Unit 75 75 (Bear River)
The Bear River Zone's timbered-mountain unit above Bear Lake, with the best public access of the group
Southeast Idaho — Bear River Range / Montpelier, Bear Lake-Caribou-Franklin County · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
381
sq mi
Public land
43%
approx.
Elevation
5,900–9,400
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 75 sits at the far southeast corner of Idaho, wrapping the mountains west and south of Montpelier across Bear Lake, Caribou, and Franklin counties. Its boundary runs from Montpelier northwest on U.S. 30 to Highway 34, south past Cleveland Bridge and Maple Grove Hot Springs, and back through Strawberry and Emigration canyons to Ovid and U.S. 89. This is the most heavily forested and most public of the local units — over a third Caribou-Targhee National Forest — draped across the Bear River and Preuss ranges. As the anchor of the Bear River Elk Zone it offers general-season deer and elk with genuine walk-in public country.
Terrain
Timbered mountain ranges and high canyons rising from irrigated valley farmland near Montpelier and Bear Lake. About 37% forest, 22% rangeland, and 26% combined irrigated and dryland agriculture in the valleys.
Cover: Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, aspen, and mountain-mahogany on the Bear River and Preuss range slopes, with sagebrush-grass foothills and irrigated hay/grain bottoms in the Bear Lake and Montpelier valleys.
Landmarks: Bear River Range · Preuss Range · Montpelier Canyon · Strawberry and Emigration canyons · Bear Lake vicinity · Maple Grove Hot Springs / Cleveland Bridge
Access
About 57% private, but the balance is genuinely huntable public: roughly 36% Caribou-Targhee National Forest, plus small BLM and state parcels. The National Forest blankets the Bear River and Preuss range high country, giving this unit the best walk-in access of the local group. Private valley farms wrap the National Forest boundary, so use the canyon roads to reach public timber.
Managers: Caribou-Targhee NF (USFS), BLM, IDL (State of Idaho)
Access points: Montpelier Canyon / U.S. 89 corridor · Strawberry Canyon-Emigration Canyon Road · State Highway 34 toward Cleveland Bridge · Caribou-Targhee NF roads into the Bear River and Preuss ranges
Species notes
Mule Deer
common opportunityGeneral-season mule deer are the mainstay, working the mahogany-and-aspen foothills and timber edges of the Bear River Range. A harvest near 185 with success around 18% is typical for a general timbered-mountain unit.
- →Glass aspen-mahogany foothills and mountain parks at first and last light
- →Still-hunt timbered north slopes and canyon heads where bucks bed
- →Late-season snow pushes deer down the canyons toward valley winter range
- →Use the Forest canyon roads to get above the private valley bottoms
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityThe anchor unit of the Bear River Elk Zone. General-tag elk (harvest around 134, success near 16%) hold in the Caribou-Targhee timber; with over a third of the unit National Forest, this is a legitimate walk-in elk opportunity.
- →Hunt north-slope conifer, aspen benches, and the timbered heads of Montpelier, Strawberry, and Emigration canyons
- →Elk pull deep into public timber under pressure
- →Glass high open parks and burns at daylight before elk bed
- →Bear River-zone tags are capped and sell out — buy early
Moose
limited trophyA small, prized controlled-hunt moose herd uses the willow bottoms, beaver complexes, and aspen draws of the Bear River drainages. Draw-only tags are rare but deliver very high success — a coveted once-in-a-lifetime hunt.
- →Glass willow creek bottoms, beaver ponds, and aspen edges morning and evening
- →Moose favor the wettest riparian brush along the Bear River tributaries and canyon springs
- →If drawn, scout the Forest canyon access early to reach the best bottoms
Pro tips
- →This is the most public of the local units — over a third National Forest — so it rewards hunters who walk in off the canyon roads
- →Use Montpelier, Strawberry, and Emigration canyons to climb above the private valley farms into public timber
- →Buy the capped Bear River-zone elk tag early; general tags sell out
- →Watch high-elevation snow — it can shut canyon roads and end access fast late in the season
- →Glass aspen-mahogany edges at dawn and dusk for feeding mule deer
Watch out for
- !About 57% private land wraps the National Forest — know where the Forest boundary runs before hunting the edges
- !High-elevation snow closes Forest canyon roads and can strand vehicles late in the season
- !Bear Lake area draws heavy fall recreation and hunting pressure near the highways
- !Cell coverage drops off quickly in the canyons
- !Respect irrigated valley farms and ranch boundaries when accessing the Forest
Logistics
Montpelier on U.S. 30/U.S. 89 is the practical base with fuel, lodging, and services; Paris, Ovid, and nearby Bear Lake towns offer smaller stops, and Soda Springs sits to the north. Caribou-Targhee canyon roads reach the public timber but can be rough and snow-prone at elevation — carry recovery gear and chains late in the season.
Nearest towns: Montpelier, Ovid, Bloomington, Paris, Soda Springs
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 75 · IDFG Hunt Planner — Bear River Elk Zone · Caribou-Targhee National Forest (USFS)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 75 in Idaho?
- Unit 75 (75 (Bear River)) covers about 381 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,900 to 9,400 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 75?
- Approximately 43% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Caribou-Targhee NF (USFS), BLM, IDL (State of Idaho). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 75?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 75 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.