Unit 70

Red Mountain and Garns Mountain anchor the northern terrain and serve as useful reference points for orientation. Scout Mountain near Pocatello is easily identified for navigation. The South Fork Snake River forms a major south-side boundary and travel corridor.

Marsh Valley and Arbon Valley are well-known geographic features defining sections of open country. Numerous creeks including Midnight Creek, Indian Creek, and Kinney Creek run through productive drainages. Wild Horse Divide provides a recognizable ridge system.

Horse Lake offers a known water reference point. These landmarks work together to make navigation straightforward across the rolling terrain.

The terrain spans from lower elevation sagebrush and grassland valleys around 4,400 feet to sparse timber-covered slopes reaching above 8,600 feet, with most country in the middle elevations. Habitat transitions from open sage flats and agricultural areas through scattered juniper and mountain mahogany zones into patches of Douglas-fir and aspen on higher slopes. The sparse forest coverage means open glassing country dominates, with timbered drainages and ridge systems providing escape terrain and shade.

This mix of open valleys and scattered forest creates good visibility for hunting while offering cover for wildlife movement.

Over 1,000 miles of roads crisscross the unit, with direct highway access from Pocatello and nearby communities making this accessible terrain that likely sees consistent hunting pressure, particularly during early seasons and weekends. Forest Service roads penetrate most major drainages, allowing vehicle access to multiple staging areas. The connected road network means that some country near roads will draw attention, while more distant drainages accessed by foot offer relief from pressure.

Arbon Valley and Marsh Valley serve as natural gathering points for hunters. Strategic use of less-obvious access roads and early-season commitment can help locate less-pressured terrain.

Unit 70 sits in the foothills immediately southeast of Pocatello, bounded by Interstate 15 to the west and Interstate 86 to the north, with the South Fork Snake River forming the southern boundary. The unit encompasses rolling country between lower elevation valleys and higher ridges, accessing from towns like Pocatello, Inkom, and Blackrock. The landscape transitions from agricultural flatlands to mountain terrain, with several named valleys including Arbon Valley and Marsh Valley defining the geographic structure.

Numerous forest service roads and maintained highways crisscross the area, making orientation and logistics relatively straightforward.

The South Fork Snake River provides the primary water corridor along the southern boundary, with several reliable springs scattered throughout including Fort Hall Spring, Wildcat Spring, and Rock Springs. Midnight Creek, Indian Creek, Kinney Creek, and Marsh Creek run through major drainages and offer consistent water for hunting camps. Numerous smaller springs like Blind Spring, Trail Creek Spring, and Morris Canyon Spring supplement water availability in higher terrain.

While water sources exist, they're not uniformly distributed, making knowledge of specific creek locations and spring sites important for planning multi-day hunts. Early season conditions may affect some smaller springs.

Unit 70 holds white-tailed deer, with suitable habitat across the rolling valleys and timbered slopes. Early season hunting focuses on open sagebrush and grass country where deer feed and water at creek bottoms like Midnight Creek and Marsh Creek drainages. Mid-season requires working the scattered timber patches and aspen thickets where deer escape daytime heat.

Late season concentrates on south-facing slopes and lower elevation valleys as deer migrate to milder country. Glassing open slopes and ridges is effective in the sparse timber landscape, while still-hunting through creek bottoms and canyon draws produces consistent opportunities. Water sources become critical in late season—position camps near reliable springs and seeps to intercept movement.