Unit 72 72 (Bannock)
Rangeland and reservoir country above the Blackfoot River — foothill elk and mule deer on a private-heavy checkerboard
Southeast Idaho — Blackfoot River / Chesterfield country, Bingham/Caribou County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
418
sq mi
Public land
31%
approx.
Elevation
4,500–7,200
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 72 sits between the Blackfoot River and Reservoir on the north and the Chesterfield-Bancroft country on the south, spanning parts of Bingham and Caribou counties. It is a low, open unit — nearly half rangeland and half dryland agriculture, with essentially no National Forest inside its lines. Elk do well here in the foothills and ag ground, and mule deer work the sage and farm edges. Moose along the willow-lined river bottoms are a high-success controlled prize.
Terrain
Rolling sagebrush rangeland and dryland wheat benches broken by the Blackfoot River and Reservoir corridor and by Chesterfield Reservoir. Low relief overall with scattered rocky knobs and lava rims rather than a big timbered range.
Cover: Sagebrush-grass rangeland and dryland wheat dominate, with willow and cottonwood riparian along the Blackfoot River and irrigated ag in the bottoms. Very little conifer forest.
Landmarks: Blackfoot River and Reservoir · Chesterfield Reservoir · Portneuf River (west boundary) · Bancroft · State Highway 34
Access
There is no National Forest in Unit 72 — public ground is State of Idaho endowment land (about a fifth of the unit) and scattered BLM, laid out in a checkerboard among dominant private ranch and farm land. The northern edge touches the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, closed to non-tribal hunters. Gaining permission on private is often the difference-maker.
Managers: IDL, BLM
Access points: Blackfoot River / Blackfoot Reservoir road corridors · Chesterfield Reservoir area · State Highway 34 corridor · Government Dam / Fort Hall Road
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityElk thrive on the foothill-and-ag mosaic here and this unit produces solid harvest for the region. They shelter in rangeland breaks and rocky pockets and feed on farm ground.
- →Glass sage breaks, coulees and rock rims at first light where elk bed away from farms
- →Pattern elk moving between ag feed and rangeland cover morning and evening
- →Work the seams between State ground and private where herds cross
- →Secure private permission — much of the best elk feed is on farmland
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer use the sagebrush rangeland, rock outcrops and dryland ag edges throughout the unit, concentrating near cover and water.
- →Glass sage draws, rimrock and mahogany pockets at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt the edge where wheat stubble meets rangeland cover
- →Focus on the roughest, brushiest ground where bucks escape open-country pressure
- →Water sources and ag margins concentrate deer in dry early fall
Black Bear
transient lowBlack bears are only occasional in this open rangeland unit, drifting through riparian and brushy stringers; harvest is negligible.
- →Check chokecherry and service-berry draws and river-bottom brush
- →Do not plan a trip around bears here — treat any encounter as a bonus
Moose
limited qualityA very high-success once-in-a-lifetime controlled tag. Moose key on the willow and cottonwood bottoms of the Blackfoot River and reservoir margins.
- →If drawn, scout willow-lined river and reservoir bottoms before the season
- →Glass riparian corridors and beaver-pond willows at dawn and dusk
- →Bulls are patternable in this open country — pre-season legwork makes this near a sure thing
Pro tips
- →There is no National Forest here — public hunting means State endowment and BLM checkerboard, so a good ownership map is essential
- →Elk are the standout opportunity in this unit; glass the ag-and-rangeland edges where they feed
- →Much of the best ground is private farm and ranch land — knock on doors well before the season
- →Avoid the Fort Hall Reservation edge on the north — it is closed to non-tribal hunters
- →A drawn moose tag along the Blackfoot River bottoms is nearly a guaranteed success — scout the willows early
Watch out for
- !Over half the unit is private — trespass risk is high in this checkerboard, verify boundaries
- !The Fort Hall Indian Reservation borders the north end and is closed to non-tribal hunting
- !Open rangeland two-tracks become impassable mud after storms
- !Little public timber or backcountry — this is not a walk-in wilderness unit
Logistics
Bancroft and the small farm towns along Highway 34 offer basic fuel and supplies; Soda Springs and Blackfoot are the nearest larger service points, with Pocatello the full-service hub within an hour. Open country and a good road grid make travel easy, but many roads cross private, so map ownership carefully and line up permission ahead of time.
Nearest towns: Bancroft, Chesterfield, Blackfoot, Soda Springs, Pocatello
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 72 · BLM Idaho — Hunting and Recreation
FAQ
- How big is Unit 72 in Idaho?
- Unit 72 (72 (Bannock)) covers about 418 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,500 to 7,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 72?
- Approximately 31% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: IDL, BLM. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 72?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Moose. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 72 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.