Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 16A
Clearwater Region · 1 controlled hunt
Unit 16A tags, seasons and 2025 harvest
Idaho: 1 drawn hunt, 6 species on general tags and 3 land records touching Unit 16A.
Photo: Aaron (CC BY 2.0)
Where Unit 16A lies
Unit 16A spans 178,773 acres of the IDFG Clearwater Region, with Idaho County holding 100% of the unit on the county overlay. Idaho County holds all of Unit 16A; seen from the county side, the unit is 3% of its land.
| In county | % of unit | % of county | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho County | 100% | 3% | Yes |
Call the Clearwater Region Office ((208) 799-5010) for road, fire or access news in Unit 16A.
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.
Unit 16A tag zones and disease rules
- Selway Zone tags cover Unit 16A and 3 neighbouring units; the A tag and the B tag carry different weapons and dates.
- For wolf data IDFG files Unit 16A under Selway; the season table below lists each land type separately.
- The 2026 CWD lists leave out Unit 16A.
Zone page: Selway 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 16A draw list
One controlled hunt reaches Unit 16A in 2026: hunt 5004, bighorn sheep, with 2 tags. Multi-unit hunt.
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.
A bighorn sheep ram on a rocky slope with ewes behind
Bighorn sheep, ram (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5004 | 20 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 2 | 16A, 17, 20, 21 | p. 19 | — |
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.
Unit 16A general seasons
Besides drawn tags, Unit 16A has 18 general lines covering deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and wild turkey. Any-weapon deer in Unit 16A: 2 lines, the earliest opening September 15, 2026.
Deer (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Nov 20, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Second deer tag may not be used. | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Nov 20, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Second white-tailed deer tag may not be used. |
Elk (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 16A, 17, 19, 20 | — | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 16A, 17, 19, 20 | — | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 11, 2026 | Antlered | 16A, 17, 19, 20 | — |
Black bear (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Any weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 30, 2026 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 16A, 17, 19, 20 | Dogs prohibited: Apr 15 – Apr 30; Sep 15 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 1 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 16A, 17, 19, 20 | Dogs prohibited: Apr 15 – Apr 30; Sep 15 – Oct 31 |
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 | 16A, 17, 19, 20 | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Sep 15 – Oct 31 |
Gray wolf (7)
| 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 | Apr 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 39 units | — | |
| Hunting, public land | Hunting | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 39 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 Oct 9, 2026 | Either sex | 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19, 20 | — | |
| 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: 1. B tag lines: 2. 2 wolf trapping lines ending before July 2026 are not shown.
All Selway Zone lines (3)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 16A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 647 | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 1,067 | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 11, 2026 | Antlered | 1,067 | 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.
How hunters did in Unit 16A
In 2025, 109 general season deer hunters took 29 deer in Unit 16A, all weapons combined (27% success).
Elk success ran 12% in 2025 (24 of 208 hunters).
For the predators and turkey, 2025 reads 4 black bear and 0 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 | 29 | 109 | 27% | 682 | 26 | 3 |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 29 | 109 | 27% | 682 | 26 | 3 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 24 | 207 | 12% | 1,299 | 24 | — |
| Elk, Archery | 0 | 1 | 0% | 4 | — | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 24 | 208 | 12% | 1,302 | 24 | 0 |
Five-year record
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29 | 26 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 24 | 26 | 16 | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | 36 | 24 | 7 | — | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | 32 | 16 | 9 | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 29 | 24 | 4 | — | — | 0 |
A young mule deer buck stepping out of green brush
IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics 2021-2025 (2025 pages linked): general deer, general elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, turkey; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Public land across Unit 16A
Public and walk-in ground in Unit 16A: 3 records, the ones that sit only in this unit listed first.
County-level closures near Unit 16A: Nez Perce National Historical Park, Glade Creek 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 16A
Elk City sits within 10 miles of Unit 16A, which has no town of its own on our list.
- Elk CityWithin 10 mi · Idaho County
Whitewater of Double Drop Rapid on a forested river canyon
These units take in part of the same county ground as Unit 16A:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 13 | Idaho | Hells Canyon | 208 | 6 |
| Unit 17 | Idaho | Selway | 155 | 2 |
| Unit 19 | Idaho | Selway | 103 | 1 |
| Unit 20 | Idaho | Selway | 102 | 2 |
| Unit 15 | Idaho | Elk City | 973 | 1 |
| Unit 12 | Idaho | Lolo | 57 | 5 |
| Unit 20A | Idaho | Middle Fork | 35 | 5 |
| Unit 19A | Idaho | McCall | 110 | 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 16A sunrise windows by time zone
Two clocks apply around Unit 16A, so each date shows the half-hour window in Pacific and in Mountain Time from the NOAA formula.
| Date | Marker | Pacific (open, close) | Mountain (open, close) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 4:54 a.m. PT 8:43 p.m. PT | 5:54 a.m. MT 9:43 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 5:29 a.m. PT 7:57 p.m. PT | 6:29 a.m. MT 8:57 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener and general deer opener | 5:49 a.m. PT 7:26 p.m. PT | 6:49 a.m. MT 8:26 p.m. MT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 6:32 a.m. PT 6:21 p.m. PT | 7:32 a.m. MT 7:21 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:50 a.m. PT 4:29 p.m. PT | 7:50 a.m. MT 5:29 p.m. MT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 5:28 a.m. PT 7:57 p.m. PT | 6:28 a.m. MT 8:57 p.m. MT |
Hours rule from the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules; time zones from 49 CFR 71.9; sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula; migratory bird hours: IDFG table; checked November 12, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Unit 16A questions
How many acres does the Hunt Planner give Unit 16A?
178,773 acres, most of them in Idaho County.
Who do I call about access in Unit 16A?
The Lewiston office at (208) 799-5010.
How many controlled hunts include Unit 16A?
1: 1 bighorn sheep.
Does the Selway elk tag cover Unit 16A?
Yes. Unit 16A is one of 4 units in that zone.
Does IDFG publish harvest for Unit 16A?
Yes, by unit and by hunt on the Hunt Planner, 2021 to 2025 here.
How many general deer lines does Unit 16A have?
2.
Do I need a different wolf tag for Unit 16A?
Wolf lines here use the gray wolf tag; trapping also needs the trapping license.
Is there spring bear hunting in Unit 16A?
Yes, April 1, 2027 to June 30, 2027.
Is any national forest in Unit 16A?
Yes, 3 Forest Service records.
What is the chronic wasting disease status of Unit 16A?
Outside both the 2026 zone and the testing list.
Where are rooms and meals closest to Unit 16A?
Elk City.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: daveynin (CC BY 2.0); Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0); Zachary Collier (CC BY 2.0).