Idaho controlled hunt 1044: antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, area 55
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 693 hunters chose hunt 1044 first, for 25 tags: 23 of 573 residents drew (4%) and 2 of 120 nonresidents (2%). In 2025, 25 hunters on this hunt took 25 deer, a 100% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is August 15 to September 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 | August 15 to September 24, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 25 |
| Hunt area | 55, 648,768 acres |
| Unit | 55 |
| Elk zone | South Hills |
| Public land in the area | 52% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Towns in the area | Burley, Oakley, Albion and Almo |
How many applied for hunt 1044, 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, 25 of the 25 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 | 25 | 693 | 23 of 573 (4%) | 2 of 120 (2%) | 0 of 336 | |
| 2025 | 25 | 664 | 23 of 559 (4%) | 2 of 105 (2%) | 0 of 338 | 1 of 1 |
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 1044 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2021 for this hunt: 2,099 first-choice applicants for 320 tags then, 693 for 25 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1044 | 25 | 693 | 25 (4%) | 573, 23 | 120, 2 |
| 2025 | 1044 | 25 | 664 | 25 (4%) | 559, 23 | 105, 2 |
| 2024 | 1044 | 25 | 695 | 25 (4%) | 569, 23 | 126, 2 |
| 2023 | 1044 | 25 | 649 | 25 (4%) | 539, 23 | 110, 2 |
| 2022 | 1044 | 320 | 2,099 | 320 (15%) | 1,848, 288 | 251, 32 |
| 2021 | 1044 | 320 | 2,099 | 320 (15%) | 1,848, 299 | 251, 21 |
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 1044). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 1044?
In 2025, 25 hunters reported on hunt 1044 and 25 took an animal: 100% success, over 127 days of hunting. In 2024 it was 16 taken by 24 hunters, 66% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 5 most recent years in the table, 61% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1044 | 25 | 25 | 100% | 127 |
| 2024 | 1044 | 24 | 16 | 66% | 187 |
| 2023 | 1044 | 26 | 19 | 74% | 165 |
| 2022 | 1044 | 311 | 178 | 57% | 2,047 |
| 2021 | 1044 | 306 | 181 | 59% | 1,868 |
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 1044) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 55?
IDFG's description of hunt area 55: All of Unit 55. Most of the City of Rocks National Reserve is open to hunting. Information about hunting within the Reserve is available to permittees at IDFG offices or at the National Park Service office in Almo.
It covers 648,768 acres.
| Land manager in area 55 | Share |
|---|---|
| Private | 47.64% |
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 34.93% |
| U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | 11.61% |
| State of Idaho | 4.56% |
| U.S. National Park Service (NPS) | 1.25% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 54.77%, forest 16.9%, irrigated-sprinkler 13.94%, irrigated-gravity flow 11.32%, dryland agriculture 1.59% and urban 1.46%.
National forest: Sawtooth National Forest. Check the forest's road and area closures before you go.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Burley (Interstate 84 Idaho 27 US 30), Oakley (Idaho 27), Albion (Idaho 77) and Almo (Idaho 77).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 55; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 1044?
- 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 55
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1045 | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer | Any weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31 | 320 | 2,384 |
| 1062 | Antlerless mule deer or white-tailed deer | Any weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 14 | 100 | 229 |
| 3057 | Antlered moose | Any weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23 | 3 | 177 |
Other 2026 deer hunts in unit 55: 1107 (55-1), 1108 (55-1). All deer draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 1044 in 2026?
693 hunters listed hunt 1044 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 25 tags. 23 of 573 resident first choices drew, and 2 of 120 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 1044?
IDFG reports 25 hunters took 25 deer on hunt 1044 in 2025, 100% success. Over the last 5 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 61% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 1044 in 2026?
August 15 to September 24, 2026. It is antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, any weapon, in hunt area 55 (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 55?
IDFG describes hunt area 55 as: "All of Unit 55. Most of the City of Rocks National Reserve is open to hunting. Information about hunting within the Reserve is available to permittees at IDFG offices or at the National Park Service office in Almo." It covers 648,768 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 1044 and hunt area 55; 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.
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