At a Glance
Quick Tips
- Bring a shotgun for hunting grouse, pheasant and waterfowl
- Fishing is excellent after good water years in Chesterfield Reservoir
- Portneuf River has trout fishing
Terrain
Access
Historical Temperatures
High
Low
High
Low
This unit includes the Portneuf Range north of Lava Hot Springs, the Pocatello Range east of Pocatello and part of the Chesterfield Mountains.
Tags are easier to draw for this unit than for most other moose areas in the Intermountain West, but getting a bull can still be difficult. Moose typically live on a mixture of public and private land here, but private and tribal land can block access to public areas.
This hunting area includes most of the Portneuf Range, south of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and part of the Pocatello Range, including a lot of cattle ranges and farm lands. Marsh Valley has some streams, such as the Portneuf River, along with some marshy areas where moose can sometimes be found. The lower foothills are mostly dry farms and Conservation Reserve Program fields. Most moose cover is on northern exposures.
Most of the Portneuf Range is in the Caribou National Forest, but access is limited by private land that borders the forest. Some roads that lead into the forest are the Inman Creek Road northeast of Inkom, Green Canyon Road southeast of Inkom, Wood River Road north of Pebble, Pebble Creek Road west of Pebble, and Toponce Creek Road southeast of Chesterfield Reservoir. County and BLM officials have stopped some ranchers from blocking access on roads that cross private land, but some roads have been closed where the public has not been able to establish easements. Some hunters might have to hike a few miles to reach some public canyons. Most private land has a network of county and private roads. BLM land in the Pocatello Range can be accessed by a road to Chinese Peak from Pocatello and the Blackrock Canyon Road.
Grasses and sagebrush make up the valleys with willows and other riparian brush growing near streams. Most of the valley floor near Chesterfield is composed of farm land and includes some center-pivot-irrigated alfalfa fields. Foothills are mainly covered in sagebrush with patches of junipers and aspen. The mountains are mostly open, grassy and sagebrush-covered slopes on western exposures, with conifers on eastern exposures and large aspen woods in mountain valleys. Some dry farms are at middle elevations, and a lot of dry farm acreage has been converted to Conservation Reserve Program areas.
Roughly 529 square miles
33.9% public land
Elevations from 4,500-9,200 feet
Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended
GPS units with land ownership memory cards are recommended
ATVs can be used only on roads that can be accessed by full-size vehicles
Tribal lands are closed to public hunting
Pebble Guard Station is at the base of Bonneville Peak along Pebble Creek. Hunters can reserve a one-room cabin on four fenced acres. The old Ranger Station offers a mudroom/porch that has a large sink with countertop and shower facilities. The main room serves as the kitchen and sleeping room. Corrals are available for stock, and there is a parking space available for four RVs. Big Springs Campground can be found along Pebble Creek. The turnoff is on Old Highway 30, about 9 miles north of Lava Hot Springs. Motels can also be found in Lava Hot Springs, south of the unit. They include the Home Hotel and Lava Hot Springs Inn. Enders Hotel and Museum and Thunder Mountain Lodge in Soda Springs get good ratings.