Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 39
Elmore County · Boise River Zone
Idaho Unit 39: controlled hunts and general seasons
Unit 39 takes in 1,564,124 acres by the Hunt Planner, parts of Elmore County, Boise County and Ada County, with 14 controlled hunt numbers and 20 general season rows for 2026-27.
Photo: Argyleist (CC BY 2.0)
Unit 39 by county
The Hunt Planner measures Unit 39 at 1,564,124 acres, and 53% of it lies in Elmore County by the IDFG Game Units layer. The boundary text names Ada, Boise and Elmore, and the GIS overlay below sizes each piece both ways.
| County | Part of unit | Part of county | Text names it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elmore County | 53% | 42% | Yes |
| Boise County | 39% | 50% | Yes |
| Ada County | 8% | 17% | Yes |
Regional staff in Nampa look after Unit 39, along with 17 other units in the Southwest Region.
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 39 zones at a glance
- For elk, IDFG groups Unit 39 into the Boise River Zone (2 units in all).
- Wolf zone: Sawtooth. Wolf hunting and trapping lines here split by public and private land.
- CWD rules in 2026 cover Units 14, 18 and part of 1, with testing also in 23, 63A, 64 and 69, not Unit 39.
More on the zone: Boise River 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 39 drawn tags by species
Unit 39 sits inside 14 controlled hunt areas, 6 elk, 4 deer, 3 pronghorn and 1 mountain goat. 13 hunts are limited to Unit 39 alone.
Controlled tags must be bought by August 1, and leftover tags go on sale August 25 at ten in the morning, Mountain Time. Moose, sheep and goat rows use the two-year 2025 & 2026 brochure with the 2026 year applied.
A young mule deer buck stepping out of green brush
Deer, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1030 | 39 | Any Weapon | Aug 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 200 | Only here | p. 23 | — |
Deer, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1072 | 39-2 | Archery | Nov 16 to Dec 16, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 60 | Only here | p. 24 | Either sex, Roads on Boise River WMA closed to motorized travel |
Deer, outfitter allocated (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1168 | 39 | Any Weapon | Aug 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 30 | — |
Deer, youth only – extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1113 | 39-1X | Any Weapon | Dec 1 to Dec 22, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | Only here | p. 26 | — |
Elk, antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2081 | 39-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 650 | Only here | p. 53 | — |
| 2082 | 39-2 | Any Weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 500 | 33, 39 | p. 53 | — |
Elk, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2122 | 39 | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 55 | Antlered only, Caution archers and muzzleloaders: An “any weapon” hunt will be open at the same time in this hunt area. |
Elk, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2113 | 39-3 | Any Weapon | Oct 27 to Nov 9, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 54 | Very limited access |
Elk, muzzleloader (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2134 | 39 | Muzzleloader | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 55 | Antlered only, Caution archers and muzzleloaders: An “any weapon” |
| 2135 | 39 | Muzzleloader | Sep 8 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 550 | Only here | p. 55 | Antlerless only, Caution archers and muzzleloaders: An “any weapon” |
Pronghorn, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4007 | 39 | Any Weapon | Sep 25 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 40 | Only here | p. 64 | — |
Pronghorn, youth only (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4051 | 39 | Archery | Aug 15 to Sep 15, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 5 | Only here | p. 67 | Either sex, Archery only |
| 4052 | 39 | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Dec 31, 2026 | Doe or Fawn | 25 | Only here | p. 67 | Doe or Fawn only |
Mountain goat, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6015 | 39 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 12, 2026 | Either-sex | 1 | Only here | p. 26 | — |
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.
General tags that work in Unit 39
The 20 general rows for Unit 39 below are the hunts you can buy into without applying. Mark October 10, 2026 for the general any-weapon deer opener in Unit 39.
Deer (6)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Muzzleloader | Sep 8 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Nov 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | Part of unit | Part of unit CLOSED | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Nov 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | Part of unit | Portion of Unit closed. Archers caution: An "any weapon" hunt will be open at the same time in this unit. |
Elk (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Nov 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | Part of unit | Unit 39 Archery Hunt CLOSED Area: That portion of Unit 39 within Ada County, and that portion of Unit 39 within the following Boundary: Beginning at the intersection of State HWY 21 and the Middle Fork Boise River RD (Forest Road 268), east on Forest Road | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 27 to Nov 9, 2026 | Antlered | Part of unit | Portion of Unit CLOSED: That portion of Unit 39 south and east of Blacks Cr Rd and south of the South Fork of the Boise River is closed. |
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 | 34, 35, 36, 39 | Dogs prohibited: Oct 5 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 34, 35, 36, 39 | Dogs prohibited: Oct 5 – 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 | This unit | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 5 – Nov 9; 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 | 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 | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 21 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Sep 10 to Nov 14, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | This unit | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | This unit | — |
Wild turkey (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | — | Aug 30 to Oct 9, 2026 | Either sex | 22, 31, 32, 32A, 33, 39 | — | |
| 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. |
Boise River zone tags split into 1 A and 1 B lines for Unit 39.
Boise River Zone general elk (4)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 39 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Nov 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | No |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Spike | — | No |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 27 to Nov 9, 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.
Unit 39 success rates and harvest
General deer, all weapons combined, 2025: 2,145 taken by 10,929 hunters in Unit 39, a 20% success rate.
General elk hunters numbered 4,238 and took 537 elk (13%).
Hunt Planner 2025, other species: 186 black bear, 17 mountain lion, 14 gray wolf and 542 spring turkey.
Controlled hunt rows are matched to this unit through the 2026 hunt number.
General season 2025, by weapon
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 2,000 | 9,435 | 21% | 43,369 | 1,731 | 269 |
| Deer, Archery | 76 | 1,190 | 6% | 4,697 | 17 | 59 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 70 | 304 | 23% | 1,612 | 5 | 65 |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 2,145 | 10,929 | 20% | 49,679 | 1,753 | 393 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 528 | 3,990 | 13% | 18,660 | 519 | 9 |
| Elk, Archery | 9 | 243 | 4% | 1,304 | 8 | 1 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 0 | 6 | 0% | 24 | — | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 537 | 4,238 | 13% | 19,988 | 527 | 10 |
Results by season
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,679 | 420 | 222 | 37 | 13 | 312 |
| 2022 | 2,019 | 456 | 238 | 25 | 11 | 409 |
| 2023 | 1,867 | 580 | 207 | 18 | 8 | 556 |
| 2024 | 1,990 | 587 | 218 | 18 | 18 | 560 |
| 2025 | 2,145 | 537 | 186 | 17 | 14 | 542 |
Controlled hunts in this unit (14)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1030 | Deer | 130 | 144 | 58 | 58 | 72 | 167 | 43% |
| 1072 | Deer | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 4% |
| 1168 | Deer | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 1113 | Deer | 31 | 33 | 15 | 10 | 51 | 74 | 69% |
| 2081 | Elk | 26 | 36 | 32 | 40 | 97 | 551 | 18% |
| 2082 | Elk | 14 | 28 | 17 | 30 | 98 | 429 | 23% |
| 2122 | Elk | 10 | 12 | 12 | 23 | 14 | 49 | 29% |
| 2113 | Elk | 123 | 112 | 122 | 170 | 16 | 44 | 36% |
| 2134 | Elk | 16 | 22 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 44 | 36% |
| 2135 | Elk | 76 | 70 | 2 | 4 | 77 | 508 | 15% |
| 4007 | Pronghorn | 39 | 44 | 29 | 38 | 29 | 38 | 76% |
| 4051 | Pronghorn | 4 | 11 | 20 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0% |
| 4052 | Pronghorn | 4 | 14 | — | — | 10 | 20 | 50% |
| 6015 | Mountain goat | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
White-tailed deer moving through autumn woods
IDFG Hunt Planner harvest statistics 2021-2025 (2025 pages linked): general deer, general elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, turkey, controlled deer, controlled elk, controlled pronghorn, controlled mountain goat; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Land records in Unit 39
These 13 land records share ground with Unit 39; open each for access dates, vehicle rules and parking.
Closed ground in the counties Unit 39 reaches (not necessarily inside the unit): Eagle Island State Park, Lucky Peak State Park and Three Island Crossing State Park.
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.
Around Unit 39
Base camp choices start with Idaho City, Robie Creek and Boise, each linked to its own town page.
- Idaho CityIn unit · Boise County
- Robie CreekIn unit · Boise County
- BoiseWithin 10 mi · Ada County
- MeridianWithin 10 mi · Ada County
- EagleWithin 10 mi · Ada County
- Mountain HomeWithin 10 mi · Elmore County
- Horseshoe BendWithin 10 mi · Boise County
- LowmanWithin 10 mi · Boise County
Alpine meadow of red paintbrush and white wildflowers
County neighbours of Unit 39, ranked by how close their centres sit:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 35 | Boise | Sawtooth | 76 | 5 |
| Unit 38 | Ada, Elmore | Boise River | 246 | 7 |
| Unit 33 | Boise | Sawtooth | 296 | 5 |
| Unit 32 | Ada, Boise | Weiser River | 886 | 4 |
| Unit 43 | Elmore | Smoky-Bennett | 1,056 | 9 |
| Unit 44 | Elmore | Smoky-Bennett | 0 | 18 |
| Unit 45 | Elmore | Smoky-Bennett | 9 | 17 |
| Unit 32A | Boise | Weiser River | 430 | 12 |
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 39 shooting light by date
Migratory bird hours follow a separate IDFG table in the migratory brochure, so ducks, geese and doves are not timed in this Unit 39 table.
| Date | Marker | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 6:31 a.m. MT | 9:08 p.m. MT | 6:01 a.m. MT to 9:38 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 7:04 a.m. MT | 8:25 p.m. MT | 6:34 a.m. MT to 8:55 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:21 a.m. MT | 7:56 p.m. MT | 6:51 a.m. MT to 8:26 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:50 a.m. MT | 7:10 p.m. MT | 7:20 a.m. MT to 7:40 p.m. MT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 8:01 a.m. MT | 6:55 p.m. MT | 7:31 a.m. MT to 7:25 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 8:13 a.m. MT | 5:09 p.m. MT | 7:43 a.m. MT to 5:39 p.m. MT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 7:02 a.m. MT | 8:25 p.m. MT | 6:32 a.m. MT to 8:55 p.m. MT |
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 (Mountain Time); migratory bird hours: IDFG migratory bird table; checked November 12, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Unit 39 FAQ
How many land records touch Unit 39?
13.
What town works as a base camp for Unit 39?
Idaho City, Robie Creek, Boise and Meridian.
Where is the nearest IDFG office to Unit 39?
Nampa, 15950 N. Gate Blvd.
How much of Unit 39 is Elmore ground?
53% of the unit, which works out to 42% of that county.
How many general elk lines reach Unit 39?
2, all on Boise River Zone tags.
What can I draw for Unit 39?
6 elk, 4 deer, 3 pronghorn and 1 mountain goat hunts.
Does a white-tailed deer tag work in Unit 39?
Yes.
How many deer came out of Unit 39 in 2025?
2,145 on general tags, all weapons combined.
How many bears were taken in Unit 39 in 2025?
186.
Which wolf zone is Unit 39 in?
Sawtooth, one of 13 IDFG wolf zones.
Which CWD rule touches Unit 39 in 2026?
None written for this unit.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); Katja Schulz (CC BY 2.0).