Idaho controlled hunt 2081: antlerless elk, area 39-1
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 1,764 hunters chose hunt 2081 first, for 650 tags: 587 of 1,598 residents drew (37%) and 63 of 166 nonresidents (38%). In 2025, 551 hunters on this hunt took 97 elk, an 18% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is October 5 to 31, 2026: antlerless 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 | Antlerless elk |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any weapon |
| Season, 2026 | October 5 to 31, 2026 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 650 (49 more offered in the second drawing) |
| Hunt area | 39-1, 1,157,942 acres |
| Unit | 39 |
| Elk zone | Boise River |
| Public land in the area | 85% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Wilderness | Sawtooth Wilderness 89,011 acres (7.69% of hunt area) |
| Towns in the area | Idaho City and Atlanta |
How many applied for hunt 2081, 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, 650 of the 650 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 | 650 | 1,764 | 587 of 1,598 (37%) | 63 of 166 (38%) | 0 of 696 | 49 of 49 |
| 2025 | 650 | 1,669 | 599 of 1,558 (38%) | 51 of 111 (46%) | 0 of 694 | 39 of 39 |
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 2081 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2017 for this hunt: 1,906 first-choice applicants for 550 tags then, 1,764 for 650 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2081 | 650 | 1,764 | 650 (37%) | 1,598, 587 | 166, 63 |
| 2025 | 2081 | 650 | 1,669 | 650 (39%) | 1,558, 599 | 111, 51 |
| 2024 | 2079 | 650 | 1,631 | 650 (40%) | 1,535, 615 | 96, 35 |
| 2023 | 2079 | 650 | 1,685 | 650 (39%) | 1,582, 611 | 103, 39 |
| 2022 | 2085 | 650 | 1,810 | 650 (36%) | 1,749, 631 | 61, 19 |
| 2021 | 2085 | 650 | 1,699 | 650 (38%) | 1,620, 619 | 79, 31 |
| 2020 | 2087 | 550 | 1,907 | 550 (29%) | 1,809, 518 | 98, 32 |
| 2019 | 2087 | 550 | 1,963 | 550 (28%) | 1,872, 527 | 91, 23 |
| 2018 | 2104 | 550 | 1,697 | 550 (32%) | 1,614, 518 | 83, 32 |
| 2017 | 2104 | 550 | 1,906 | 550 (29%) | 1,815, 522 | 91, 28 |
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 2081). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 2081?
In 2025, 551 hunters reported on hunt 2081 and 97 took an animal: 18% success, over 4,159 days of hunting. In 2024 it was 89 taken by 590 hunters (as hunt 2079), 15% success in IDFG's figures. Across the 5 most recent years in the table, 19% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted | Bulls with 6+ points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2081 | 551 | 97 | 18% | 4,159 | |
| 2024 | 2079 | 590 | 89 | 15% | 4,254 | 0% |
| 2023 | 2079 | 590 | 118 | 20% | 3,918 | |
| 2022 | 2085 | 586 | 133 | 23% | 4,285 | 0% |
| 2021 | 2085 | 565 | 108 | 19% | 3,979 | |
| 2020 | 2087 | 478 | 130 | 27% | 3,188 | |
| 2019 | 2087 | 505 | 130 | 26% | 2,773 | |
| 2018 | 2104 | 520 | 176 | 34% | 3,377 | |
| 2017 | 2104 | 506 | 125 | 25% | 3,649 | |
| 2016 | 2100 | 456 | 134 | 29% | 2,811 | 0% |
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 2081) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 39-1?
IDFG's description of hunt area 39-1: That portion of Unit 39 south and east of State Highway 21.
It covers 1,157,942 acres.
| Land manager in area 39-1 | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Forest Service (USFS) | 66.6% |
| Private | 14.5% |
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 9.63% |
| State of Idaho | 6.65% |
| U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) | 2.14% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: forest 62.01% and rangeland 36.49%.
National forests: Boise National Forest and Sawtooth National Forest. Check the forest's road and area closures before you go.
Wilderness in the area: Sawtooth Wilderness 89,011 acres (7.69% of hunt area). No motorized vehicles are allowed in wilderness.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Idaho City (Idaho 21) and Atlanta (Idaho 21).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 39-1; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 2081?
- Antlerless Elk. Only elk without antlers or with antlers shorter than 6 inches may be taken in any season which is open for antlerless elk only.
Other 2026 elk hunts in unit 39: 2082 (39-2), 2113 (39-3), 2122 (39), 2134 (39), 2135 (39). All elk draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 2081 in 2026?
1,764 hunters listed hunt 2081 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 650 tags. 587 of 1,598 resident first choices drew, and 63 of 166 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 2081?
IDFG reports 551 hunters took 97 elk on hunt 2081 in 2025, 18% success. Over the last 5 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 19% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 2081 in 2026?
October 5 to 31, 2026. It is antlerless elk, any weapon, in hunt area 39-1 (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 39-1?
IDFG describes hunt area 39-1 as: "That portion of Unit 39 south and east of State Highway 21." It covers 1,157,942 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 2081 and hunt area 39-1; 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 39 Boise River Zone Idaho deadlines and fees