Unit 59 59 (Beaverhead)
Rolling sagebrush and creek bottoms below the Continental Divide out of Dubois — deer numbers, strong pronghorn, general elk, and a coveted moose lottery.
Eastern Idaho — Medicine Lodge & Camas Creek country, Clark County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
367
sq mi
Public land
69%
approx.
Elevation
5,400–9,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 59 wraps the country north and west of Dubois in Clark County — a big sweep of sagebrush rangeland and creek bottoms rising from Interstate 15 up to the Beaverhead Mountains on the Idaho-Montana Continental Divide at Bannock Pass. Land cover is nearly 90% rangeland, and mule deer are the volume hunt here, producing far more deer than the neighboring units. Pronghorn hunting is strong on the open benches, general-season elk work the timbered high edges, and a small number of once-in-a-lifetime moose tags pay off with very high success in the willow bottoms. This is part of the Beaverhead Elk Zone.
Terrain
Open, rolling high-desert rangeland near 5,400-6,000 ft around Dubois and the Camas/Medicine Lodge drainages, climbing northwest to the timbered Beaverhead Mountains and the Continental Divide near 9,000+ ft at Bannock Pass. Terrain is gentle sage benches and dissected creek bottoms in the south, steepening into forested mountains in the north.
Cover: Predominantly rangeland (roughly 88%) — sagebrush-steppe, bunchgrass and rabbitbrush — with willow and cottonwood riparian along Camas and Medicine Lodge creeks, and a smaller band of Douglas-fir and aspen (about 7% forest) on the higher Beaverhead slopes.
Landmarks: Camas Creek · Medicine Lodge Creek & Road · Bannock Pass · Beaverhead Mountains / Continental Divide · Dubois · Interstate 15 corridor
Access
Roughly two-thirds public — split fairly evenly between Targhee National Forest in the higher north and BLM sagebrush in the middle — but nearly 30% is private ranchland, much of it in the productive valley and creek bottoms. Interstate 15, Medicine Lodge Road and State Highway 22 frame and cross the unit. Expect a checkerboard near the bottoms; verify boundaries and use the Forest/BLM ground and any access agreements.
Managers: USFS Caribou-Targhee NF (Dubois RD), BLM Idaho Falls District, Private ranch, Idaho Department of Lands (IDL)
Access points: Dubois (I-15 exit hub) · Medicine Lodge Road north · Camas Creek Rd / Kilgore side · Bannock Pass road to the Divide · Targhee NF roads in the Beaverheads
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe volume deer hunt of the Beaverhead units — Unit 59 produces the most deer of the neighborhood, with a general-season opportunity across sage benches and creek bottoms. Success runs modest but the sheer number of deer keeps hunters coming.
- →Glass sage benches, coulees and creek-bottom edges at first and last light
- →Hunt the brushy draws and aspen fingers where deer bed off the open flats
- →Work the transition from rangeland into the Targhee timber for bigger bucks
- →Late-season snow concentrates deer on the lower winter range
Pronghorn
common qualityStrong controlled-tag pronghorn hunting on the wide-open sagebrush around Dubois and Medicine Lodge, with good success for those who draw. Classic spot-and-stalk antelope country.
- →Road-glass the open flats and locate bucks from high ground
- →Pick out a good buck the evening prior and plan a terrain-assisted stalk
- →Use rolling rises and coulees to close distance across open sage
- →Focus near water and green feed during hot, dry early seasons
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityA Beaverhead Zone general-season elk opportunity with modest success — elk use the timbered Beaverhead high country in the north and slip down to feed on rangeland edges, but they move with pressure.
- →Hunt the Targhee timber and canyon heads toward the Divide
- →Bugle and cow-call September ridges early before the crowds
- →Watch rangeland-timber edges at dawn and dusk for feeding elk
- →Get well off the road system to find undisturbed animals
Moose
limited trophyShiras moose are a genuine once-in-a-lifetime controlled draw here, with very high success for the few who pull a tag. Bulls hold in the willow bottoms and riparian corridors of Camas and Medicine Lodge creeks.
- →If you draw, scout the willow flats and beaver-pond bottoms early
- →Glass creek-bottom edges at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt slow and quiet — bulls hold in thick brush
- →Expect a long point wait to draw this tag
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears are a limited opportunity confined mostly to the timbered northern high country; this is open sage over much of the unit, so bear habitat is a minor slice.
- →Spring: glass green-up on the Beaverhead slopes and old burns
- →Fall: check berry brush and aspen draws in the Targhee timber
- →Concentrate on the forested north, not the sagebrush
- →Watch for cinnamon color-phase bears
Pro tips
- →This is the deer-numbers unit of the Beaverhead group — plan around glassing big sagebrush country
- →With ~30% private in the productive bottoms, a current BLM/Forest ownership layer is essential to stay legal
- →For elk, push into the Targhee timber toward the Divide; the valley is deer and antelope ground
- →If you draw the moose tag, focus entirely on the Camas and Medicine Lodge willow bottoms
- →Water is scarce early — antelope and deer key on the few green strips and stock waters
Watch out for
- !Nearly 30% private ranchland, much of it in the best bottoms — verify boundaries before hunting
- !Services are limited north of I-15; fuel up in Dubois or Idaho Falls
- !Creek-bottom and BLM roads become impassable when wet and drift shut with early snow up high
- !High Beaverhead / Bannock Pass access closes fast once snow stacks on the Divide
- !Respect the checkerboard near the creeks — public and private interlock
Logistics
Dubois sits right on Interstate 15 and is the natural staging point with basic services; Idaho Falls to the south is the nearest full-service town for fuel, groceries, lodging and processing. Medicine Lodge Road and Camas Creek Road are the main gravel arteries north into the country. Carry fuel and recovery gear — services thin out fast north of the interstate, and bottom roads get greasy when wet.
Nearest towns: Dubois, Kilgore, Spencer, Mud Lake, Idaho 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 59 · IDFG Hunt Planner — Beaverhead Zone · USFS Caribou-Targhee National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 59 in Idaho?
- Unit 59 (59 (Beaverhead)) covers about 367 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,400 to 9,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 59?
- Approximately 69% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Caribou-Targhee NF (Dubois RD), BLM Idaho Falls District, Private ranch, Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 59?
- Mule Deer, Pronghorn, 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 59 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.