This unit is located in the northeastern portion of the state, with its western border following the Columbia River from the Canadian border south to Northport where it intersects the Aladdin Hwy and heads south to Colville. From Colville, you will head east, and eventually north, across Hwy 20 until you reach the Pend Oreille River where you will again head north back to the Canadian border. The majority of this unit is Colville National Forest with very good access across most areas. There is also some state land and timber company property in this unit. Most timber companies provide access with their own set of rules and regulations that must be adhered to while you are on their property, these rules can be accessed on their website or can be provided to you over the phone. Expect mild conditions across a majority 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 other than the many clear cuts, locating game in these areas is more difficult. The bulk of the moose in this unit tend to be on the south end and eastern side of the unit on the banks of the Pend Oreille River. However, a big bull could come out of anywhere in this unit; hunters have had success even in the most northern parts of the unit along the Canadian border. Overall, there is not an overwhelming population of moose in this unit and hunters shouldn’t expect to be seeing lots of moose each day.

There was an unusual, large scale outbreak of Bluetongue in the late summer of 2015. Although this outbreak seemed short lived as there were no reports in 2016 or 2017, this along with a large amount of predator activity continues to have an impact on all ungulate herds in this region of the state.

Elevations range from less than 1,300 feet on the banks of the Columbia River to the north, and the Pend Oreille River on the far eastern boundary, and climb to over 7,300 feet on the Abercrombie Mountain, the highest peak in the unit. You can expect lots of very broken country as you leave the rivers and scattered valleys and continue to gradually gain elevation as you head east and southeast into the Colville National Forest. The majority of the unit is covered in sparse hills leading into large tracts of conifer timber. You will find a large number of clear cuts in the denser parts of the forest, which can make for great calling locations in early October.

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, making for some fantastic opportunities at locating game. Creek beds, river bottoms, and marshes are scattered across the unit and are lined with willows and varieties of grass.

South Fork Mill Creek is a main drag in the unit, located off of the Aladdin Hwy on the western border of the unit, and off of Hwy 20 in between Sherry and Gillette Lake. When accessing from the Aladdin Hwy headed east, you can also fork left onto the Middle Fork Mill Creek which will take you a little further north into the forest before it heads east again. There are extensive less maintained roads along both of these routes allowing access into many of the areas listed in the unit. If you are looking for some more remote areas to hunt, the northern portion of this unit has more of this than the south. Using old logging roads will allow quick access into many parts of the unit with less physical effort on your part. There are many different trail systems across the unit, but the Little Pend Oreille ORV trail, at the southern end where there tend to be denser populations of moose, is the most extensive trail, covering many miles and linking into other trail systems along the way. The most northern access to this trailhead is off of Hwy 20 at the Frater Lake Campground area. The highest peak in this unit is also located in the northeastern portion of this unit; Abercrombie Mountain tops out at over 7,300 feet and its bald summit can be seen for miles in each direction. The summit can be reached by hiking along the famous Pacific Northwest trail.

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. Aladdin Road heads north out of this town and puts you approximately 10 miles from some of the main access roads into the forest. There are no National Forest camping sites along the Aladdin Road, but camping is allowed in the forest. Check with the USFS for fire restrictions, and closures before your trip. If you head east out of Colville there are a number of camping locations scattered down Hwy 20 like the Flodelle and Lake Thomas Campgrounds. If you are looking for a more remote place, Little Twin Lakes Campground and Big Meadow Lake Campground are established camping locations a little further off the beaten path.