Idaho controlled hunt 1038: antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, area 48
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 261 hunters chose hunt 1038 first, for 10 tags: 9 of 223 residents drew (4%) and 1 of 38 nonresidents (3%). In 2025, 8 hunters on this hunt took 5 deer, a 62% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is November 10 to 24, 2026: antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, any weapon.
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 | Any weapon |
| Season, 2026 | November 10 to 24, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 10 |
| Hunt area | 48, 389,791 acres |
| Unit | 48 |
| Elk zone | Smoky-Bennett |
| Public land in the area | 83% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Towns in the area | Hailey, Sun Valley / Ketchum and Bellevue |
How many applied for hunt 1038, 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, 10 of the 10 tags went to first choices. In a hunt with 19 or fewer tags, no more than one tag may go to a nonresident (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 | 10 | 261 | 9 of 223 (4%) | 1 of 38 (3%) | 0 of 234 | |
| 2025 | 10 | 252 | 10 of 226 (4%) | 0 of 26 (0%) | 0 of 219 |
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 1038 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2023 for this hunt: 217 first-choice applicants for 10 tags then, 261 for 10 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1038 | 10 | 261 | 10 (4%) | 223, 9 | 38, 1 |
| 2025 | 1038 | 10 | 252 | 10 (4%) | 226, 10 | 26, 0 |
| 2024 | 1038 | 10 | 251 | 10 (4%) | 226, 10 | 25, 0 |
| 2023 | 1038 | 10 | 217 | 10 (5%) | 195, 9 | 22, 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 1038). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 1038?
In 2025, 8 hunters reported on hunt 1038 and 5 took an animal: 62% success, over 40 days of hunting. In 2024 it was 3 taken by 10 hunters, 32% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 3 most recent years in the table, 40% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1038 | 8 | 5 | 62% | 40 |
| 2024 | 1038 | 10 | 3 | 32% | 52 |
| 2023 | 1038 | 7 | 2 | 33% | 38 |
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 1038) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 48?
IDFG's description of hunt area 48: All of Unit 48.
It covers 389,791 acres.
| Land manager in area 48 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | 69.39% |
| Private | 16.72% |
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 11.81% |
| State of Idaho | 2.09% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 51.95%, forest 38.18%, riparian 4.08%, irrigated-gravity flow 3% and irrigated-sprinkler 1.85%.
National forest: Sawtooth National Forest. Check the forest's road and area closures before you go.
Access Yes! properties IDFG lists here (private land open to hunters through the program): Rinker Rock Creek Ranch, Wood River Land Trust - Draper Wood River Preserve and Colorado Gulch Preserve.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Hailey (Idaho 75), Sun Valley / Ketchum (Idaho 75) and Bellevue (Idaho 75).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 48; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 1038?
- 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.
Other 2026 controlled hunts in area 48
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Antlered elk | Any weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | 20 | 263 |
| 2027 | Antlered elk | Any weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 10 | 150 | 918 |
| 2137 | Antlered or antlerless elk | Muzzleloader only | Nov 15 to Nov 30 | 75 | 51 |
Other 2026 deer hunts in unit 48: 1075 (43-1). All deer draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 1038 in 2026?
261 hunters listed hunt 1038 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 10 tags. 9 of 223 resident first choices drew, and 1 of 38 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 1038?
IDFG reports 8 hunters took 5 deer on hunt 1038 in 2025, 62% success. Over the last 3 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 40% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 1038 in 2026?
November 10 to 24, 2026. It is antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, any weapon, in hunt area 48 (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 48?
IDFG describes hunt area 48 as: "All of Unit 48." It covers 389,791 acres.
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Where these numbers come from
- Drawing: IDFG controlled hunt drawing odds, 2025 and 2026.
- History, harvest and area: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt 1038 and hunt area 48; 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 48 Smoky-Bennett Zone Idaho deadlines and fees