How big is Unit 59A in Idaho?

Unit 59A (59A (Beaverhead)) covers about 401 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,400 to 9,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.

What species does the catalog list for Unit 59A?

Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

Unit 59A 59A (Beaverhead)

Desert flats climbing to above-timberline peaks along the Continental Divide — high elk and mule deer numbers with a pronghorn opportunity below.

Eastern Idaho — Beaverhead Crest to Medicine Lodge Creek (Clark, Jefferson & Lemhi County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12

Bull elk standing at the edge of dark timber

Area

401

sq mi

Public land

84%

approx.

Elevation

5,400–9,600

feet

Motorized

moderate

access

Overview

Unit 59A runs from the crest of the Beaverhead Mountains on the Idaho-Montana Continental Divide down to Medicine Lodge Creek, spanning parts of Clark, Jefferson and Lemhi counties between Bannock Pass and the Birch/Crooked Creek divide. IDFG describes it as high-quality big-game country — the ground holds good numbers of elk and mule deer, some pronghorn, and even a few whitetails. It is heavily public (Targhee National Forest high, BLM sagebrush low), running from desert flats in the south to rough, rugged peaks well above timberline near 9,000 ft in the north. This is part of the Beaverhead Elk Zone.

Terrain

A dramatic elevation sweep — sage desert flats near 5,400-6,000 ft in the south along Medicine Lodge Creek, climbing through timbered mid-slopes to rough, rugged Beaverhead peaks and ridges above timberline (~9,000+ ft) on the Continental Divide. Some slopes are steep with deep canyons; others rise more gradually.

Cover: Predominantly rangeland (roughly 78%) — sagebrush-steppe and bunchgrass on the flats and benches — with a substantial timber band (about 18% forest) of Douglas-fir, lodgepole and aspen on the mountain slopes, alpine tundra above timberline, and willow-lined creek bottoms along Medicine Lodge and its tributaries.

Landmarks: Beaverhead Mountains crest / Continental Divide · Medicine Lodge Creek · Bannock Pass · Reno Point · Crooked Creek · Birch/Crooked Creek divide

Access

Strongly public — over 40% Targhee National Forest in the higher north and nearly 40% BLM sagebrush in the south, with about 15% private mostly along the irrigated creek bottoms. Medicine Lodge Road is the main artery up the middle, with Forest and BLM roads branching to the Divide and into the canyons. The southern flats give easy BLM entry; the high Beaverhead country is remote and roadless in places.

Managers: USFS Caribou-Targhee NF (Dubois RD), BLM Idaho Falls District, Private ranch, Idaho Department of Lands (IDL)

Access points: Medicine Lodge Road · State Highway 22 (south) · Bannock Pass road to the Divide · Targhee NF roads into the Beaverheads · BLM two-tracks on the southern flats

Species notes

Rocky Mountain Elk

common opportunity

IDFG rates this stretch of the Beaverheads as holding high elk numbers. It is a general-season Beaverhead Zone opportunity — success runs modest as with most OTC units, but the elk are here in the timbered high country and canyon heads.

→Hunt the timbered canyon heads and north slopes toward the Divide
→Bugle and cow-call September ridges before the pressure builds
→Glass rangeland-timber edges at dawn and dusk for feeding elk
→Hike well off Medicine Lodge Road into the roadless pockets

Mule Deer

common opportunity

Good mule deer numbers on a general-season tag, using the broken sage-and-timber transition. The biggest bucks live high and remote near the Beaverhead crest; a few whitetails also filter into the creek bottoms.

→Glass the sage-timber edges and aspen fingers at first and last light
→Climb toward the crest for older bucks away from road pressure
→Still-hunt the timbered draws on quiet, damp days
→Late-season storms push deer down to the winter benches

Pronghorn

common opportunity

A controlled-tag pronghorn opportunity on the southern desert flats — tag numbers are relatively generous and success runs lower than the units to the east, so plan on covering ground to find a good buck.

→Road-glass the southern sage flats from high ground
→Be prepared to look over many bucks before committing to a stalk
→Use coulees and rises to close distance in open country
→Hunt near water and green feed in hot, dry early seasons

Black Bear

limited opportunity

Black bears are a limited opportunity tied to the timbered northern slopes; much of the unit is open sage, so bear habitat is a smaller slice of the high country.

→Spring: glass green-up on south-facing Beaverhead slopes and burns
→Fall: check berry brush and aspen pockets in the timber
→Concentrate on the forested north, not the flats
→Watch for cinnamon color-phase bears

Pro tips

→Match your species to the elevation band — antelope on the southern flats, deer in the mid transition, elk and big bucks high toward the Divide
→IDFG flags high elk and deer numbers here, but it is still general-season timber hunting — get off the roads
→A current BLM/Forest ownership layer keeps you legal around the ~15% private in the creek bottoms
→Glass relentlessly — this unit spans desert to above-timberline and rewards optics work
→Carry extra water for early hot-weather hunts on the open sage

Watch out for

!Private ranchland (~15%) concentrates in the irrigated creek bottoms — verify boundaries
!Services thin out fast off Highway 22; fuel up in Dubois or Idaho Falls
!Medicine Lodge and BLM roads turn greasy when wet; high Forest roads drift shut with early snow
!The upper Beaverhead country is steep, rugged and remote — weather turns fast above timberline
!Bannock Pass and crest access can close quickly once the Divide picks up snow

Logistics

Access stages out of Dubois and the State Highway 22 corridor, with Idaho Falls the nearest full-service town for fuel, groceries, lodging and processing. Medicine Lodge Road is the main gravel route north into the unit. Services are minimal once you leave the highway — carry fuel, water and recovery gear, and expect rough two-tracks on the flats and steep Forest roads into the mountains.

Nearest towns: Dubois, Small, Mud Lake, Leadore, Idaho Falls

Nearby units

Unit 59 · 59 (Beaverhead) Unit 58 · 58 (Beaverhead) Unit 63 · 63 (Snake River) Unit 51 · 51 (Lemhi)

Seasons & regulations

This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:

Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 59A · IDFG Hunt Planner — Beaverhead Zone · USFS Caribou-Targhee National Forest

FAQ

How big is Unit 59A in Idaho?: Unit 59A (59A (Beaverhead)) covers about 401 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,400 to 9,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
How much public land is in Unit 59A?: Approximately 84% 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 59A?: Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.

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