Unit 7 7 (Panhandle)
The St. Joe River breaks and Bitterroot ridgelines — whitetails in the timber, a strong bear unit, and once-in-a-lifetime goat and moose tags on the Montana divide.
Idaho Panhandle — Shoshone County (St. Joe River / Bitterroot divide) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
573
sq mi
Public land
75%
approx.
Elevation
2,200–7,300
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 7 rides the Bitterroot Mountains along the Idaho-Montana line in southern Shoshone County, with the Wild and Scenic St. Joe River bisecting it from southeast to northwest and dropping some 2,500 feet from the high divide down toward Avery. North and east of the river the country is almost entirely St. Joe (Idaho Panhandle) National Forest; south and west it is a checkerboard of public and private timberland. This is northern Idaho timber-hunting: whitetails are the bread-and-butter deer, black bears are abundant with strong harvest, elk are a general Panhandle Zone opportunity in thick cover, and the high peaks along the Montana divide hold coveted controlled moose and mountain goat tags.
Terrain
Steep, heavily timbered river-break country: the St. Joe River corridor at the bottom climbs abruptly to sharp ridgelines and peaks exceeding 7,300 feet along the Bitterroot divide with Montana.
Cover: Dense mixed conifer — cedar, hemlock, grand fir and larch on the wet lower slopes giving way to subalpine fir, brushfields and huckleberry higher up, with old clearcuts and burns scattered through the timber.
Landmarks: St. Joe Wild and Scenic River · Avery · Moon Pass · Bitterroot Divide (Montana state line) · St. Joe National Forest · Fishhook Creek
Access
The north-and-east half is essentially all St. Joe National Forest with a dense logging-road network; the south-and-west half is checkerboarded public and private timber, so verify ownership before crossing sections. Full-size trucks handle the main roads while primitive spurs are ATV/motorcycle-only or gated closed.
Managers: USFS Idaho Panhandle (St. Joe) NF, Private industrial timber, Idaho Department of Lands (IDL)
Access points: St. Joe River Rd (from St. Maries/Avery) · Moon Pass Rd · Red Ives / upper St. Joe · Fishhook Creek Rd · Forest Rd network north of Avery
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityThe everyday deer of Unit 7 — whitetails work the river bottoms, timber edges and old cuts on a long general season, though overall harvest is modest in this steep timbered country.
- →Hunt logging-cut edges and river-bottom benches at first and last light
- →Rattle and grunt during the November rut
- →Still-hunt cedar draws and old burns on quiet, wet days
- →Cut fresh tracks on skiff-snow mornings and follow into bedding cover
Mule Deer
limited opportunityA minority deer here, holding to the higher, more open ridges and brushfields near the divide away from the whitetail bottoms; numbers are thin but bucks can be good.
- →Climb above the timber onto open subalpine ridges
- →Glass burns and brushfields at dawn
- →Be ready to cover ground — muleys are scattered along the high country
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityA general-season elk opportunity in the Panhandle Zone with the modest success typical of northern Idaho's thick, over-the-counter timber — the elk are here but well hidden.
- →Bugle and cow-call the timbered ridges in September
- →Cut sign on logging roads then push into the dark timber
- →Hunt old burns and cut edges where feed regenerates
- →Get away from road-hunter pressure into remote drainages
Black Bear
abundant qualityOne of the stronger black bear units around, with heavy harvest and both spring and fall opportunity across the berry-rich Bitterroot slopes.
- →Spring: glass green-up avalanche chutes and logging roads
- →Fall: hunt huckleberry and mountain-ash brushfields
- →Watch for color-phase cinnamon and blonde bears
- →Cover the open cuts and burns where bears feed at dawn and dusk
Moose
limited qualityA controlled once-in-a-lifetime Idaho moose tag with solid success — Shiras bulls hold in the willow bottoms and wet timber of the St. Joe drainage.
- →Glass willow and creek-bottom browse morning and evening
- →Check wet meadows and beaver ponds along tributaries
- →Scout early and pattern bulls on limited feed
- →Hunt slow and selective — this is a lifetime tag
Mountain Goat
limited trophyA rare, coveted controlled goat tag on the rugged peaks and cliffs along the Montana divide — very few tags and a true once-in-a-lifetime northern Idaho hunt.
- →Glass the highest cliff bands and rock along the Bitterroot divide
- →Plan a backpack hunt into remote goat terrain near the state line
- →Judge nannies from billies carefully before committing
- →Expect steep, dangerous rock — prioritize safe shot and recovery
Pro tips
- →Whitetails are the realistic deer target; muleys are a high-ridge bonus near the divide
- →This is a genuinely strong bear unit — plan a dedicated spring or fall bear hunt around berry and green-up cover
- →Sort the southwest checkerboard of private timber from Forest land on your GPS before you cross a line
- →Goat and moose are controlled once-in-a-lifetime draws — apply, don't expect to buy over the counter
- →Skiff snow is your friend for tracking whitetails in this thick timber
- →This is grizzly-adjacent Panhandle country — know your bear before you shoot
Watch out for
- !Checkerboard private industrial timber south and west of the St. Joe — verify ownership
- !Steep, dangerous rock in the high goat country along the Montana divide
- !Early snow closes upper Forest roads fast
- !Gated and ATV-only primitive spurs limit motorized access in places
Logistics
Avery is a tiny river outpost with limited services; stock up in St. Maries, Kellogg or Wallace off I-90 for fuel, groceries and lodging. Steep timber and long gravel Forest roads mean slow travel — carry chains, recovery gear and expect early snow to close upper spurs.
Nearest towns: Avery, St. Maries, Wallace, Kellogg
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: Unit 7 — IDFG Hunt Planner · Idaho Unit 7 Profile — GOHUNT · Panhandle Moose Hunt Area 7 — Idaho Fish and Game
FAQ
- How big is Unit 7 in Idaho?
- Unit 7 (7 (Panhandle)) covers about 573 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,200 to 7,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 7?
- Approximately 75% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Idaho Panhandle (St. Joe) NF, Private industrial timber, Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 7?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear, Moose, Mountain Goat. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 7 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.