Idaho controlled hunt 2034: antlered elk, area 52A-1
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 1,610 hunters chose hunt 2034 first, for 100 tags: 90 of 1,525 residents drew (6%) and 10 of 85 nonresidents (12%). In 2025, 93 hunters on this hunt took 55 elk, a 59% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is October 1 to November 30, 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 November 30, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 100 (1 more offered in the second drawing) |
| Hunt area | 52A-1, 2,273,856 acres |
| Units | 52A, 68 |
| Elk zone | Big Desert |
| Public land in the area | 77% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Towns in the area | American Falls, Aberdeen, Shoshone and Arco |
How many applied for hunt 2034, 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, 100 of the 100 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 | 100 | 1,610 | 90 of 1,525 (6%) | 10 of 85 (12%) | 0 of 433 | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 100 | 1,613 | 95 of 1,547 (6%) | 5 of 66 (8%) | 0 of 456 | 3 of 3 |
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 2034 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2017 for this hunt: 1,218 first-choice applicants for 75 tags then, 1,610 for 100 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2034 | 100 | 1,610 | 100 (6%) | 1,525, 90 | 85, 10 |
| 2025 | 2034 | 100 | 1,613 | 100 (6%) | 1,547, 95 | 66, 5 |
| 2024 | 2033 | 100 | 1,585 | 100 (6%) | 1,517, 98 | 68, 2 |
| 2023 | 2033 | 100 | 1,361 | 100 (7%) | 1,299, 99 | 62, 1 |
| 2022 | 2037 | 75 | 1,250 | 75 (6%) | 1,199, 74 | 51, 1 |
| 2021 | 2037 | 75 | 1,192 | 75 (6%) | 1,130, 68 | 62, 7 |
| 2020 | 2036 | 75 | 1,143 | 75 (7%) | 1,087, 68 | 56, 7 |
| 2019 | 2036 | 75 | 1,196 | 75 (6%) | 1,151, 71 | 45, 4 |
| 2018 | 2038 | 75 | 1,296 | 75 (6%) | 1,238, 71 | 58, 4 |
| 2017 | 2038 | 75 | 1,218 | 75 (6%) | 1,170, 71 | 48, 4 |
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 2034). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 2034?
In 2025, 93 hunters reported on hunt 2034 and 55 took an animal: 59% success, over 735 days of hunting. In 2024 it was 64 taken by 97 hunters (as hunt 2033), 66% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 5 most recent years in the table, 63% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted | Bulls with 6+ points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2034 | 93 | 55 | 59% | 735 | 76% |
| 2024 | 2033 | 97 | 64 | 66% | 747 | 59% |
| 2023 | 2033 | 95 | 56 | 60% | 807 | 74% |
| 2022 | 2037 | 76 | 51 | 68% | 544 | 74.2% |
| 2021 | 2037 | 78 | 52 | 67% | 658 | 69.1% |
| 2020 | 2036 | 69 | 47 | 68% | 506 | 65.3% |
| 2019 | 2036 | 75 | 40 | 53% | 602 | 55% |
| 2018 | 2038 | 71 | 45 | 64% | 582 | 66.3% |
| 2017 | 2038 | 74 | 55 | 75% | 846 | 60.5% |
| 2016 | 2034 | 66 | 33 | 50% | 605 | 69.5% |
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 2034) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 52A-1?
IDFG's description of hunt area 52A-1: All of Units 52A and 68. (Caution: Craters of the Moon National Park is CLOSED)
It covers 2,273,856 acres.
| Land manager in area 52A-1 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 55% |
| U.S. National Park Service (NPS) | 19.85% |
| Private | 19.57% |
| U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) | 3.15% |
| State of Idaho | 2.1% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 64.25%, rock 19.52%, irrigated-sprinkler 14.1% and irrigated-gravity flow 1.68%.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: American Falls (Interstate 86 Idaho 39), Aberdeen (Idaho 39), Shoshone (US 26 US 93 Idaho 24), Arco (US 20-26 US 93) and Minidoka (Idaho 24).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 52A-1; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 2034?
- 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.
- 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 elk hunts in units 52A and 68: 2106 (68). All elk draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 2034 in 2026?
1,610 hunters listed hunt 2034 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 100 tags. 90 of 1,525 resident first choices drew, and 10 of 85 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 2034?
IDFG reports 93 hunters took 55 elk on hunt 2034 in 2025, 59% success. Over the last 5 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 63% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 2034 in 2026?
October 1 to November 30, 2026. It is antlered elk, any weapon, in hunt area 52A-1 (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 52A-1?
IDFG describes hunt area 52A-1 as: "All of Units 52A and 68. (Caution: Craters of the Moon National Park is CLOSED)" It covers 2,273,856 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 2034 and hunt area 52A-1; 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 52A Unit 68 Big Desert Zone Idaho deadlines and fees