Idaho controlled hunt 1041: antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, area 52
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 1,012 hunters chose hunt 1041 first, for 75 tags: 68 of 827 residents drew (8%) and 7 of 185 nonresidents (4%). In 2025, 74 hunters on this hunt took 52 deer, a 70% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is October 5 to 31, 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 | October 5 to 31, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 75 (1 more offered in the second drawing) |
| Hunt area | 52, 525,276 acres |
| Unit | 52 |
| Elk zone | Smoky-Bennett |
| Public land in the area | 68% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Towns in the area | Gooding, Shoshone and Picabo |
How many applied for hunt 1041, 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, 75 of the 75 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 | 75 | 1,012 | 68 of 827 (8%) | 7 of 185 (4%) | 0 of 524 | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 75 | 1,030 | 68 of 878 (8%) | 7 of 152 (5%) | 0 of 494 |
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 1041 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2023 for this hunt: 997 first-choice applicants for 75 tags then, 1,012 for 75 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1041 | 75 | 1,012 | 75 (7%) | 827, 68 | 185, 7 |
| 2025 | 1041 | 75 | 1,030 | 75 (7%) | 878, 68 | 152, 7 |
| 2024 | 1041 | 75 | 961 | 75 (8%) | 803, 68 | 158, 7 |
| 2023 | 1041 | 75 | 997 | 75 (8%) | 836, 68 | 161, 7 |
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 1041). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 1041?
In 2025, 74 hunters reported on hunt 1041 and 52 took an animal: 70% success, over 629 days of hunting. In 2024 it was 35 taken by 68 hunters, 51% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 3 most recent years in the table, 58% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1041 | 74 | 52 | 70% | 629 |
| 2024 | 1041 | 68 | 35 | 51% | 513 |
| 2023 | 1041 | 74 | 38 | 52% | 638 |
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 1041) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 52?
IDFG's description of hunt area 52: All of Unit 52.
It covers 525,276 acres.
| Land manager in area 52 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 65.08% |
| Private | 31.66% |
| State of Idaho | 3.26% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 78.53%, irrigated-gravity flow 15.83%, irrigated-sprinkler 2.52% and dryland agriculture 2.43%.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Gooding (US 26 Idaho 46), Shoshone (US 26 US 93 Idaho 24) and Picabo (US 20).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 52; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 1041?
- 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.
- Motorized Hunting Rule (MHR): Motorized vehicle use by all big game hunters is restricted to established roadways legally open to travel by full-sized automobiles. The motorized hunting rule applies only to big game animals, including moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goats, in designated units from August 30 through December 31.
Other 2026 controlled hunts in area 52
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1078 | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer | Archery only | Aug 15 to Sep 14 | 10 | 40 |
| 1091 | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer | Muzzleloader only | Nov 1 to Nov 14 | 25 | 246 |
| 2033 | Antlered elk | Any weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 50 | 316 |
| 2115 | Antlered or antlerless elk | Any weapon | Dec 1 to Dec 31 | 25 | 371 |
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 1041 in 2026?
1,012 hunters listed hunt 1041 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 75 tags. 68 of 827 resident first choices drew, and 7 of 185 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 1041?
IDFG reports 74 hunters took 52 deer on hunt 1041 in 2025, 70% success. Over the last 3 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 58% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 1041 in 2026?
October 5 to 31, 2026. It is antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, any weapon, in hunt area 52 (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 52?
IDFG describes hunt area 52 as: "All of Unit 52." It covers 525,276 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 52 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 1041 and hunt area 52; 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 52 Smoky-Bennett Zone Idaho deadlines and fees