Unit 75

Sherman Peak and Soda Peak provide reliable glassing points for scanning surrounding country. Red Pine Ridge and Poulsen Ridge run as natural travel corridors with good sightlines. Canyon systems—Williams Canyon, Nelson Canyon, and Water Canyon—funnel hunters toward game and provide logical travel routes.

Several named basins including Moonlight Meadow offer open country for spotting and stalking. The Fife and Alexander reservoirs serve as water and orientation landmarks. Georgetown Summit on the eastern side marks a prominent geographic transition.

These features create a navigable landscape where a hunter can glass effectively, travel deliberately, and orient quickly using natural terrain breaks.

Terrain climbs from around 4,900 feet in valley floors to nearly 9,700 feet on higher ridges, with most hunting occurring in the 6,200-8,000 foot band where rolling forest transitions between sagebrush flats and higher timbered slopes. Lower sections feature open basins and sagebrush parks—North Ant Basin, South Cheatbeck Basin, and The Sinks—interspersed with scattered juniper and aspen. Mid-elevations shift toward ponderosa and Douglas-fir stands with increasing forest density on ridge systems like Red Pine Ridge and Poulsen Ridge.

Higher country transitions to spruce-fir forest and alpine meadows. The moderate forest coverage means open terrain remains accessible and visible from vantage points throughout the unit.

Nearly 788 miles of roads crisscross the unit, creating a well-connected network that allows hunters to access most areas without extreme bushwhacking. Highway access from Soda Springs, Ovid, and other nearby towns is straightforward. Government Dam Road, Hot Springs-Strawberry Canyon Road, Strawberry Canyon-Emigration Canyon Road, and Pebble-Bancroft county roads provide systematic access to different sections.

This connectivity means moderate hunting pressure is likely in accessible drainages, particularly near town approaches and obvious parking areas. However, the rolling terrain complexity provides room to separate from crowds by putting in extra effort beyond the obvious pull-offs. Early season and weekday hunting reward those willing to avoid the main corridors.

Unit 75 straddles Bear Lake, Caribou, and Franklin counties in southeastern Idaho, bounded by Highway 34 on the north near Montpelier and U.S. 30 to the south. The unit follows major drainages—the Blackfoot River system on the north, Portneuf River on the west, and various canyon systems throughout—creating natural orientation markers. State Highway 89 traces the eastern boundary.

The unit's moderate size and central location relative to regional towns makes it accessible hunting country. The boundary configuration roughly encompasses the plateau and foothill country between the Bear Lake valley and the Pocatello area.

The Blackfoot River and Portneuf River form major drainage systems bounding and crossing the unit, providing reliable year-round water. Fife Reservoir, Alexander Reservoir, and Bartlett Lake offer substantial water sources in specific locations. Spring-fed drainages are abundant—Burnt Spring, Willow Flat Spring, Camp Spring, and many others—distributed throughout the ridge and canyon systems.

Meadow Creek, Mill Fork Eightmile Creek, Pearl Creek, and Ninemile Creek provide seasonal to year-round flow depending on location and timing. Lower basins and flats can dry out mid-season, making understanding water location critical for success. The scattered spring system means water isn't concentrated in a few locations, benefiting hunters willing to explore different drainages.

Unit 75 holds potential for multiple big game species across elevation zones. Lower sagebrush basins support pronghorn and deer hunting in early season. Mid-elevation ridges and forest transitions concentrate elk and mule deer, particularly during transition periods when animals move between seasonal ranges.

Higher forest country attracts elk during peak rut and provides late-season opportunity as snow pushes game downslope. The abundance of springs and drainages means water-focused hunting works effectively; glassing from ridge systems toward canyon bottoms during early morning and evening hours matches the rolling terrain layout. Archery hunters benefit from canyon proximity and thermal wind patterns funneling game predictably.

The moderate road density allows staged hunting—camp centrally and hunt different drainages methodically rather than chasing roads.