This relatively large unit shares the Spokane River with the Colville and Spokane Reservations. It runs a bit over 50 miles east to west on a straight line from Road 231 to Road 174. The largest tract of BLM is in the south central portion along Road 2 in the Bachelor Prairie region, which consists of more open, native grass ground dotted with pothole ponds. Rugged river breaks form the northern boundary along the river and these deep, timbered bushy cuts traditionally offer the best mule deer country as elevations drop around 1,000-ft to the water in a half-mile, providing excellent escape routes and cover. Much of this scenic country has been developed into single-family residential housing and rural properties thus utilizing key deer habitat and limiting hunting opportunity, unfortunately. Meeker Mountain, between Kaufman Canyon and Speigle Canyon, is a high point in the unit at 2,638-ft and overlooks Lake Roosevelt. This river break country features deep cuts heavily brushed with the flatter tops, all grazed, farmed and/or cut for hay. There are a few sections of BLM and state land scattered around that will get you out hunting. As this country levels off, farming increases drastically.

Private land is getting harder to secure in this area due to past trespassing issues. Using a boat will be helpful in navigating the north shore and canyons of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.

The bulk of the unit is heavily farmed for hay, canola, barley and grass seed. There are numerous contour lines formed by small to large creeks and deep coulees dropping off to the river below, all crowned with open flat-topped buttes and ridges. These cuts offer the thickest terrain, forage and cover for wildlife and vary in degree of being choked by buckbrush, sage and pine trees. The large, flatter regions to the south don’t drain well and have multiple little lakes and ponds scattered throughout. Some of the best deer habitat has been developed into residential homes.

Access throughout most of the unit is tough, with private lands typically offering more success.

The majority of this unit is dryland and irrigated farms, with crops ranging from hay, canola, barley and grass seed. There have been some wildfires over the past several years, one of the most recent being Angel Springs Fire in 2018 which burnt several sections of BLM and DNR land. Numerous small little cuts offer a variety of browse, berries and hips for the wildlife. Deeper cuts with a north face offer the most amount of pine trees and the darkest, most protective bedding cover.

Various campgrounds are located along Roosevelt Lake. However, if you are more interested in a bed and a shower, and would like to be closer to gas stations, restaurants, and a grocery store, your best options will be B&B’s, hotels and motels in Grand Coulee, Davenport and the small town of Wilbur.