Zone 4 encompasses the St. Joe River drainage in the Idaho Panhandle, running from the St. Joe divide south of the Coeur d'Alene basin down to the Montana border country. The terrain is steep, heavily timbered mountain ridges separated by deep creek drainages, ranging from about 2,100 feet at the St. Joe River near St. Maries to over 6,800 feet on the high ridgelines. Western red cedar, grand fir, Douglas fir, and western larch dominate the mid-elevation forests, with subalpine fir and lodgepole pine on the upper ridges. The 1910 fire and subsequent burns left a patchwork of old growth and regenerating forest that creates excellent habitat diversity. The St. Joe River itself is a designated Wild and Scenic River in its upper reaches. The St. Joe National Forest (part of the Idaho Panhandle NF) covers most of the zone, with some private timber company land. Forest Road 50 follows the St. Joe River corridor and provides the main access; from there, a network of forest roads and decommissioned logging roads reaches the side drainages. St. Maries is the primary supply town with gas, groceries, and lodging. Avery, upstream, has very limited services. Cell service works in St. Maries and along the lower river road but disappears in the backcountry. The terrain is physically demanding—steep side-hills with thick brush and blowdown—and the wet climate keeps the north slopes slick and mossy. Elk and white-tailed deer are the primary game, with elk concentrated on the upper ridges and burned areas and whitetail in the river bottoms and lower timbered slopes. October brings rain and fog that can sock in the ridges for days. Zone 4 in the St. Joe drainage offers general-season elk and deer hunting, making it accessible without a controlled-hunt draw. Wolves have established packs in the upper St. Joe and are influencing elk calf recruitment, though adult elk numbers remain huntable. The upper St. Joe River is a designated Wild and Scenic River, but no formal wilderness designation restricts motorized access — the road system, including FR 50, provides solid vehicle access into the drainage, though decommissioned logging roads create walk-in opportunities on the ridges. A tags provide general rifle season access; B tags offer extended cow elk seasons in specific units within the zone to address population objectives. The zone is known for quality elk hunting on the steep, timbered ridges where old-burn regeneration creates productive browse, and for excellent whitetail hunting in the river-bottom cottonwoods and lower timbered slopes — the St. Joe whitetail population is one of the strongest in north Idaho.