Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 8
2026-27 · Clearwater Region
Unit 8 tags, seasons and 2025 harvest
Latah, Nez Perce and Clearwater: 3 drawn hunts, 6 species on general tags and 24 land records touching Unit 8.
Photo: Robert Ashworth (CC BY 2.0)
Unit 8 size, region and office
Unit 8 spans 490,436 acres of the IDFG Clearwater Region, with Latah County holding 75% of the unit on the county overlay. Unit lines follow ridges, rivers and roads, so Unit 8 reaches 3 counties; the table gives each share of the unit and of the county.
| In county | % of unit | % of county | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latah County | 75% | 53% | Yes |
| Nez Perce County | 24% | 21% | Yes |
| Clearwater County | 1% | 0.4% | Yes |
Call the Clearwater Region Office ((208) 799-5010) for road, fire or access news in Unit 8.
Region, elk zone and boundary counties from the IDFG Hunt Planner unit page; acreage from the Hunt Planner hunt page; shares from the IDFG Game Units layer over Census county lines (GIS measures); office from the IDFG offices page; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Zones and rules in Unit 8
- Palouse Zone tags cover Unit 8 and 2 neighbouring units; the A tag and the B tag carry different weapons and dates.
- For wolf data IDFG files Unit 8 under Palouse – Hells Canyon; the season table below lists each land type separately.
- The 2026 CWD lists leave out Unit 8.
Zone page: Palouse Zone · Wolf zones · CWD Management Zone
Elk zone from the Hunt Planner unit page and elk zone list; wolf zone from the IDFG Wolf Zones layer; CWD: CWD rules, Big Game 2026 p. 9; 2026 CWD changes; checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 8 draw list
Apply for any of these 3 hunts to carry a controlled tag in Unit 8; tag counts total 133, though multi-unit hunts spread them wider. Hunt 2051 carries the most tags here, 100.
Moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat applications close April 30, spring bear runs January 15 to February 15. Moose, sheep and goat: 2026 hunts, 2025 & 2026 brochure dates.
Ruffed grouse in the woods
Elk, antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2050 | 8-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 20 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless | 25 | 8, 8A | p. 52 | — |
| 2051 | 8-2 | Any Weapon | Oct 20 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | 8, 8A | p. 52 | — |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3028 | 8 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 8 | Only here | p. 9 | — |
Hunt numbers, dates, bags and 2026 tags from the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules and the Moose, Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat 2025 and 2026 brochure (page links per row); units and notes from each Hunt Planner hunt page; draw periods from the brochure draw rules; checked November 12, 2026.
Over-the-counter seasons in Unit 8
Besides drawn tags, Unit 8 has 21 general lines covering deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and wild turkey. Any-weapon deer in Unit 8: 2 lines, the earliest opening October 10, 2026.
Deer (5)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Unit 8 has very limited access because of few roads and private property. | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 3, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Unit 8 has very limited access because of private property. | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Very limited access because of private property | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Very limited access because of private property | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Very limited access because of private property. |
Elk (4)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Sep 15, 2026 | Antlerless | 8, 8A, 11A | On or within 1 mile of private agricultural lands | |
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 8, 8A, 11A | Any weapon hunts will be open during the archery or muzzleloader season. | |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 14, 2026 | Antlerless | 8, 11A | Units 8 and 11A only on or within 1 mile of private agricultural lands | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | 8, 8A, 11A | — |
Black bear (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Any weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 31, 2026 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | This unit | Dogs prohibited: Aug 30 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – Oct 31; Apr 15 -Apr 30 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to May 31, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | This unit | Dogs prohibited: Aug 30 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – Oct 31; Apr 15 -Apr 30 |
Mountain lion (1)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lion tag | Any weapon | Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027 | One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected | 8, 11A | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 10 – Dec 1; Apr 1 – June 30 |
Gray wolf (6)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting, private land | Hunting | Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | Statewide | — | |
| Hunting, public land | Hunting | Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 38 units | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Jul 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 38 units | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 38 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Jul 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 38 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 38 units | — |
Wild turkey (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | — | Aug 30 to Dec 31, 2026 | Either sex | 25 units | Unit 28 only downstream from the Hat Creek drainage. | |
| Spring | — | Apr 15 to May 25, 2027 | Male or bearded turkey | 45 units | — | |
| Spring youth | — | Apr 8 to Apr 14, 2027 | Male or bearded turkey | 45 units | Unit 2 except Farragut State Park and WMA; Unit 32 except the Payette County portion. 2026 & 2027 brochure: same dates in 2027. |
A tag lines here: 3. B tag lines: 1. 2 wolf trapping lines ending before July 2026 are not shown.
All Palouse Zone lines (6)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Sep 15, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 5, 2026 | Antlerless or Spike | — | No |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 14, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 6 to Dec 14, 2026 | Spike | — | No |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
Season rows from the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, wolf) and the Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 and 2027 brochure (turkey), with unit lists from the Hunt Planner; over-the-counter sales from the brochure; checked November 12, 2026.
Five seasons in Unit 8
In 2025, 1,797 general season deer hunters took 545 deer in Unit 8, all weapons combined (30% success).
Elk success ran 25% in 2025 (284 of 1,149 hunters).
For the predators and turkey, 2025 reads 17 black bear, 6 mountain lion and 408 spring turkey.
Figures are IDFG Hunt Planner statistics, copied as printed.
2025 general deer and elk by take method
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 538 | 1,709 | 31% | 10,371 | 404 | 134 |
| Deer, Archery | 7 | 78 | 9% | 596 | 7 | — |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 0 | 10 | 0% | 24 | — | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 545 | 1,797 | 30% | 10,991 | 411 | 134 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 248 | 822 | 30% | 4,099 | 174 | 74 |
| Elk, Archery | 21 | 210 | 10% | 1,482 | 15 | 6 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 15 | 117 | 13% | 365 | — | 15 |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 284 | 1,149 | 25% | 5,945 | 189 | 95 |
Five-year record
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 856 | 244 | 17 | 3 | — | 401 |
| 2022 | 800 | 180 | 21 | 9 | — | 256 |
| 2023 | 1,023 | 247 | 23 | 5 | — | 342 |
| 2024 | 936 | 260 | 26 | 5 | — | 366 |
| 2025 | 545 | 284 | 17 | 6 | — | 408 |
Controlled harvest by hunt (3)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2050 | Elk | 70 | 73 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 40% |
| 2051 | Elk | 16 | 17 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 92 | 38% |
| 3028 | Moose | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 88% |
White-tailed deer fawn in tall grass
IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics 2021-2025 (2025 pages linked): general deer, general elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, turkey, controlled elk, controlled moose; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Mapped ground inside Unit 8
Public and walk-in ground in Unit 8: 24 records, the ones that sit only in this unit listed first. The remaining 9 are broad records covering many units.
County-level closures near Unit 8: Nez Perce National Historical Park, Dworshak State Park, Hells Gate State Park, Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park and Nez Perce Reservation.
Land records and their units from IDFG, USFS, BLM, USFWS and IDL sources (see each land page); closed places from the Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules and 18 U.S.C. 1165 for tribal land; checked November 12, 2026.
Near Unit 8
Moscow is the largest town within Unit 8, with Lewiston, Orofino and Potlatch close by.
- MoscowIn unit · Latah County
- LewistonWithin 10 mi · Nez Perce County
- OrofinoWithin 10 mi · Clearwater County
- PotlatchWithin 10 mi · Latah County
A path through green grass and pines toward Troy in the Palouse
These units take in part of the same county ground as Unit 8:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 8A | Clearwater, Latah, Nez Perce | Palouse | 1,548 | 4 |
| Unit 11 | Nez Perce | Hells Canyon | 604 | 7 |
| Unit 10A | Clearwater | Dworshak | 2,844 | 9 |
| Unit 11A | Clearwater, Nez Perce | Palouse | 285 | 6 |
| Unit 6 | Clearwater, Latah | Panhandle | 1,559 | 7 |
| Unit 10 | Clearwater | Lolo | 84 | 7 |
| Unit 12 | Clearwater | Lolo | 57 | 5 |
Towns and their units from places.json (Census places joined to the IDFG Game Units layer); 2025 deer from the Hunt Planner; checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 8 sunrise and shooting times
Every time in the Unit 8 table carries its zone, because north Idaho runs on Pacific Time and the rest of the state on Mountain Time.
| Day | Note | Sunup | Sundown | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 5:27 a.m. PT | 8:21 p.m. PT | 4:57 a.m. PT to 8:51 p.m. PT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:03 a.m. PT | 7:33 p.m. PT | 5:33 a.m. PT to 8:03 p.m. PT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 6:24 a.m. PT | 7:02 p.m. PT | 5:54 a.m. PT to 7:32 p.m. PT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 6:56 a.m. PT | 6:12 p.m. PT | 6:26 a.m. PT to 6:42 p.m. PT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:09 a.m. PT | 5:55 p.m. PT | 6:39 a.m. PT to 6:25 p.m. PT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:29 a.m. PT | 4:02 p.m. PT | 6:59 a.m. PT to 4:32 p.m. PT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:02 a.m. PT | 7:34 p.m. PT | 5:32 a.m. PT to 8:04 p.m. PT |
Hours rule from the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (wolf and upland game animals: same rule, wolf, upland); time zone from 49 CFR 71.9; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Pacific Time); migratory bird hours: IDFG migratory bird table; checked November 12, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Unit 8 questions
Which IDFG office covers Unit 8?
Clearwater Region Office.
What is the nearest town on this site to Unit 8?
Moscow.
Does the Palouse elk tag cover Unit 8?
Yes. Unit 8 is one of 3 units in that zone.
How many acres does the Hunt Planner give Unit 8?
490,436 acres, most of them in Latah County.
How many general deer lines does Unit 8 have?
5.
Which hunt in Unit 8 has the most tags?
Hunt 2051, with 100 tags.
When is bear season in Unit 8?
Fall August 30, 2026 to October 31, 2026; spring April 15, 2027 to May 31, 2027.
Is Unit 8 a good unit?
Judge by the numbers: 545 general deer in 2025 and 284 elk.
What is the chronic wasting disease status of Unit 8?
Outside both the 2026 zone and the testing list.
Do I need a different wolf tag for Unit 8?
Wolf lines here use the gray wolf tag; trapping also needs the trapping license.
Is any national forest in Unit 8?
Yes, 3 Forest Service records.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: GerryT (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Robert Ashworth (CC BY 2.0).