Unit 6 in Idaho's Panhandle zone is heavily pressured by hunters due to its proximity to dense human populations, particularly impacting the archery elk season where 772 hunters per unit contribute to noticeable competition. This unit has seen a decline in elk quality over the past five years, correlating with increased local residency, making successful encounters with quality bulls more challenging. For those interested in spring bear hunting, spot and stalk tactics remain viable in the national forest areas within this unit. Hunters should be aware that Idaho's harvest data for archery licenses does not differentiate between 'A' and 'B' tags, thus affecting the clarity of these statistics.
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 140"-160" | 160"+ |
| Whitetail Deer | 120"-140" | 140"+ |
| Elk | Raghorn-270" | 280"+ |
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Southeast of Coeur d’Alene Lake, this unit is a popular place for elk and deer hunters, but produces more whitetails than mule deer.
A lot of roads, a good number of elk and a large amount of public land make this a popular destination for elk and deer hunters with most tags are sold over-the-counter.
Mostly in the St. Joe and St. Marie’s river drainages, this unit is spread over parts of five counties and includes parts of the Hoodoo, St. Joe and Clearwater Mountains. Terrain here is moderately steep. Most high points are on the eastern, southern and northern boundaries of this area. This unit has better big game habitat than much of the Idaho Panhandle because it has been heavily logged, and hundreds of old clearcuts are in various stages of regrowth, with a lot of them have large amounts of grass, browse and forbs that make good feed for deer, elk and moose.
The western half of this unit is largely private with many BLM and state parcels, while the eastern half is mostly in the St. Joe National Forest but still includes a lot of private land. Elk, mule deer and whitetail can be hunted on St. Maries State Wildlife Management Area, which is about five miles south of the town of St. Maries.
Roads lead to many hunting sites on public land. A few canyons are roadless, but it’s hard to get more than a couple of miles from a road, ATV trail or motorcycle trail. Some good roads for accessing Forest Service lands are Saint Joe River Road out of St. Maries, Idaho Route 3 southeast of St. Maries, Forest Roads 321 and 301 near the mouth of the Middle Fork of the St. Maries River. These roads lead to a network of backcountry roads.
Dense forests used to cover most of the mountains, but extensive logging has created countless edges between cover and feed with saplings, brush, grass and forbs growing in old clearcuts. The forests are mainly timbered by pines, cedars and firs. Willows, alders, birches, aspen saplings, berry bushes and wild grasses grow in openings.
Hunters can camp along roads in the national forest. Emerald Creek Campground near Fernwood has 18 campsites. Shadowy St. Joe Campground is 10 miles east of St. Maries and can accommodate RVs.
Lodging options in St. Maries:
Roughly 1,053 square miles
55.5% public land
Elevations from 2,200-5,800 feet
Birch Tree Bed & Breakfast
Pines Motel
Fort Hemenway Manor
River Front Suites