Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area is 124,224 acres in Nez Perce and Lewis counties, in Idaho Fish and Game's Clearwater Region, inside game management unit 11, established in 1971. Land rising from the Salmon and Snake rivers to 5,395 feet, south of Lewiston.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: IDFG's page for Craig Mountain WMA, read October 18, 2026. Outline: PAD-US. Harvest: IDFG harvest statistics, 2025.
| Size | 124,224 acres (IDFG) |
|---|---|
| County | Nez Perce and Lewis counties |
| Established | 1971 |
| IDFG region | Clearwater |
| Game management unit | 11 |
| Elk zone | Hells Canyon |
| Primary purpose (IDFG) | Protect and enhance wildlife populations and habitat; public use |
| Habitat (IDFG) | Grassland, meadow, shrubland, riparian, conifer forest, agricultural |
| Camping | Primitive camping, no facilities. |
What is Craig Mountain WMA?
Land rising from the Salmon and Snake rivers to 5,395 feet, south of Lewiston. It began as mitigation for Dworshak Dam: the Bonneville Power Administration's 60,000-acre Peter T. Johnson unit joined older IDFG land, and today public and tribal parcels are managed together. It is home to bighorn sheep and many resident and migrating species.
What can you hunt on Craig Mountain WMA?
General seasons for white-tailed deer, black bear and mountain lion, and controlled hunts for mule deer, elk and bighorn sheep. Chukar, forest grouse and wild turkey hunting is popular.
IDFG lists these uses for the area: hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, horseback riding, hiking, trapping and camping.
How do you get onto Craig Mountain WMA, and when is it closed?
Open to non-motorized travel everywhere, all year; vehicles only on existing roads, with seasonal limits. Ownership is mixed, so know whose land you are on; IDFG sells land ownership maps at the Clearwater office.
Can you camp on Craig Mountain WMA?
Primitive camping, no facilities. Fires are allowed unless restrictions are in place. This is black bear country: store food and garbage properly.
How many elk and deer are taken in the surrounding units?
IDFG counts harvest by unit, not by WMA. These are the whole units Craig Mountain WMA lies in, for 2025:
| Unit | Elk harvested | Elk success | Deer harvested | Deer success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 604 | 39% |
General seasons, all weapons. Source: IDFG harvest statistics.
IDFG's maps and rules for Craig Mountain WMA
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt on Craig Mountain WMA?
General seasons for white-tailed deer, black bear and mountain lion, and controlled hunts for mule deer, elk and bighorn sheep. Chukar, forest grouse and wild turkey hunting is popular. Seasons and tags follow the regulations for Unit 11.
Can you camp on Craig Mountain WMA?
Primitive camping, no facilities. Fires are allowed unless restrictions are in place. This is black bear country: store food and garbage properly.
How do you get onto Craig Mountain WMA?
Open to non-motorized travel everywhere, all year; vehicles only on existing roads, with seasonal limits. Ownership is mixed, so know whose land you are on; IDFG sells land ownership maps at the Clearwater office.
Which hunting unit is Craig Mountain WMA in?
Unit 11, in the Hells Canyon elk zone.
Get your free Idaho plan
FilledTag plans Idaho's general elk and deer seasons: a specific, legal place to park, camp and sit for your tag and your dates, with the walks between them, checked against land records. The first 50 Idaho plans are free, one per hunter, for hunters who hold or will hold an Idaho general elk or deer tag. Every Idaho plan is looked over by a person before it is sent.
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, rules, access, camping and uses: IDFG, Craig Mountain WMA, written up by FilledTag in its own words.
- Outline: USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), land managed by Idaho Fish and Game. Units: IDFG's unit boundaries.
- Harvest: IDFG harvest statistics.
FilledTag is not part of Idaho Fish and Game. WMA rules change: check IDFG's page and its posted rules before you go.