Unit 8A 8A (Palouse)
Where the Palouse wheat meets big timber — one of Idaho's top general whitetail units.
North-Central Idaho — Palouse Timber Fringe; Benewah, Latah, Clearwater & Nez Perce Counties (Clearwater Region) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
725
sq mi
Public land
39%
approx.
Elevation
1,500–4,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
Unit 8A wraps the transition zone east of Moscow where the open Palouse farm hills give way to the timbered country around Bovill, Deary and Elk River, reaching the North Fork Clearwater and Dworshak Reservoir on its southern boundary. Unlike its wide-open neighbor Unit 8, roughly 40% of 8A is public — a mix of Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest and Idaho Department of Lands endowment timber — making it far more accessible. It is an excellent general over-the-counter whitetail unit with heavy harvest, layered over a general Palouse Zone elk opportunity, strong black bear numbers in the timber, and a rare once-in-a-lifetime Shiras moose tag.
Terrain
A farm-to-forest gradient rising from the Potlatch and North Fork Clearwater bottoms near 1,500 ft, through rolling Palouse hills, into timbered ridges and plateaus around Bovill and Elk River approaching 4,500 ft.
Cover: Dryland grain fields and CRP on the western hills grading into a mosaic of grand fir, Douglas-fir and cedar, extensive industrial-timber clearcuts, plantations and brushy logging edges — prime whitetail edge habitat — with riparian brush along the reservoir arms and creeks.
Landmarks: Dworshak Reservoir · North Fork Clearwater River · Potlatch River · Bovill / Elk River timber country · Moscow Mountain
Access
Much better public access than Unit 8: National Forest lands lie north and east, IDL endowment timber is scattered throughout, and IDFG holds day-use agreements with some timber companies. Industrial private timber is a large share and may be gated or permit-controlled. Corps of Engineers land rings Dworshak Reservoir, and boat access opens quiet reservoir-arm ridges.
Managers: Private (incl. industrial timber, ~60%), USFS Nez Perce-Clearwater NF (~27%), Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) endowment (~12%), US Army Corps of Engineers (Dworshak Reservoir), Nez Perce Tribe / BIA (minor)
Access points: Deary / Bovill (Hwy 8) · Elk River (Hwy 8 end) · Ahsahka & Dworshak Reservoir boat launches · Potlatch / Princeton (Hwy 6) · USFS and IDL logging-road grids
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
abundant qualityThe strength of 8A — a heavily harvested general over-the-counter whitetail unit. The farm-timber-clearcut mosaic grows deer in numbers, and the substantial public and day-use timber ground makes them reachable.
- →Hunt clearcut, plantation and grain-field edges at dawn and dusk
- →Rattle and grunt the November rut for mature bucks
- →Use tracking snow to still-hunt cedar and fir draws
- →Boat Dworshak arms to reach lightly hunted ridges
Mule Deer
limited opportunityA bonus rather than a target; mule deer appear on the more open western hills and dry breaks. Know your deer — whitetail and mule tags differ and the two overlap here.
- →Glass open hill faces and breaks early
- →Hunt the drier, more open western ground
- →Identify species carefully before the shot
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityA general Palouse Zone elk opportunity with modest success. Elk work between crop fields and the timbered north and east; getting off the road grid into cover improves odds on mature bulls.
- →Push into the timbered north and east off the National Forest and IDL ground
- →Bugle and cow-call September ridges away from traffic
- →Glass field-timber edges at first light
- →Boat the reservoir to reach quieter drainages
Black Bear
common qualitySolid black bear numbers in the timbered eastern half — clearcuts, green logging roads and berry fields concentrate bears in spring and fall.
- →Spring: glass green-up on south slopes and logging roads
- →Fall: hunt huckleberry and mountain-ash brush fields
- →Watch for color-phase bears
- →Cover ground by truck between glassing points on the road grid
Moose
limited trophyA rare once-in-a-lifetime Shiras moose controlled tag with very high success for the few who draw. Bulls hold in willow bottoms and the brushy reservoir arms.
- →If drawn, scout creek willows and reservoir-arm wetlands early
- →Glass riparian edges at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt slow through brushy bottoms where bulls hold
- →Expect a long point wait for the tag
Pro tips
- →This is a whitetail-first unit — build the trip around the November rut and edge habitat
- →Use the substantial public and day-use timber ground that sets 8A apart from Unit 8
- →A boat on Dworshak Reservoir reaches quieter, less-pressured ridges
- →Confirm industrial-timber access rules — some blocks are gated or permit-only
- →Know your deer — whitetail and mule deer overlap and tags differ
Watch out for
- !Roughly 60% private, including gated industrial timber — verify access before hunting
- !Corps of Engineers rules apply around Dworshak Reservoir
- !Late-season snow can close higher logging roads
- !Muddy loess field roads after rain on the western hills
- !Wolves are present and occasionally taken incidentally
Logistics
Moscow (US-95) is the full-service hub for fuel, lodging, groceries and processing; Deary, Bovill and Elk River offer closer small-town fuel and basics, and Ahsahka provides Dworshak Reservoir boat access. A dense grid of Forest, IDL and private timber roads reaches most of the unit — many are gated seasonally or by timber companies.
Nearest towns: Moscow, Deary, Bovill, Elk River, Potlatch
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: IDFG Hunt Planner — Unit 8A · IDFG Hunt Planner — Palouse Elk Zone · USFS Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests
FAQ
- How big is Unit 8A in Idaho?
- Unit 8A (8A (Palouse)) covers about 725 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,500 to 4,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 8A?
- Approximately 39% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: Private (incl. industrial timber, ~60%), USFS Nez Perce-Clearwater NF (~27%), Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) endowment (~12%), US Army Corps of Engineers (Dworshak Reservoir), Nez Perce Tribe / BIA (minor). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 8A?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, 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 8A on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.