Unit Cache, North

Naomi Peak, Swan Peak, and Beaver Mountain serve as dominant glassing points and navigation references, with Naomi Peak particularly useful for orientation from the valley. Tony Grove Lake and High Creek Lake mark reliable water locations worth investigating. The numerous drainages—particularly White Pine Creek, Beaver Creek, and the various forks of High Creek—function as primary travel corridors and hunting routes through steep country.

Bear Lake Summit provides a key reference point near the state line. Springs scattered through the high country (Red Ledge, Ricks, Stewart, and others) become critical during dry periods. These landmark clusters help break a complex unit into manageable hunting zones.

The unit spans dramatic elevation—from valley floors around 4,400 feet to alpine peaks approaching 10,000 feet—creating distinct habitat zones from sagebrush and aspen-mixed country in lower sections to substantial conifer stands on mid-elevation slopes and high-country rock and tundra above timberline. The Bear River Range creates the backbone, with timbered drainages and ridge systems defining movement corridors. Forest coverage is moderate overall, with heavier timber concentrated on northern and eastern slopes while southern-facing ridges remain more open.

Water sources are limited despite the elevation, making seeps, springs, and creek bottoms critical hunting focal points. This vertical terrain supports elk, mule deer, and mountain goat across different elevation bands.

Connected road networks totaling over 600 miles sound impressive until you account for steep terrain and limited highway access points—most roads climb from the valley floor into the mountains, concentrating initial pressure near trailheads and canyon mouths. This geography actually creates advantage for hunters willing to move vertically away from roads. Primary access flows through Logan and surrounding communities, with US-89 and US-91 providing entry corridors.

The steep topography limits how far vehicles can penetrate, pushing most pressure onto foot and horse country within a few miles of road heads. Early-season and midweek hunting likely find considerably fewer competitors than weekend periods near developed access points.

Cache North occupies the northern portion of Cache County, straddling the Bear River Range between the Utah-Idaho state line and the main population centers of Logan and Ogden. US-91 and US-89 define the western and southern boundaries, creating logical staging points from Logan and surrounding communities. The unit sits in the heart of the populated Cache Valley region but maintains substantial mountain terrain.

Bear Lake Summit and the ridge systems provide clear topographic anchors. At moderate size, the unit offers enough vertical relief and drainage complexity to absorb hunting pressure while remaining accessible from nearby highways and towns.

Despite limited overall water designation, the unit has reasonable drainage structure with perennial creeks in most major drainages during typical conditions. High Creek, White Pine Creek, and Beaver Creek represent the primary water sources, with multiple forks spreading hunting opportunities. Selman and Rocky Ridge Reservoirs provide secondary water bodies, though access and timing matter significantly.

Springs—including North Cache Spring, Cottonwood Spring, Willow Spring, and Bald Eagle Spring—offer crucial dry-season options but may run inconsistent in late summer. Water scarcity intensifies during late season, making early and mid-season more reliable for sustained camping. Understanding which drainages hold water longest is essential for planning multi-day hunts.

This unit supports elk, mule deer, moose, mountain goat, and bighorn sheep across different terrain and elevation zones. Elk tend to concentrate in mid-elevation timbered drainages and aspen patches, moving to higher alpine meadows as snow recedes in spring. Mule deer utilize transition zones between timbered slopes and open ridges, especially in aspen-dominated country.

Mountain goat habitat clusters on steep rock faces and cliff systems, particularly on the more vertical ridge sections where escape terrain is absolute. Bighorn sheep occupy high alpine country and rocky ridges above timberline. The steepness and vertical relief mean elevation-based migration patterns drive seasonal hunting approach—early season higher, late season lower as animals move toward winter range.

Water scarcity in upper country makes drainages critical glassing and ambush zones.