Hells Canyon elk zone, Idaho: tags, units and elk harvest
The Hells Canyon Zone covers units 11, 13 and 18. It has no general elk tags: elk here are hunted only on controlled hunt tags, 6 of them in IDFG's 2026 drawing. On the 6 of those hunts IDFG reported for 2025, 785 hunters took 352 elk.
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, 2025.
Check your Hells Canyon Zone elk hunt
| Units | 11, 13, 18 |
|---|---|
| Tags | Controlled hunts only |
| Controlled elk hunts, 2026 | 6 |
| Wildlife management areas | Craig Mountain |
Which controlled elk hunts are in the Hells Canyon Zone?
Added together, the 6 elk hunts in IDFG's 2026 drawing offered 895 tags and drew 2,840 first-choice applications. 3 are for antlered elk only, 3 for antlerless elk, and 1 limits the weapon (archery, muzzleloader or short-range). On the 6 hunts IDFG reported for 2025, 785 hunters took 352 elk, 45% success.
| Hunt | Area | Take and weapon | Season 2026 | Tags | First-choice applicants | 2025 success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 11 | Antlered elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 3 | 40 | 833 | 56% |
| 2002 | 18 | Antlered elk, any weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 24 | 80 | 809 | 70% |
| 2054 | 13 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 3 | 250 | 47 | 34% |
| 2056 | 18 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 20 to Nov 10 | 150 | 209 | 39% |
| 2110 | 13 | Antlered or antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 3 | 335 | 558 | 48% |
| 2121 | 18 | Antlered elk, archery only | Aug 30 to Sep 30 | 40 | 384 | 41% |
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
Which units are in the Hells Canyon elk zone?
Units 11, 13 and 18. The zone sells no general elk tag; elk are hunted here on controlled hunt tags only.
How do you hunt elk in the Hells Canyon Zone?
Only with a controlled hunt tag, drawn in IDFG's controlled hunt drawing (May 1 to June 5 in 2026). The zone has no A or B general tags.
How many elk tags are there in the Hells Canyon Zone?
895 controlled hunt tags in 6 elk hunts in IDFG's 2026 drawing, with 2,840 first-choice applicants. In 2025, 785 hunters on those hunts took 352 elk.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and zone units: IDFG, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, page 38.
- 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.
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