Idaho Unit 72: 2026 general elk and deer seasons
Unit 72 is in Idaho's Bannock elk zone and covers about 419 square miles, from about 5,400 to 7,000 feet. Nearest towns outside it: Soda Springs (on the line), Bancroft (on the line) and Grace (5 mi).
General elk seasons in Unit 72
Unit 72 is in the Bannock Zone (units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74). An Idaho general elk tag is bought for one zone and is either an A tag or a B tag. These are the any-weapon seasons that tag holders can hunt here.
| Tag | Season | Days | What may be taken | Capped tags (zone) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannock A | Oct 25 to Nov 15 | 22 | Antlerless elk | not capped |
A capped zone sells a set number of tags, first come, first served, for residents, nonresidents and outfitters together (brochure page 49, Note 2). Elk table: brochure page 48.
Other general elk seasons on these tags
The same zone tags also carry these seasons, which are for archery, muzzleloader or short-range weapons only, or open only on or near private land:
- A tag. Archery only: any elk, Aug 30 - Sep 30
- A tag. Muzzleloader only: antlerless only, Dec 1 - Dec 31
General deer seasons in Unit 72
The regular deer tag is good for mule deer or white-tailed deer unless the season says otherwise. These are its general any-weapon seasons in Unit 72.
| Season | Days | What may be taken |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 10 to Oct 24 | 15 | Antlered, mule deer or white-tailed deer |
Deer table: brochure page 13. The white-tailed deer tag, archery, muzzleloader and controlled deer hunts are separate and not listed here.
Rules that apply in Unit 72
- Hunting hours. Half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset (page 95).
- Scouting technology. From August 30 to December 31 Idaho law forbids thermal imaging, night vision, drones, and transmitting trail cameras on public land for hunting or scouting big game (House Bill 939 of 2026; brochure page 96).
- Private land. Idaho requires written or other lawful permission to enter private land (pages 7 and 97).
Public land in Unit 72
Measured inside IDFG's unit boundary from the BLM's national surface management data. Idaho endowment (state) land and wildlife management areas are not counted, so the land open to the public is often a little more than this. Elevation: USGS 3DEP, the 1st to 99th percentile inside the unit. Towns: OpenStreetMap.
Nonresidents: since the 2026 season, Idaho's nonresident general deer and elk tags are issued by a random draw. The application period for 2027 tags is December 5 to 15, 2026 (IDFG).
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Unit 70 Unit 71 Unit 73 Unit 73A Unit 74 All general elk units All general deer units Idaho seasons and tags
Seasons: Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (July 2026 to June 2027), with its corrections page of July 2026, which changes no deer or elk season. IDFG can change a season during the year: check idfg.idaho.gov/rules/big-game before you go.