This unit is located in the northeast portion of the state, with a western border that follows Hwy 395 South from Colville to Deer Park, east to Hwy 2, north to Newport, and then follows the Pend Oreille River to Hwy 20 where it cuts back west to Colville. The major terrain feature of this unit is the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge that sits just south of Hwy 20 in the more northern region of the unit. This nearly 40,000-acre refuge is perfect moose habitat; with some of the most dense moose populations in the state, it doesn’t take long to see why this ideal habitat is home to some of the best bulls Washington has to offer. When you draw a moose tag in Washington, you should be focusing your efforts on drawing one of the bull seasons this unit has to offer.

Expect mild conditions across much of the unit, with sparse pines in the lower elevations making it much easier to glass effectively. The higher elevations tend to get progressively denser, and outside of the many clear cuts, locating game in these areas is more difficult.

You can expect elevations starting at less than 1,300 feet in the Colville Valley on the western side of the unit with a gradual climb in terrain from there up to over 6,800 feet on the Calispell Mountain, towering over the entire area. There is very little elevation change in the southernmost parts of this unit, but as you move towards the northern border you will find mild elevation changes on very broken terrain eventually leading to the peak of the Calispell Mountain before it drops back off into the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and Scrabblers Flat off of Hwy 20.

The vegetation in the forest is mostly 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, making for some fantastic opportunities to locate game. If you are on the refuge, you can expect more marsh conditions scattered across the area, with swamp grass, and lots of willows winding through strips and islands of higher ground back in the timber.

Around the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, there are multiple access areas along Hwy 20 as you head east out of Colville. The unit is on the south side of the road and main access begins as early as 15 miles from town. The Starvation Lake Road links up with the Blacktail Mountain Road, which will take you deep into the forest as you head east. If you would like to come in from below the refuge, look for the Sand Canyon Road coming off of Hwy 395, just north of Chewelah, which will take you into Iron Mountain and the southern edges of the refuge.

Colville is the largest town in the area with a population of approximately 5,000 people. Considering it is the main hub for the surrounding area, it serves closer to 30,000 people and has all the amenities you would expect of a town serving a populous this large. There are multiple hotels available year round as well as a Walmart and a sporting goods store if you need any last minute gear or supplies. If you head east out of Colville, there are lots of camping locations scattered down Hwy 20, like the Flodelle and Lake Thomas Campgrounds. If you are looking for something a little more remote, both Bayley Lake Campground and Hidden Meadow Campground are established camping locations located a little further off of the beaten path on the south side of the refuge.