Idaho controlled hunt 2023: antlered elk, area 45
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 1,224 hunters chose hunt 2023 first, for 125 tags: 113 of 1,039 residents drew (11%) and 12 of 185 nonresidents (6%). In 2025, 117 hunters on this hunt took 61 elk, a 52% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is October 1 to 31, 2026: antlered elk, 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 elk |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any weapon |
| Season, 2026 | October 1 to 31, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 125 (2 more offered in the second drawing) |
| Hunt area | 45, 831,835 acres |
| Unit | 45 |
| Elk zone | Smoky-Bennett |
| Public land in the area | 64% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Towns in the area | Mountain Home, Gooding, Glenns Ferry and Fairfield |
How many applied for hunt 2023, 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, 125 of the 125 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 | 125 | 1,224 | 113 of 1,039 (11%) | 12 of 185 (6%) | 0 of 596 | 2 of 2 |
| 2025 | 125 | 1,260 | 113 of 1,072 (11%) | 12 of 188 (6%) | 0 of 562 | 4 of 4 |
Source: IDFG, elk 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 2023 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2019 for this hunt: 1,353 first-choice applicants for 100 tags then, 1,224 for 125 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2023 | 125 | 1,224 | 125 (10%) | 1,039, 113 | 185, 12 |
| 2025 | 2023 | 125 | 1,260 | 125 (10%) | 1,072, 113 | 188, 12 |
| 2022 | 2023 | 100 | 1,025 | 100 (10%) | 875, 90 | 150, 10 |
| 2021 | 2023 | 100 | 1,109 | 100 (9%) | 981, 90 | 128, 10 |
| 2020 | 2023 | 100 | 1,324 | 100 (8%) | 1,129, 90 | 195, 10 |
| 2019 | 2023 | 100 | 1,353 | 100 (7%) | 1,151, 90 | 202, 10 |
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 2023). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 2023?
In 2025, 117 hunters reported on hunt 2023 and 61 took an animal: 52% success, over 888 days of hunting. Across the 5 most recent years in the table, 58% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted | Bulls with 6+ points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2023 | 117 | 61 | 52% | 888 | 54% |
| 2022 | 2023 | 96 | 56 | 58% | 580 | 63.8% |
| 2021 | 2023 | 96 | 64 | 67% | 763 | 62% |
| 2020 | 2023 | 93 | 49 | 53% | 718 | 86.5% |
| 2019 | 2023 | 96 | 60 | 62% | 647 | 78% |
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 2023) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 45?
IDFG's description of hunt area 45: All of Unit 45.
It covers 831,835 acres.
| Land manager in area 45 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 57.32% |
| Private | 35.81% |
| State of Idaho | 6.29% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 78.42%, irrigated-sprinkler 6.98%, dryland agriculture 6.54%, irrigated-gravity flow 3.74% and riparian 3.63%.
National forest: Boise National Forest. Check the forest's road and area closures before you go.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Mountain Home (Interstate 84 US 20 Idaho 51), Gooding (US 26 Idaho 46), Glenns Ferry (Interstate 84), Fairfield (US 20) and Bliss (Interstate 84).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 45; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 2023?
- Antlered Elk. Only elk with at least one antler longer than 6 inches may be taken in any season which is open for antlered elk only. In antlered or spike-only seasons, antlers much accompany the carcass while in transit.
- EXTREMELY LIMITED ACCESS, Please obtain permission to hunt private land before buying this tag!
- 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 45
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1035 | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer | Any weapon | Oct 15 to Oct 31 | 75 | 2,616 |
| 1077 | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer | Archery only | Aug 15 to Sep 14 | 10 | 128 |
| 1089 | Antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer | Muzzleloader only | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | 40 | 211 |
Other 2026 elk hunts in unit 45: 2125 (45-1). All elk draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 2023 in 2026?
1,224 hunters listed hunt 2023 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 125 tags. 113 of 1,039 resident first choices drew, and 12 of 185 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 2023?
IDFG reports 117 hunters took 61 elk on hunt 2023 in 2025, 52% success. Over the last 5 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 58% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 2023 in 2026?
October 1 to 31, 2026. It is antlered elk, any weapon, in hunt area 45 (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 45?
IDFG describes hunt area 45 as: "All of Unit 45." It covers 831,835 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 2023 and hunt area 45; 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 elk draw results Unit 45 Smoky-Bennett Zone Idaho deadlines and fees