Idaho elk and deer hunting 2026: seasons, zones and tags
Idaho's general elk and deer seasons for 2026, unit by unit, from Idaho Fish and Game's own brochure: what an A or B elk tag lets you hunt, when each season opens, how nonresidents get a tag, and how much public land each unit holds.
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Find your unit
Tap a unit for its 2026 general seasons, rules and public land.
General elk and deer, or elk General deer only No general any-weapon season (controlled hunts, archery or private land)
All general elk units, sortable All general deer units, sortable
General hunts and controlled hunts
Idaho has two kinds of deer and elk hunt. General season hunts are open to anyone holding the right tag: residents buy general tags over the counter, and some elk zones cap how many tags are sold. Controlled hunts are drawn: the first application period in the 2026 brochure was May 1 to June 5, with a second period August 5 to 15 for tags left over. This site covers the general seasons.
Elk zones and A and B tags
Idaho manages elk in 28 zones, and a general elk tag is bought for one zone. In most zones the hunter chooses an A tag or a B tag; some zones offer only an A tag, and some have controlled hunts only. The brochure puts it simply: in general, A tags give more archery and muzzleloader seasons, and B tags more centerfire rifle seasons. These are the any-weapon seasons of each zone's tags in 2026:
| Zone | Units | A tag, any weapon | B tag, any weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panhandle | 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 9 | Oct 25 to Oct 29 | Oct 10 to Oct 24 |
| Palouse | 8, 8A, 11A | None | Oct 10 to Oct 24 |
| Lolo | 10, 12 | None | Oct 10 to Nov 3 |
| Dworshak | 10A | None | Oct 10 to Nov 3 |
| Hells Canyon | 11, 13, 18 | Controlled hunts only | Controlled hunts only |
| Elk City | 14, 15, 16 | None | Oct 10 to Oct 24 |
| Selway | 16A, 17, 19, 20 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Sep 15 to Sep 30, Nov 1 to Nov 11 |
| Middle Fork | 20A, 26, 27 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Sep 15 to Sep 30, Nov 1 to Nov 18 |
| Salmon | 21, 21A, 28, 36B | None | Oct 15 to Nov 8 |
| Weiser River | 22, 32, 32A | Nov 1 to Nov 15 | Oct 1 to Oct 31, Oct 25 to Nov 3 |
| McCall | 19A, 23, 24, 25 | Oct 5 to Oct 14 | Oct 15 to Nov 3 |
| Lemhi | 29, 37, 37A, 51 | None | No B tag |
| Beaverhead | 30, 30A, 58, 59, 59A | None | No B tag |
| Brownlee | 31 | None | Nov 15 to Nov 30 |
| Sawtooth | 33, 34, 35, 36 | None | Oct 15 to Nov 8 |
| Pioneer | 36A, 49, 50 | None | Nov 10 to Nov 30 |
| Owyhee | 40, 41, 42 | Controlled hunts only | Controlled hunts only |
| Boise River | 38, 39 | None | Aug 1 to Sep 30, Oct 1 to Dec 31, Oct 27 to Nov 9 (part of unit 39) |
| Smoky-Bennett | 43, 44, 45, 48, 52 | None | Nov 10 to Nov 24 |
| South Hills | 46, 47, 54, 55, 56, 57 | None | Oct 25 to Nov 15 |
| Big Desert | 52A, 53, 68, 68A | None | Nov 1 to Dec 31 |
| Island Park | 60, 60A, 61, 62, 62A | None | No B tag |
| Snake River | 63, 63A | None | No B tag |
| Palisades | 64, 65, 67 | None | Oct 15 to Oct 21 |
| Tex Creek | 66, 69 | Oct 22 to Oct 31 | Oct 15 to Oct 21 |
| Bannock | 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74 | Oct 25 to Nov 15 | No B tag |
| Bear River | 75, 77, 78 | Oct 25 to Nov 15 | Oct 15 to Oct 24 |
| Diamond Creek | 66A, 76 | None | Oct 1 to Oct 15 (part of unit 76) |
Any-weapon seasons open to the public only; some apply to only part of a zone, and what may be taken (antlered, antlerless, spike, brow-tined) differs by season. Each unit's page has the detail. Elk zone tables: brochure pages 37 to 49.
Capped zones sell a set number of tags, first come, first served. Resident capped tags went on sale July 8, 2026 (Sawtooth Zone July 10). Beginning in early August, residents and nonresidents may buy one unsold nonresident general deer or elk tag as a second tag, except that second elk tags are not available for the Elk City Zone and second deer tags cannot be used in Units 10, 10A, 12, 16A, 17, 19 and 20 (brochure pages 7 and 36).
Nonresident tags: the December draw
Beginning with the 2026 season, Idaho issues nonresident general season deer and elk tags by random draw, not over the counter. For 2027 tags, IDFG lists these dates:
- December 5 to 15, 2026: first application period (nonresident and Disabled American Veteran tags).
- Early January 2027: results. Tags awarded in the first period must be claimed by January 20, 2027, or they go to the second period.
- February 5 to 15, 2027: second application period, nonresident draw only. Results in early March; claim by March 20, 2027.
Each application can list up to five hunt choices, and there is an $18 application fee per species. You need an Idaho hunting license valid for big game to apply. Hunt numbers are in IDFG's nonresident supplement. Source: IDFG, Nonresident Deer and Elk Tags.
Deer: the regular deer tag
The regular deer tag is good for mule deer or white-tailed deer unless a season says otherwise. In 2026 it has a general any-weapon season in 77 units. Most open October 10 and run to October 24 or 31; the backcountry units 16A, 17, 19 and 20 run September 15 to November 20, and in the Panhandle the white-tailed deer seasons run to December 1. See every unit.
Rules worth knowing before you go
- Motorized Hunting Rule. In 22 restricted units, from August 30 to November 14, hunters may use motor vehicles only on established roads open to motorized traffic and passable by a full-sized car (pages 104 to 105).
- Scouting technology. From August 30 to December 31, thermal imaging, night vision, drones and transmitting trail cameras on public land may not be used for hunting or scouting big game (House Bill 939 of 2026; page 96).
- Hunting hours are half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset (page 95). Electronic calls may not be used to attract deer or elk (page 95).
- Mandatory report: for each deer or elk tag, a report within 10 days of harvest, or of the season's close if you do not harvest (page 9).
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FilledTag is building hunt plans for Idaho's general elk and deer seasons. They are not on sale yet. Leave your email and you get one email, the day Idaho opens. The first 50 Idaho plans are free.
Where these facts come from
Seasons: Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (July 2026 to June 2027), with its corrections page of July 2026, which changes no deer or elk season. IDFG can change a season during the year: check idfg.idaho.gov/rules/big-game before you go. Nonresident draw: IDFG, Nonresident Deer and Elk Tags. Public land and elevation are measured by FilledTag from the BLM's surface management data and USGS 3DEP inside IDFG's unit boundaries. FilledTag is not part of Idaho Fish and Game.
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