Unit 45

Key features for orientation include the Bennett Mountain and Mount Bennett Hills for skyline reference, Burnt Ridge as a ridgeline feature, and the volcanic crater called The Pothole. City of Rocks and Little City of Rocks serve as distinctive geology landmarks in the southern portion. Bennett Creek and Cold Springs Creek are navigable drainages, and several named basins—Teapot Basin, Bennett Creek Basin—help break the country into huntable chunks.

Numerous springs scattered throughout (Rattlesnake, Hot Springs, Lansing Springs) are critical water marks on the map; many reservoirs and water holes provide secondary navigation references.

Terrain spans from roughly 2,400 feet along the river bottoms to around 7,400 feet on the upper benches, though most of the unit sits in the 3,500–5,500 foot band. The landscape is predominantly sagebrush and bunchgrass with scattered juniper and ponderosa on higher knolls and ridges. Lower elevations feature semi-arid flats and volcanic benches; middle zones transition through grassland with increasing tree cover; upper benches support denser timber in pockets like Fir Grove.

Water-dependent vegetation clings to creek bottoms and spring areas, creating ribbons of riparian habitat through otherwise open country.

Over 1,381 miles of roads crisscross the unit—mostly ranch roads, BLM tracks, and lateral canal roads (Y-9, Y-8, Lateral Z-4, etc.). Road density is fair but spread thin across the vast terrain, creating pockets of accessibility alongside roadless stretches. Primary access via U.S. 20, U.S. 26, U.S. 93, and State Highway 46 feeds secondary routes from Mountain Home, Gooding, and Glenns Ferry. The combination of size and road network means pressure concentrates near main corridors and known water holes; backcountry sections away from reservoirs and developed springs see lighter hunting pressure.

Much of the terrain is public (BLM), making open-country hunting and camping viable.

Unit 45 encompasses portions of Camas, Elmore, and Gooding counties in south-central Idaho, anchored by the Snake River corridor from the King Hill Bridge downstream. The unit stretches roughly from Mountain Home and U.S. 20 on the north to the Gooding area on the south, bounded by U.S. 93 to the east and Interstate 84 to the west. This is high-desert transitional country where the volcanic plain meets the edge of the Snake River breaks.

Access towns include Mountain Home, Gooding, Glenns Ferry, and King Hill—practical staging points for hunters working the flats and basins.

Water is the unit's primary constraint. Perennial sources include the Snake River itself, Bennett Creek, Cold Springs Creek, and Ryegrass Creek as main drainages. Scattered springs—Rattlesnake Springs, Hot Springs, Teapot Spring, Lansing Springs—anchor much of the hunting geography, though reliability varies seasonally.

Several reservoirs (Keith, Dog Creek, Mormon, Last Chance) provide stored water in key basins. Lower elevations can be bone-dry away from creeks; hunters must plan routes around known water sources or pack accordingly. During dry periods, water-hole location becomes the limiting factor for coverage.

Elk in Unit 45 migrate vertically with seasons, summering on higher benches and wintering on lower sagebrush ground near water. Early season focuses on scattered herds in timber pockets above 6,000 feet and in riparian corridors. During the rut (September), bulls move across semi-open basins and through Bennett Creek drainages, making glassing and stalking possible from ridges.

Late season concentrates elk on lower flats and along river breaks where winter range predominates. Success depends on water-hole strategy—most herds circle known springs and reservoirs. The high-desert terrain allows long-range glassing; hunters should use Burnt Ridge, Bennett Mountain, and rimrock features as vantage points.

Expect to cover ground; the unit rewards hunters who position for elk movement corridors rather than sitting one drainage.