Unit 64 64 (Palisades)
Farm-to-forest foothill unit off the Big Hole Mountains with a strong river-country moose hunt.
Eastern Idaho — Big Hole Mountains front / Palisades Zone (Bonneville/Madison/Teton County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
358
sq mi
Public land
30%
approx.
Elevation
4,900–8,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 64 runs from the Sugar City–Rexburg farm ground up into the timbered Big Hole Mountains front of the Targhee National Forest, taking in the Kelly Canyon and Heise country northeast of Idaho Falls. Roughly a quarter of the unit is conifer forest and the rest is dryland and irrigated farm ground, giving a classic ag-to-mountain edge that holds deer, elk and moose. It sits in the Palisades Elk Zone, where elk are a general-season opportunity (~15% success on 40-plus animals). A high-success controlled moose hunt in the drainages is the trophy draw, and black bear inhabit the forested upper end.
Terrain
Rises from irrigated valley farmland near Sugar City and the Snake River through sage-and-juniper foothills into the conifer-timbered Big Hole Mountains front, cut by drainages like Moody Creek, Big Burns Creek and Kelly Canyon.
Cover: Dryland and irrigated farm ground on the valley floor; sagebrush, bitterbrush, serviceberry, chokecherry, juniper and mahogany on the foothill slopes; pine, fir and spruce forest across the higher Big Hole country; cottonwood and willow along creeks and the Snake River.
Landmarks: Big Hole Mountains · Kelly Canyon · Heise / South Fork Snake River · Moody Creek · Grandview Point / Table Rock
Access
About 20% Targhee National Forest plus roughly 9% state land make up the core public ground, concentrated in the forested Big Hole Mountains front; the valley two-thirds (~70%) is private farmland. Forest Service roads through Kelly Canyon and the Big Hole drainages give good access to the public timber.
Managers: USFS — Caribou-Targhee (Targhee) National Forest, IDL endowment, BLM, private farm/ranch
Access points: Kelly Canyon–Tablerock Road into the Targhee NF · Lyman-Archer-Heise Road · Moody Creek / Big Burns Creek Forest roads · Heise and Snake River corridor access on the south edge
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityPart of the Palisades Elk Zone, Unit 64 offers general-season elk in the Big Hole timber and foothill edges; success runs around 15% on 40-plus animals — solid general-tag opportunity where elk shift between forest cover and ag ground.
- →Hunt the timber-meadow edges of the Big Hole Mountains at first light
- →Glass foothill benches where forest meets farm ground at dawn and dusk
- →Push higher into Targhee NF drainages as hunting pressure builds
- →Watch for elk raiding valley crops early season, then follow them uphill
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer work the sage-and-juniper foothills and forest edges, producing a modest ~15% success on about 75 deer; bucks favor the brushy transition slopes above the farm ground.
- →Glass bitterbrush and juniper foothill slopes at first and last light
- →Hunt the edge where sage foothills meet the Big Hole timber
- →Watch chokecherry and serviceberry draws feeding onto ag ground
Moose
limited trophyA controlled moose hunt posts a strong ~73% success on about 8 tags in the willow bottoms and forested creek drainages — the unit's best trophy opportunity for those who draw.
- →Draw the controlled tag, then scout willow flats along the creeks and Snake River
- →Glass forested drainage bottoms and beaver-pond willows early and late
- →Work the Moody Creek and Big Hole drainage riparian zones
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear inhabit the forested Big Hole Mountains front; harvest occurs annually in the Targhee timber, with berry-brush draws and forest edges the productive ground.
- →Glass avalanche chutes, burns and berry-brush slopes in the Big Hole timber
- →Hunt serviceberry and chokecherry patches when fruit ripens
- →Focus on forested drainage heads at first and last light
Pro tips
- →Work the ag-to-timber edge of the Big Hole Mountains — that transition holds elk and deer
- →Elk is a general tag here in the Palisades Zone; hunt the public Targhee timber hard
- →Prioritize the controlled moose draw for the unit's best trophy odds
- →Use Kelly Canyon and Big Hole Forest roads to reach public ground above private farms
- →Glass berry-brush and burns for black bear in the forested upper end
Watch out for
- !About 70% private farmland on the valley floor — verify access before hunting
- !Public timber is concentrated up high; know the Targhee NF boundary
- !Early snow can close or rut out the higher Big Hole roads
- !Kelly Canyon sees heavy recreation traffic — expect company near the resort
- !Sort private inholdings along the creeks and Snake River corridor
Logistics
Rexburg and Idaho Falls provide full services, lodging and fuel; Ririe and the Heise/Kelly Canyon area are the closest jumping-off points for the Big Hole front. Targhee NF roads give good access to the public timber, but the productive lower ground is private farmland — sort out access before the season.
Nearest towns: Rexburg, Sugar City, Idaho Falls, Ririe, Heise
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 64 · Caribou-Targhee National Forest — Big Game Hunting
FAQ
- How big is Unit 64 in Idaho?
- Unit 64 (64 (Palisades)) covers about 358 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,900 to 8,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 64?
- Approximately 30% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS — Caribou-Targhee (Targhee) National Forest, IDL endowment, BLM, private farm/ranch. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 64?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, 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 64 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.