Owyhee elk zone, Idaho: tags, units and elk harvest
The Owyhee Zone covers units 40, 41 and 42. It has no general elk tags: elk here are hunted only on controlled hunt tags, 10 of them in IDFG's 2026 drawing. On the 10 of those hunts IDFG reported for 2025, 474 hunters took 167 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 Owyhee Zone elk hunt
| Units | 40, 41, 42 |
|---|---|
| Tags | Controlled hunts only |
| Controlled elk hunts, 2026 | 10 |
| Wildlife management areas | C.J. Strike |
Which controlled elk hunts are in the Owyhee Zone?
Added together, the 10 elk hunts in IDFG's 2026 drawing offered 590 tags and drew 9,716 first-choice applications. 6 are for antlered elk only, 4 for antlerless elk, and 1 limits the weapon (archery, muzzleloader or short-range). On the 10 hunts IDFG reported for 2025, 474 hunters took 167 elk, 35% success.
| Hunt | Area | Take and weapon | Season 2026 | Tags | First-choice applicants | 2025 success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 40 | Antlered elk, any weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 24 | 60 | 2,620 | 56% |
| 2015 | 40-1 | Antlered elk, any weapon | Sep 15 to Oct 14 | 5 | 1,251 | 100% |
| 2016 | 41 | Antlered elk, any weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 30 | 274 | 38% |
| 2017 | 41 | Antlered elk, any weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 30 | 456 | 10% |
| 2018 | 42 | Antlered elk, any weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 24 | 15 | 893 | 73% |
| 2083 | 40-1 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 24 | 150 | 729 | 16% |
| 2084 | 41 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Dec 1 to Dec 31 | 75 | 245 | 16% |
| 2123 | 40-1 | Antlered elk, archery only | Sep 15 to Oct 14 | 25 | 945 | 56% |
| 2281 | 41X | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Jan 1 to Jan 31, 2027 | 100 | 1,359 | 51% |
| 2282 | 41X | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Feb 1 to Feb 28, 2027 | 100 | 944 | 47% |
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 Owyhee elk zone?
Units 40, 41 and 42. The zone sells no general elk tag; elk are hunted here on controlled hunt tags only.
How do you hunt elk in the Owyhee 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 Owyhee Zone?
590 controlled hunt tags in 10 elk hunts in IDFG's 2026 drawing, with 9,716 first-choice applicants. In 2025, 474 hunters on those hunts took 167 elk.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and zone units: IDFG, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, page 44.
- 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 40 Unit 41 Unit 42 Idaho elk draw results General elk units