Panhandle elk zone, Idaho: tags, units and elk harvest
The Panhandle Zone covers units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9. Its tags are not capped for residents. General-season hunters took 2,381 elk in its units in 2025, by IDFG's unit harvest figures. In the 2026 nonresident draw, 657 of 965 first-choice applicants drew an A tag and 1,092 of 1,430 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 Panhandle Zone elk hunt
| Units | 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 9 |
|---|---|
| Tags | A tag and B tag |
| General-season elk harvest, 2025 | 2,381 (all weapons, sum of IDFG's unit figures) |
| Controlled elk hunts, 2026 | 11 |
| Wildlife management areas | Boundary-Smith Creek, McArthur Lake, Pend Oreille, Farragut, Coeur d'Alene River, Snow Peak |
When are the Panhandle Zone elk seasons in 2026?
The Panhandle 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 | Oct 25 to Oct 29 | 5 | Any weapon: antlered elk |
| A | Archery only: antlered only, Aug 30 - Sep 30 | ||
| A | Archery only: any elk, on or within 1 mile of private land in Units 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 and 6, Sep 15 - Sep 21 | ||
| A | Muzzleloader only: antlered only, Units 4, 7 and 9, Nov 15 - Dec 1 | ||
| A | Muzzleloader only: antlerless only, on or within 1 mile of private land in Units 1, 2, 3, 4A and 5, Dec 2 - Dec 8 | ||
| A | Archery only: antlered only, Dec 10 - Dec 16 | ||
| B | Oct 10 to Oct 24 | 15 | Any weapon: antlered elk |
| B | Archery only: antlered only, Sep 6 - Sep 12 | ||
| B | Muzzleloader only: antlerless only, on or within 1 mile of private land in Units 1, 2, 3, 4A and 5, Dec 2 - Dec 8 |
Seasons: IDFG, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, zone table on page 37; 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 Panhandle Zone tags are there?
Residents buy Panhandle 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 | 657 | 71 | not capped | not capped | 657 of 965 (68%) |
| B tag | 1,092 | 79 | not capped | not capped | 1,092 of 1,430 (76%) |
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 Panhandle 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 | 2,381 | 1,628 | 527 | 223 |
| 2024 | 2,449 | 1,574 | 602 | 268 |
| 2023 | 2,563 | 1,830 | 537 | 196 |
| 2022 | 2,292 | 1,483 | 527 | 282 |
| 2021 | 2,327 | 1,661 | 457 | 207 |
| 2020 | 2,754 | 2,050 | 517 | 186 |
| 2019 | 2,801 | 2,177 | 428 | 195 |
| Unit | Elk harvested, 2025 | Hunters, 2025 | Success | Bulls with 6+ points | Elk harvested, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 398 | 4,390 | 9% | 22% | 456 |
| 2 | 81 | 1,466 | 6% | 24% | 118 |
| 3 | 275 | 2,982 | 9% | 12% | 272 |
| 4 | 508 | 5,152 | 10% | 18% | 473 |
| 4A | 54 | 758 | 7% | 10% | 68 |
| 5 | 369 | 2,166 | 17% | 14% | 423 |
| 6 | 589 | 3,685 | 16% | 16% | 544 |
| 7 | 78 | 600 | 13% | 16% | 73 |
| 9 | 29 | 252 | 12% | 39% | 22 |
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 Panhandle Zone?
| Hunt | Area | Take and weapon | Season 2026 | Tags | First-choice applicants | 2025 success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2046 | 1-1 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Aug 1 to Dec 31 | 100 | 545 | 37% |
| 2047 | 3-1 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Aug 1 to Dec 31 | 50 | 291 | 68% |
| 2048 | 3-2 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Aug 1 to Dec 31 | 50 | 213 | 57% |
| 2049 | 5-1 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 31 | 200 | 599 | 51% |
| 2109 | 1-2 | Antlered or antlerless elk, any weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 1 | 25 | 1,760 | 70% |
| 2146 | 1 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1 | 25 | 70 | 69% |
| 2147 | 2 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1 | 25 | 29 | 18% |
| 2148 | 3 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1 | 25 | 65 | 61% |
| 2149 | 4 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1 | 25 | 124 | 86% |
| 2150 | 5 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1 | 25 | 34 | 32% |
| 2151 | 6 | Antlerless elk, any weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1 | 25 | 118 | 80% |
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 Panhandle elk zone capped?
No. The Panhandle Zone's tags are not capped for residents in 2026. Nonresidents get general elk tags through the nonresident draw, with 657 A tags and 1,092 B tags for nonresidents and outfitter tags set aside.
Which units are in the Panhandle elk zone?
Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9. 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 Panhandle Zone?
IDFG's unit figures add up to 2,381 elk taken in general seasons in units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9 in 2025, against 2,449 in 2024. Controlled elk hunts in the zone added 261 in 2025.
How hard is it for a nonresident to draw an elk tag in the Panhandle Zone?
In IDFG's 2026 nonresident draw, 657 of 965 first-choice applicants drew an A tag for the zone (68%), and 1,092 of 1,430 drew a B tag (76%). The next draw's first application period is December 5 to 15, 2026.
Get your free Idaho plan
FilledTag plans Idaho's general elk and deer seasons: a specific, legal place to park, camp and sit for your tag and your dates, with the walks between them, checked against land records. The first 50 Idaho plans are free, one per hunter, for hunters who hold or will hold an Idaho general elk or deer tag. Every Idaho plan is looked over by a person before it is sent.
Get your free Idaho plan for unit 1 See a real plan
Not ready to order yet? Leave your email and you get one email when paid Idaho plans open, if the free ones have gone by then.
Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and zone units: IDFG, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, page 37.
- 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 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 4A Unit 5 Unit 6 Unit 7 Unit 9 Idaho elk draw results General elk units