Unit 73

The Malad Range and Bannock Range form the unit's main ridge systems, offering elevated glassing platforms and navigation anchors. Weston Peak, Elkhorn Mountain, and Oxford Peak stand as recognizable summits for orientation. Major valley systems include the Pocatello Valley, Curlew Valley, and Clifton Basin—primary staging areas and travel corridors.

Malad Pass and Jensen Pass provide gateway transitions between basins. Key springs (Pleasantview Warm Springs, Pettit Spring, Mud Spring) mark reliable water and often concentrate deer movement. Samaria Lake and Swan Lake, along with several small reservoirs (Hawkins, Devil Creek, Saint Johns), provide tactical landmarks and water sources.

Standing Rock pillar near Malad offers a distinctive navigation reference.

Terrain ranges from approximately 4,300 feet in the low basins to over 9,200 feet on high ridges, though the median sits around 5,400 feet—indicating most huntable ground clusters in the lower valleys. Sagebrush flats and grassland basins dominate lower elevations, interspersed with low-growing juniper and Douglas-fir on north-facing slopes. Mid-elevation draws support scattered aspen, mahogany, and conifer patches.

The upper ridges feature denser timber but represent a small portion of the unit. Sparse forest coverage across the unit means open country dominates—visibility is strong but thermals and wind can challenge stalking. Snow is generally minimal until high ridges, making late-season access feasible in lower areas.

Two thousand miles of roads provide substantial access, though the dense road network masks the real constraint: private land fragmentation. Major valleys have well-maintained roads; ridge access is more limited and often gated. Highway 91, 30, and 34 provide commercial corridors but don't cross the hunting unit directly.

Arimo, Soda Springs, and Pocatello serve as primary staging towns. Road density suggests high accessibility on paper, but private ownership and locked gates significantly limit practical access. Early season and opening weekends draw substantial pressure along accessible public parcels.

Mid-season and late season offer quieter hunting once pressure concentrates on easement areas. Smart hunters invest time mapping accessible public ground and understanding landownership before the season.

Unit 73 encompasses portions of four southeastern Idaho counties, stretching from the Utah border north to the Wyoming line. The western edge follows Arbon Valley Highway and State Highway 37, while eastern boundaries track the Idaho-Wyoming border and Mink Creek drainage. Major reference points include Soda Springs, Pocatello, and Malad City.

The unit spans roughly 75 miles north-south and 50 miles east-west, making it geographically vast but fragmented by private holdings. This is the transition zone between the Great Basin's high desert and Idaho's upper intermountain valleys—ranching and farming country with scattered public parcels and significant private control.

Water is the limiting factor across this unit. Perennial streams including Rock Creek, Elk Creek, and Reese Creek drainages provide reliable water in their immediate channels, but much of the unit lacks consistent surface water. Springs are scattered—Pleasantview Warm Springs, Pettit Spring, Co-op Spring, and Hawkins Spring anchor local deer movement patterns.

Multiple small reservoirs (Billy Snipe, Curlew Valley, Daniels, Weston Creek, Devil Creek) hold water seasonally but vary in accessibility due to private land. Fall and winter water sources shrink significantly, making spring-fed areas critical late-season. Understand that many drainages run intermittently; pre-season scouting of water is essential.

Early season requires finding remaining seep areas; late season concentrates hunting near reliable springs and larger reservoirs.

White-tailed deer are the primary target, using sagebrush draws and scattered timber patches for cover and water sources as travel corridors. Early season tactics focus on water holes and shaded draws—thermal relief in sagebrush country drives deer to shade. Rut activity in mid-season can pull bucks from thick cover into open sagebrush during low light.

Late season concentrates deer near reliable water and south-facing slopes for warmth. The sparse forest and open sagebrush favor glassing and stalking over driving. Elevation changes are moderate, so early morning and late evening glassing from ridges reveals movement to accessible water.

Hunt transitions between sagebrush basins and sparse timber, where deer feed and bed. Success depends on locating private easements with public access, understanding seasonal water availability, and hunting the morning/evening windows when deer move between bedding and feeding areas.