the middle. Deer are the story here: the unit puts up the highest deer harvest of the South Hills group, though big bucks are rare and mostly come off private land. Elk are limited and draw-only, with a token moose tag and the occasional bear.
Terrain
The Sublett Range is steep in places but rounded rather than rugged, wrapped by broad, gently rolling dryland-farm and sage valleys along the Raft River and Rockland drainages.
Cover: Dryland agriculture is the single largest cover (~42%) mixed with sagebrush rangeland (~37%); forest (~13%) of Douglas-fir, aspen, and juniper caps the Sublett Range, with irrigated ground along the valley bottoms.
Landmarks: Sublett Range · Sublett Reservoir · Raft River valley · Rockland valley · Malta · Sublett
Access
About 49% public, but it is checkerboarded against roughly 51% private farm and ranch ground — legal access to public parcels often means crossing or bordering private. The forested Sublett Range core is the reliable public anchor; BLM parcels are scattered through the valleys. No Access Yes! properties are currently enrolled, so ownership homework is essential.
Managers: BLM, Sawtooth NF (USFS), Caribou-Targhee NF (USFS), Idaho Dept of Lands (IDL)
Access points: Malta-Sublett Road into the Sublett Range · Sublett Reservoir and Forest roads · BLM parcels off the Raft River and Rockland valley county roads · I-84 / I-86 corridor exits
Species notes
Mule Deer
abundant opportunityThe unit's calling card and the highest deer harvest in the South Hills group — large deer populations spread across both public and private ground. Big bucks are rare and tend to come off private land, so this is a general-season numbers-and-opportunity hunt rather than a trophy unit.
- →Glass sage-farm edges and the foothill fingers of the Sublett Range at first and last light
- →Hunt the timbered Sublett core and its aspen pockets for bucks that hold off the ag ground
- →Late season, watch deer concentrate on lower winter range and dryland-farm margins
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk numbers are limited and rifle tags are controlled (draw-only). Part of the South Hills Elk Zone; success is low, but the Sublett timber holds animals for hunters who draw and put in the effort.
- →Work the timbered Sublett Range and its brushy draws where elk hold cover
- →Hunt the forest-farm transition at dawn and dusk
- →Glass high basins early season before pressure pushes elk into thick timber
Moose
limited qualityA very small controlled-hunt moose opportunity — only a couple of tags but essentially full success for those who draw. Moose use the wetter timbered pockets and riparian bottoms.
- →Hunt willow and aspen bottoms and mountain meadows in the Sublett Range
- →Scout water sources and forage ahead of the season to locate bulls
Black Bear
transient lowBlack bears are transient and scarce in this largely farm-and-sage unit — harvest is essentially nil. An incidental encounter, not a reason to buy a tag.
- →If chasing bears, focus the brushy timbered draws and berry patches of the Sublett Range in spring
- →Glass green forage on the forest fringe early and late
Pro tips
- →This is a deer-numbers unit — expect average bucks and good opportunity, with the biggest deer tied to private ground.
- →Sort the checkerboard before opening day; carry a current ownership map to keep public hunting legal.
- →The Sublett Range timber is the dependable public anchor in a private-heavy unit.
- →Elk are draw-only here — check the current South Hills Zone controlled-hunt structure before applying.
- →Late-season storms concentrate deer on lower winter range near the farm-sage edge.
Watch out for
- !Roughly 51% private, checkerboarded with public — trespass risk is high without a good map.
- !Dryland-farm and dirt roads become impassable after rain.
- !No Access Yes! properties enrolled — plan your own legal access.
- !Whitetail are essentially absent; don't expect river-breaks whitetail hunting here.
Logistics
Burley (off I-84) is the nearest full-service town for fuel, lodging, and licenses; Malta and Rockland offer limited supplies close to the field. Sublett Reservoir provides camping and a Forest-road gateway into the range, and also holds decent trout fishing for down time.
Nearest towns: Malta, Burley, Declo, Rockland, American Falls
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 56 (boundary, ownership %, terrain, species list) · GoHunt — Idaho Unit 56 profile (elevation, Sublett Range, deer/elk notes)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 56 in Idaho?
- Unit 56 (56 (South Hills)) covers about 916 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,400 to 7,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 56?
- Approximately 49% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, Sawtooth NF (USFS), Caribou-Targhee NF (USFS), Idaho Dept of Lands (IDL). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 56?
- 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 56 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.