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Read from the IDFG 2026 brochures, the Hunt Planner and the Idaho Code
Idaho Hunting
A page for each of the 99 hunting units and 28 elk zones, all 44 counties and 94 base towns, 221 public and walk-in hunting places, all 1,401 season rows and 614 controlled hunt numbers, and every one of the 40 fee rows. Each date, fee and acreage traces back to IDFG, the Idaho Legislature or a federal land manager and was checked on November 12, 2026. The photo shows Redfish Lake below the Sawtooth Wilderness peaks.
Photo: lamblukas (CC BY 2.0)
Idaho rules worth learning first
License and tag first
A resident adult hunting license is $15.75 ($12.75 with Price Lock) and a nonresident license $185.00 (as of December 1, 2024). Every big game animal needs its own tag on top.
A draw without points
Controlled hunts are drawn at random. The brochures describe no point system, so nothing builds up from one year to the next.
Orange is advised
Hunter orange is recommended, required only while hunting pheasants where the Upland Game Bird Permit is required (including IDFG properties and leases) and on sponsored hunts such as organized youth hunts; minimum 36 square inches above the waist.
Bear bait needs a permit
Bait may be used for black bear only under the brochure conditions (bait permit; no game animal, game bird, game fish or protected nongame parts; skin removed; no salt).
Sun-linked hours
Big game animals may be hunted only from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Wolf and upland game animals keep the same window; migratory birds have their own IDFG table.
Reservations are closed
Reservation and tribal trust land is closed to non-member hunting except under tribal authority and tribal permits (18 U.S.C. 1165).
Hunter education
No hunting license may be issued to a person born after January 1, 1975, unless they previously held a hunting license in Idaho or another state or show a hunter education certificate (Idaho Code 36-411).
CWD Management Zone
CWD Management Zones in Units 14, 18 and a portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Selkirk Mountains crest), as of March 2026.
Sources: Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 121; Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 109; IDFG page; Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 69; Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 96; 18 U.S.C. 1165; Idaho Code 36-411; Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 9. Data read November 11, 2026; checked: each figure matched to its brochure page November 12, 2026.
Idaho public and walk-in hunting land
Measured on the map layers, the 44 counties hold about 32,207,639 GIS acres open to state-licensed hunters: some 20,185,363 acres of national forest, 11,291,720 of BLM land, 395,061 of the Craters of the Moon National Preserve, 368,279 of IDFG wildlife management areas and 30,550 of refuge land. Endowment land adds 2,400,773 GIS acres outside that total, and 1,759,576 acres of tribal land are left out because they are closed.
| Land hub | What it holds |
|---|---|
| IDFG WMAs | 31 IDFG wildlife management areas |
| Access programs | 100 Access Yes! properties, 2 Large Tracts areas |
| National forests | 10 national forests, 40 ranger districts |
| BLM land | Districts 4, field offices 12 |
| Wildlife refuges | Refuges open under 50 CFR 32.31, 6 of them |
| Federal land | Craters preserve, Reclamation, Corps |
| State land | Endowment land, 4 open state parks |
| Tribal lands | 7 tribal rows, closed |
| Land map | Every land page pinned |
A further 37 places take no state-licensed hunting: 7 reservation and trust land rows, 6 National Park Service units and 24 state parks. The NPS part of Craters of the Moon is one of them; the BLM part of the monument and the national preserve stay open under Idaho rules.
Tile acres are the figure on each land record; county acres are measured from GIS polygons and are not official totals. Sources: 18 U.S.C. 1165; Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 63. Data read November 11, 2026; checked: each figure matched to its brochure page November 12, 2026.
Idaho hunting ground on one map
216 land pages carry a map point, the IDFG wildlife management areas, the refuges, the Large Tracts areas and the Access Yes! properties. Larger dots mark the places of 10,000 acres and up.
The Idaho unit system and its tools
| Season tool | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Hunting units | 99 unit pages in 7 regions |
| Elk zones | 28 zones with A and B tags |
| Wolf zones | 13 data analysis units |
| CWD zone | Units 14, 18 and part of 1 |
| Hunt numbers | 614 hunts by number |
| General seasons | 712 general rows |
| Season dates | 1,401 dated rows |
| Upland game | Grouse areas, pheasant, chukar |
| Waterfowl areas | Duck and goose areas |
| Furbearer trapping | Furbearer seasons by region |
| Harvest statistics | Hunt Planner, 2021 to 2025 |
IDFG writes its big game seasons by hunting unit and by controlled hunt number. Units carry no names, only numbers with an A or B on some, from Unit 1 to Unit 78. General elk tags are sold for one of 28 elk zones as an A tag or a B tag, and the zone fixes which weapons and dates go with each tag. Controlled hunts are split 228 elk, 208 deer, 94 moose, 59 pronghorn, 30 bighorn sheep, 19 mountain goat and 6 black bear.
All 99 hunting units by IDFG region
Unit regions follow the Hunt Planner unit pages; the GIS polygon for Yellowstone National Park is not a hunting unit. Sources: IDFG Hunt Planner unit page; Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 36; Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules; Moose, Sheep and Goat 2025 & 2026 brochure; IDFG map layer. Data read November 11, 2026; checked: each figure matched to its brochure page November 12, 2026.
Region by region through 44 Idaho counties
IDFG Southwest Region
· · · · · · · · ·IDFG Magic Valley Region
· · · · · · ·Headquarters in Boise (600 S. Walnut Street, (208) 334-3700) sits above the seven regions, and the Southwest Region runs two offices, Nampa and McCall. 14 counties straddle a region line; their county pages give every region with its share.
Each county is listed under the region holding most of it (the furbearer brochure lists). Sources: Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer brochure p. 31; IDFG page. Data read November 11, 2026; checked: each figure matched to its brochure page November 12, 2026.
Idaho species, 46 guides
39 pages carry season rows, from elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer to forest grouse, chukar and furbearers; 7 explain why there is no season, among them gambel's quail and mountain quail, pygmy rabbit and hen pheasant.
American coot · American crow · Badger · Beaver · Black bear · Bobcat · Canada goose · Cottontail rabbit · Ducks · Elk · Forest grouse · Gray partridge · Gray wolf · Light goose · Marten · Mink · Mountain goat · Mountain lion · Mourning dove · Muskrat · Pheasant · Quail · Red fox · Red squirrel · River otter · Sage-grouse · Sandhill crane · Scaup · Sharp-tailed grouse · Snowshoe hare · Swan · White-fronted goose · Wilsons snipe · Gambel's quail and mountain quail · Pygmy rabbit · Hen pheasant · Canada lynx · Female black bear with young · Hawks, owls, eagles · Grizzly bear
Hunt Planner 2025 harvest in eleven figures
Added up from the unit rows, general season hunters took about 36,902 deer and 13,528 elk in 2025, and controlled hunts added 7,051 deer and 6,342 elk. The bear table adds up to 2,936 bears, the lion table to 469 cats and the wolf table to 239 wolves. IDFG publishes no county harvest.
Each figure is a sum of the 2025 rows of one Hunt Planner statistics table, added up here (general deer and elk: the all-weapons rows only); IDFG estimates harvest from mandatory reports and checks. Sources: IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics; IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics. Data read November 11, 2026; checked: each figure matched to its brochure page November 12, 2026.
Idaho hunting open now
Counted from all 1,401 IDFG season rows: 478 rows covering 33 kinds of game are open on this date. Deer and elk lead because every controlled hunt number and every unit group is its own row.
Open on November 12, 2026
| Game | Rows open | First close | Last close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 191 | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Elk | 84 | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Moose | 84 | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 1, 2026 |
| Mountain lion | 32 | Jun 30, 2027 | Jun 30, 2027 |
| Mountain goat | 19 | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
| Gray wolf | 15 | Nov 14, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 |
| Black bear | 10 | Nov 30, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 |
| Canada goose | 4 | Dec 31, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 |
| American coot | 3 | Jan 15, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks | 3 | Jan 15, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Pronghorn | 3 | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Scaup | 3 | Dec 27, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Wilson's snipe | 3 | Jan 15, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Forest grouse | 2 | Dec 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Pheasant | 2 | Dec 31, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Red fox | 2 | Mar 31, 2027 | Jun 30, 2027 |
| Wild turkey | 2 | Dec 31, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| American crow | 1 | Feb 28, 2027 | Feb 28, 2027 |
| Badger | 1 | Jun 30, 2027 | Jun 30, 2027 |
| Beaver | 1 | Apr 15, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 |
| Chukar | 1 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Cottontail rabbit | 1 | Mar 31, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
| Gray partridge | 1 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Light goose | 1 | Mar 10, 2027 | Mar 10, 2027 |
| Marten | 1 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Mink | 1 | Apr 15, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 |
| Muskrat | 1 | Apr 15, 2027 | Apr 15, 2027 |
| Quail | 1 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Red squirrel | 1 | Mar 31, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
| River otter | 1 | Mar 31, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
| Snowshoe hare | 1 | Mar 31, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
| Swan | 1 | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 1, 2026 |
| White-fronted goose | 1 | Feb 15, 2027 | Feb 15, 2027 |
Next Idaho openers
| Game | Season | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Controlled: Antlered | Nov 15, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| Elk | Controlled: Muzzleloader | Nov 15, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| Gray wolf | Wolf hunting | Nov 15, 2026 | Mar 31, 2027 | |
| Deer | Controlled: Muzzleloader | Nov 16, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| Elk | Controlled: Muzzleloader | Nov 16, 2026 | Nov 30, 2026 | |
| Deer | Controlled: Extra Antlerless | Nov 19, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| Deer | Controlled: Extra Antlerless | Nov 20, 2026 | Dec 19, 2026 | |
| Deer | Muzzleloader | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | |
| Elk | A Tag | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 5, 2026 | |
| Deer | Controlled: Muzzleloader | Nov 25, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 |
Sources: Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules; Moose, Sheep and Goat 2025 & 2026 brochure; Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer brochure; Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 brochure. Data read November 11, 2026; checked: each figure matched to its brochure page November 12, 2026.
Idaho hunting events and help
From November 12, 2026 the Idaho calendar holds 68 hunting events, conservation banquets and IDFG certification classes above all, plus 49 dated shooting matches. Processors, taxidermists, outfitters, stores and IDFG offices add up to 508 directory rows.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 | 1000 Springs Super Bingo · banquet | Buhl, Twin Falls County |
| Nov 14, 2026 | IDFG Trapper Certification: Instructor-led (Idaho Falls) · class | Idaho Falls, Bonneville County |
| Nov 14, 2026 | IDFG Trapper Certification: Instructor-led (Salmon) · class | Salmon, Lemhi County |
| Nov 14, 2026 | IDFG Wolf Trapper Certification: Instructor-led (Lewiston) · class | Lewiston, Nez Perce County |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Nampa Sportsman's Super Bingo · banquet | Nampa, Canyon County |
| Nov 14, 2026 | RMEF St. Joe Chapter Banquet · banquet | St. Maries, Benewah County |
| Nov 15, 2026 | IDFG Trapper Certification: Instructor-led (Lewiston) · class | Lewiston, Nez Perce County |
| Nov 16, 2026 | IDFG Hunter Certification: Instructor-led (Pocatello) · class | Pocatello, Bannock County |
Game processors
22 Idaho butchers and lockers, several of them custom shops to phone first.
Taxidermists
61 Idaho shops for shoulder mounts, skulls and hides.
Outfitters and guides
230 rows, most of them from the IDFG layer of licensed outfitters.
Gun and bow shops
186 stores, local shops first and chains after.
IDFG offices
9 offices: Boise headquarters, seven regional offices and McCall.
Shooting ranges
75 ranges on file, 6 of them IDFG public ranges.
All Idaho hubs
- Public land221 pages
- Land mapEvery pin
- IDFG WMAs31 areas
- National forestsTen forests
- BLM landDistricts, offices
- Wildlife refugesSix refuges
- Federal landReclamation, Corps
- State landEndowment, parks
- Access programsAccess Yes!
- Tribal landsClosed
- Counties44 county guides
- Base towns94 pages
- Species46 pages
- Season dates1,401 rows
- Hunting units99 pages
- Elk zones28 zones
- Wolf zones13 zones
- CWD zoneTesting units
- Hunt numbers614 hunts
- General seasonsResident tags
- Upland gameGrouse, chukar
- Waterfowl areasDucks, geese
- Furbearer trappingBy region
- Harvest statistics2021-2025
- EventsBanquets, classes
- Shooting rangesClubs, public
- Shooting eventsMatches
- Range gearPacking list
- Hunting servicesFive lists
- License prices40 rows
- Hunting lawsTitle 36
- Controlled hunt drawRandom
- Shooting hours44 counties
- Youth, veteransJunior hunts
- Trophy recordsAntler data
Idaho hunting questions
Which Idaho units sit inside the CWD Management Zone?
CWD Management Zones in Units 14, 18 and a portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Selkirk Mountains crest), as of March 2026. Units 64 and 69 added to mandatory deer testing for 2026; Units 24 and 32A removed after two consecutive years with no detections.
Can an Idaho tag be used on the Nez Perce or Fort Hall reservation?
Not by a non-member. Reservation and tribal trust land is closed to non-member hunting except under tribal authority and tribal permits (18 U.S.C. 1165).
When is blaze orange mandatory for Idaho hunters?
Hunter orange is recommended, required only while hunting pheasants where the Upland Game Bird Permit is required (including IDFG properties and leases) and on sponsored hunts such as organized youth hunts; minimum 36 square inches above the waist.
Which part of Idaho runs on Pacific Time?
Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties are on Pacific Time and the other counties on Mountain Time, except Idaho County, which the Salmon River splits between the two.
How many Idaho hunting places get their own page here?
221: 31 IDFG wildlife management areas, 6 national wildlife refuges, 2 Large Tracts areas and 100 Access Yes! properties. National forests, BLM districts and field offices, the open state parks and the Craters of the Moon preserve are sections on county pages and the public land hub.
Are Idaho big game seasons set county by county?
No. IDFG sets them by hunting unit (99 units) and by controlled hunt number, and general elk tags by elk zone. County pages show each unit a county takes in and how much of it.
Which Idaho tags can a resident buy without applying?
General season deer, elk (A/B zone tags, some capped), black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and turkey tags are sold over the counter to residents; capped elk zone tags go on sale July 8 (Sawtooth July 10).
How do A and B elk tags work in Idaho?
Each of the 28 elk zones sells general tags as an A tag, a B tag or both; the tag fixes the weapon and the dates in that zone. 26 zones have A tag rows and 21 have B tag rows in the 2026 brochure.
Under what conditions may an Idaho bear hunter use bait?
Bait may be used for black bear only under the brochure conditions (bait permit; no game animal, game bird, game fish or protected nongame parts; skin removed; no salt).
What do Idaho residents pay for a general elk tag?
$36.75 for an adult resident ($30.75 with Price Lock), on top of the $15.75 hunting license; a nonresident elk tag is $651.75 (as of December 1, 2024).
Plan an Idaho season
Start from a unit for its hunt numbers, general seasons and 2025 harvest, from a county for its units, land and tribal boundaries, or from a town for the nearest wildlife management area, store and range.
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