Idaho controlled hunt 2281: antlerless elk, area 41X
In Idaho Fish and Game's 2026 drawing, 1,359 hunters chose hunt 2281 first, for 100 tags: 99 of 1,324 residents drew (7%) and 1 of 35 nonresidents (3%). In 2025, 61 hunters on this hunt took 31 elk, a 51% harvest success by IDFG's count. The 2026 season is January 1 to 31, 2027: 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 | January 1 to 31, 2027 |
| Tags in the 2026 drawing | 100 |
| Hunt area | 41X, 1,541,701 acres |
| Unit | 41 |
| Elk zone | Owyhee |
| Public land in the area | 82% (IDFG's land manager figures) |
| Wilderness | Bruneau-Jarbridge Rivers Wilderness 64,706 acres (4.2% of hunt area), Big Jacks Creek Wilderness 56,546 acres (3.67% of hunt area), Little Jacks Creek Wilderness 54,935 acres (3.56% of hunt area) and Owyhee River Wilderness 12,623 acres (0.82% of hunt area) |
| Towns in the area | Grand View and Bruneau |
How many applied for hunt 2281, 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 | 1,359 | 99 of 1,324 (7%) | 1 of 35 (3%) | 0 of 310 | |
| 2025 | Not in IDFG's 2025 drawing under this number | |||||
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 2281 changed?
IDFG's records go back to 2020 for this hunt: 259 first-choice applicants for 50 tags then, 1,359 for 100 in 2026.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Tags | First-choice applicants | First choices who drew | Residents: applied, drew | Nonresidents: applied, drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2281 | 100 | 1,359 | 100 (7%) | 1,324, 99 | 35, 1 |
| 2024 | 2281 | 100 | 1,106 | 100 (9%) | 1,081, 100 | 25, 0 |
| 2022 | 2281 (area 41-2X) | 60 | 395 | 60 (15%) | 390, 59 | 5, 1 |
| 2020 | 2281 (area 41-1X) | 50 | 259 | 50 (19%) | 250, 47 | 9, 3 |
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 2281). IDFG rounds its success percentages.
What is the harvest success on hunt 2281?
In 2025, 61 hunters reported on hunt 2281 and 31 took an animal: 51% success, over 238 days of hunting. Across the 3 most recent years in the table, 47% of hunters took an animal.
| Year | Hunt number that year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days hunted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2281 | 61 | 31 | 51% | 238 |
| 2022 | 2281 (area 41-2X) | 47 | 24 | 52% | 148 |
| 2020 | 2281 (area 41-1X) | ||||
| 2020 | 2281 (area 41-1X) | 36 | 12 | 32% | 92 |
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 2281) and its harvest statistics.
Where is hunt area 41X?
IDFG's description of hunt area 41X: All of Unit 41.
It covers 1,541,701 acres.
| Land manager in area 41X | Share |
|---|---|
| U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | 75.4% |
| Indian Reservation / Bureau of Indian Affairs | 9.42% |
| Private | 8.75% |
| State of Idaho | 6.37% |
Land cover, by IDFG's figures for the area: rangeland 90.75%, riparian 4.94%, irrigated-sprinkler 2.53% and irrigated-gravity flow 1.42%.
Wilderness in the area: Bruneau-Jarbridge Rivers Wilderness 64,706 acres (4.2% of hunt area), Big Jacks Creek Wilderness 56,546 acres (3.67% of hunt area), Little Jacks Creek Wilderness 54,935 acres (3.56% of hunt area) and Owyhee River Wilderness 12,623 acres (0.82% of hunt area). No motorized vehicles are allowed in wilderness.
Towns IDFG lists in the area: Grand View (Idaho 78) and Bruneau (Idaho 51).
Area facts: IDFG Hunt Planner, hunt area 41X; land managers from IDFG's surface management data (Inside Idaho), land cover from IDWR.
What rules come with hunt 2281?
- 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 controlled hunts in area 41X
| Hunt | Species and take | Weapon | Season | Tags | First-choice applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Antlered elk | Any weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 30 | 274 |
| 2017 | Antlered elk | Any weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 30 | 456 |
| 2084 | Antlerless elk | Any weapon | Dec 1 to Dec 31 | 75 | 245 |
| 2282 | Antlerless elk | Any weapon | Feb 1 to Feb 28, 2027 | 100 | 944 |
Other 2026 elk hunts in unit 41: 2015 (40-1), 2083 (40-1), 2123 (40-1). All elk draw results.
Questions hunters ask
How many people applied for Idaho hunt 2281 in 2026?
1,359 hunters listed hunt 2281 as their first choice in IDFG's 2026 drawing, for 100 tags. 99 of 1,324 resident first choices drew, and 1 of 35 nonresident first choices.
What is the harvest success on Idaho hunt 2281?
IDFG reports 61 hunters took 31 elk on hunt 2281 in 2025, 51% success. Over the last 3 years IDFG lists for this hunt, 47% of hunters took an animal.
When is Idaho hunt 2281 in 2026?
January 1 to 31, 2027. It is antlerless elk, any weapon, in hunt area 41X (IDFG Hunt Planner).
Which units are in Idaho hunt area 41X?
IDFG describes hunt area 41X as: "All of Unit 41." It covers 1,541,701 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 2281 and hunt area 41X; 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 41 Owyhee Zone Idaho deadlines and fees