Idaho controlled hunt 1029: antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, area 38-2
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 47 hunters chose hunt 1029 first, for 20 tags: 18 of 44 residents drew (41%) and 2 of 3 nonresidents (67%). In 2025, 19 hunters on this hunt took 6 deer, a 32% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is October 10 to November 24, 2026: antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, short-range weapons only.
Data updated October 2026. Draws: IDFG's 2026 and 2025 controlled hunt drawing results. Harvest: IDFG's harvest statistics through 2025. Season: IDFG Hunt Planner, 2026.
| Species and take | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Short-range weapons only |
| Season, 2026 | October 10 to November 24, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 20 (4 more offered in the second drawing) |
| Hunt area | 38-2, 1,262,584 acres |
| Unit | 38 |
| Elk zone | Boise River |
| Public land in the area | 39% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Towns in the area | Boise, Nampa, Meridian and Caldwell |
How many applied for hunt 1029, and how many drew?
Idaho draws controlled hunt tags at random, with no points: each application gets a random number, and tags go to first choices in that order before any second choice is looked at. In 2026, 20 of the 20 tags went to first choices. In a hunt with more than 19 tags, no more than 10 percent may go to nonresidents; with 19 or fewer, no more than one (brochure page 109).
| Drawing year | Tags | First-choice applicants | Residents who drew | Nonresidents who drew | Second choices: drew of applied | Second drawing: tags issued of offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 47 | 18 of 44 (41%) | 2 of 3 (67%) | 0 of 43 | 4 of 4 |
| 2025 | 20 | 45 | 20 of 44 (45%) | 0 of 1 (0%) | 0 of 29 |
Source: IDFG, deer controlled hunt drawing odds, 2026 and 2025, first and second drawings. "Drew" is IDFG's count of tags issued to that group's first choices; the percentage is worked out from IDFG's two figures.
How has the draw for hunt 1029 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2022 for this hunt: 38 first-choice applicants for 20 tags then, 47 for 20 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1029 | 20 | 47 | 20 (43%) | 44, 18 | 3, 2 |
| 2025 | 1029 (area 38) | 20 | 45 | 20 (44%) | 44, 20 | 1, 0 |
| 2024 | 1029 | 20 | 46 | 20 (43%) | 44, 20 | 2, 0 |
| 2023 | 1029 | 20 | 28 | 20 (71%) | 24, 18 | 4, 2 |
| 2022 | 1028 | 20 | 38 | 20 (53%) | 37, 19 | 1, 1 |
First drawing only. IDFG's Hunt Planner lists these years for this hunt, under the hunt number (and, where it differs, the area) used that year (Hunt Planner, hunt 1029). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 1029?
In 2025, 19 hunters reported on hunt 1029 and 6 took an animal: 32% success, over 84 days of hunting. In 2024 it was 3 taken by 16 hunters, 19% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 4 most recent years in the table, 28% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1029 (area 38) | 19 | 6 | 32% | 84 |
| 2024 | 1029 | 16 | 3 | 19% | 225 |
| 2023 | 1029 | 14 | 8 | 54% | 121 |
| 2022 | 1028 | 15 | 1 | 8% | 129 |
IDFG's success percentages are its own and can differ slightly from harvest divided by hunters. From IDFG's mandatory hunter reports and check stations, as its Hunt Planner prints them for this hunt (hunt 1029) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 38-2?
IDFG's description of hunt area 38-2: All of Unit 38 except that portion of Unit 38 within the Lake Lowell Sector of the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is closed.
It covers 1,262,584 acres.
| Land manager in area 38-2 | Share |
|---|---|
| Private | 58.99% |
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 32.84% |
| State of Idaho | 5.04% |
| Other | 1.16% |
| U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) | 1.1% |
| U.S. Military | 0.62% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 47.03%, irrigated-gravity flow 36.1%, irrigated-sprinkler 7.9%, urban 5.66% and dryland agriculture 2.38%.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Boise (Interstate 84 Idaho 55 Idaho 21), Nampa (Interstate 84 Idaho 55), Meridian (Interstate 84 US 20-26), Caldwell (Interstate 84 US 20-26 Idaho 55), Eagle (Idaho 55 Idaho 44), Mountain Home (Interstate 84 US 20 Idaho 51), Garden City (Idaho 55 Interstate 84), Kuna (Idaho 69), Emmett (Idaho 52), Fruitland (US 30 US 95), Homedale (US 95), Parma (US 95), Wilder (US 95), New Plymouth (Idaho 52 US 30) and Grand View (Idaho 78).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 38-2; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 1029?
- Antlered Mule and White-tailed Deer. Only deer with at least one antler longer than 3 inches may be taken in any season which is open for antlered deer only. In antlered-only seasons, antlers must accompany the carcass while in transit.
- Short-Range Weapons. Muzzleloader, Archery, Crossbow, Shotgun or Handgun.
- Very limited access due to private property.
Other 2026 deer hunts in unit 38: 1028 (38-1), 1138 (38-1X), 1139 (38-1X), 1140 (38-1X), 1141 (38-1X). All deer draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 1029 in 2026?
47 hunters listed hunt 1029 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 20 tags. 18 of 44 resident first choices drew, and 2 of 3 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 1029?
IDFG reports 19 hunters took 6 deer on hunt 1029 in 2025, 32% success. Over the last 4 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 28% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 1029 in 2026?
October 10 to November 24, 2026. It is antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, short-range weapons only, in hunt area 38-2 (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 38-2?
IDFG describes hunt area 38-2 as: "All of Unit 38 except that portion of Unit 38 within the Lake Lowell Sector of the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is closed." It covers 1,262,584 acres.
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.
Get your free Idaho plan for unit 38 See a real plan
Not ready to order yet? Leave your email and you get one email when paid Idaho plans open, if the free ones have gone by then.
Where these numbers come from
- Drawing: IDFG controlled hunt drawing odds, 2025 and 2026.
- History, harvest and area: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt 1029 and hunt area 38-2; IDFG harvest statistics.
- Season and rules: IDFG, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules and the Hunt Planner; nonresident limit from the big game brochure, page 109.
FilledTag is not part of Idaho Fish and Game. Hunt numbers change from year to year: use the current brochure when you apply. Nothing on this page predicts a future draw.
Idaho deer draw results Unit 38 Boise River Zone Idaho deadlines and fees