Boise River elk zone, Idaho: tags, units and elk harvest
The Boise River Zone covers units 38 and 39. Its tags are not capped for residents. General-season hunters took 588 elk in its units in 2025, by IDFG's unit harvest figures. In the 2026 nonresident draw, 26 of 34 first-choice applicants drew an A tag and 354 of 838 a B tag.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: IDFG's 2026 big game brochure. Tags: IDFG's 2026 nonresident supplement and capped-zone sale page. Harvest: IDFG harvest statistics, 2019 to 2025.
Check your Boise River Zone elk hunt
| Units | 38, 39 |
|---|---|
| Tags | A tag and B tag |
| General-season elk harvest, 2025 | 588 (all weapons, sum of IDFG's unit figures) |
| Controlled elk hunts, 2026 | 5 |
| Wildlife management areas | C.J. Strike, Fort Boise, Payette River, Boise River |
When are the Boise River Zone elk seasons in 2026?
The Boise River Zone sells an A tag and a B tag. The brochure puts it simply: in general, A tags give more archery and muzzleloader seasons, and B tags more rifle seasons.
| Tag | Dates | Days | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Archery only: any elk, Unit 39 only: Nov 10 - Nov 30 | ||
| B | Aug 1 to Sep 30 | 61 | Any weapon: any elk (unit 38 only) |
| B | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 92 | Any weapon: antlerless or spike elk only (unit 38 only) |
| B | Oct 27 to Nov 9 | 14 | Any weapon: antlered elk, part of unit 39 only. Part of Unit 39 is closed in this season: the part south and east of Blacks Creek Road and south of the South Fork of the Boise River (brochure page 45, Note B). |
Seasons: IDFG, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, zone table on page 45; the archery, muzzleloader and private-land seasons are printed with their dates in IDFG's words. Check IDFG's rules page for changes.
How many Boise River Zone tags are there?
Residents buy Boise River Zone tags over the counter without a cap. Nonresidents apply in the December draw, and some tags are set aside for outfitted hunters.
| Tag | Nonresident tags | Outfitter tags | Resident tags | Total cap | Nonresident draw: first choices who drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | 26 | 0 | not capped | not capped | 26 of 34 (76%) |
| B tag | 354 | 0 | not capped | not capped | 354 of 838 (42%) |
Tag numbers: IDFG, 2026 Nonresident General Tags and Tags Allocated to Outfitters, pages 22 and 23 (in a capped zone the cap is shared among the three groups). Nonresident draw: IDFG, 2026 nonresident general season deer and elk tag draw, table 1, first choice; the nonresident tag numbers in that report leave out outfitter tags.
How many elk are taken in the Boise River Zone?
IDFG publishes general-season elk harvest by unit, not by zone. These are the zone's units added together, all weapons and each weapon's general seasons; controlled hunts are counted separately below.
| Year | Elk harvested, all general seasons | Any weapon | Archery | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 588 | 578 | 10 | 0 |
| 2024 | 587 | 570 | 17 | 0 |
| 2023 | 580 | 568 | 7 | 4 |
| 2022 | 456 | 420 | 35 | 0 |
| 2021 | 420 | 410 | 10 | 0 |
| 2020 | 444 | 443 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 503 | 502 | 1 | 0 |
| Unit | Elk harvested, 2025 | Hunters, 2025 | Success | Bulls with 6+ points | Elk harvested, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 51 | 322 | 16% | 39% | |
| 39 | 537 | 4,238 | 13% | 21% | 587 |
Source: IDFG harvest statistics, general elk seasons, 2019 to 2025, from mandatory hunter reports. Hunter numbers are per unit; a hunter who hunted two units is counted in both, so they are not added up.
Which controlled elk hunts are in the Boise River Zone?
| Hunt | Area | Take and weapon | Season 2026 | Tags | First-choice applicants | 2025 success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2081 | 39-1 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31 | 650 | 1,764 | 18% |
| 2113 | 39-3 | Antlered or antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 27 to Nov 9 | 50 | 267 | 36% |
| 2122 | 39 | Antlered elk, archery only | Aug 30 to Sep 30 | 50 | 574 | 29% |
| 2134 | 39 | Antlered elk, muzzleloader only | Aug 30 to Sep 30 | 50 | 645 | 36% |
| 2135 | 39 | Antlerless elk, muzzleloader only | Sep 8 to Sep 30 | 550 | 286 | 15% |
Elk controlled hunts whose whole area lies in the zone's units. Source: IDFG 2026 elk drawing odds and 2025 controlled hunt harvest statistics.
Questions hunters ask
Is the Boise River elk zone capped?
No. The Boise River Zone's tags are not capped for residents in 2026. Nonresidents get general elk tags through the nonresident draw, with 26 A tags and 354 B tags for nonresidents and outfitter tags set aside.
Which units are in the Boise River elk zone?
Units 38 and 39. An Idaho general elk tag is bought for one zone and is good in every unit of it, on that tag's seasons.
How many elk are harvested in the Boise River Zone?
IDFG's unit figures add up to 588 elk taken in general seasons in units 38 and 39 in 2025, against 587 in 2024. Controlled elk hunts in the zone added 220 in 2025.
How hard is it for a nonresident to draw an elk tag in the Boise River Zone?
In IDFG's 2026 nonresident draw, 26 of 34 first-choice applicants drew an A tag for the zone (76%), and 354 of 838 drew a B tag (42%). The next draw's first application period is December 5 to 15, 2026.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and zone units: IDFG, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, page 45.
- Tag caps: IDFG, 2026 Nonresident General Tags and Tags Allocated to Outfitters; capped tags left: IDFG, Resident Capped Elk Zones.
- Nonresident draw: IDFG, 2026 nonresident draw data. Harvest: IDFG harvest statistics.
FilledTag is not part of Idaho Fish and Game.
All Idaho elk zones Unit 38 Unit 39 Idaho elk draw results General elk units