This is a great area of the state to hunt moose. Mount Spokane State Park is the dominant terrain feature in this area and towers thousands of feet over the surrounding agriculture that surrounds the city of Spokane. Access is very limited in this unit, and you will need to plan on gaining some sort of private access, be it smaller tracts of land owned by farmers and ranchers, or the large pieces owned by different lumber companies in the area. A DIY hunt is not entirely out of the question for this unit, but if you are not a serious backcountry hunter, and aren’t prepared to pack a moose out on your back, you may want to consider another unit, as much of the access is walk-in only.

Inland Empire Paper Company is the main landholder in the area, gaining access to their properties should be your top priority once you have drawn this permit. Rules and regulations while you are hunting on these properties can be found on their websites or by calling ahead to get a better understanding of what is expected and allowed when gaining access.

This unit is made up of large amounts of agriculture and timber company property, and of course the Mount Spokane State Park in the northeastern region of the unit. Expect milder hiking conditions on rolling hills covered in red-brush and different conifer species. The higher elevations tend to consist of dense timber with clear cuts scattered throughout. Brickel and Fish Creek on the east side of Mount Spokane State Park, and Thompson Creek, north of Newman Lake, have some of the highest moose densities on the unit. That being said, moose are regularly found in Orchard Bluff, Green Bluff, Peone Prairie, Pleasant Prairie, and Newman Lake. Access is very limited in these areas and permission to hunt private property is required. During the rut, you may see bulls traveling through the agricultural areas, but this is not typical as they tend to stay on or closer to the mountains for the majority of the year. Using the timber company roads to navigate the unit can save you from hiking as much and is a fun way to sneak and peek into the different drainages and clear cuts.

Access will very much depend on where you obtain permission to hunt and what areas will be available to you. Working with the landowners whether they are homesteaders or lumber companies will very much depict where you will be accessing the area.

The vegetation varies greatly in this unit as there is a large amount of land being used for agriculture throughout the lower elevations of the unit, especially on the western side towards Hwy 2 and leading into Spokane. In higher elevations, the vegetation is primarily different species of pine, ranging from ponderosa pine and douglas fir on drier sites to western red cedar, western hemlock, and western white pine. The forest also has a large amount of lodgepole pine and the incredible western larch. There are many areas that have little to no ground cover, and what is there is often very low profile, creating some fantastic opportunities at locating game on both north and east facing slopes. Creek beds, river bottoms, and marshy areas are scattered across the more mountainous areas and are lined with willows and varieties of grass.

There are multiple hotel accommodations near Mt. Spokane State Park if you are looking for a bed and a shower during your hunt. If you need a proper grocery store you will need to look towards Milan, Washington or Blanchard, Idaho as these are the two closest entities to the park. Camping is very limited and although there are numerous locations on the state park for camping, they are oftentimes shut down on September 15th of each year.