Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 63
Wolf zone Southern Idaho · Upper Snake
Hunting Unit 63 in Idaho
Everything IDFG prints for Unit 63: 13 hunt numbers, 19 general rows and 2021 to 2025 results across Jefferson, Bingham and Butte and more.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Mapping Unit 63
Read on the Hunt Planner, Unit 63 runs to 1,285,490 acres; the GIS overlay puts 38% of that ground in Jefferson County. 5 counties meet inside Unit 63. By area the split runs Jefferson 38%, Bingham 20%, Butte 20%, Bonneville 15% and Clark 7%.
| County piece | Unit % | County % | Boundary text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 38% | 69% | Yes |
| Bingham County | 20% | 19% | Yes |
| Butte County | 20% | 18% | Yes |
| Bonneville County | 15% | 16% | Yes |
| Clark County | 7% | 8% | Yes |
The IDFG Upper Snake Region runs Unit 63; its nearest desk for the unit is the Upper Snake Region Office in Idaho Falls.
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 63 tag zones and disease rules
- Buy the Snake River A or B tag for general elk in Unit 63; the zone also holds 1 other unit.
- Unit 63 counts toward the Southern Idaho wolf zone (31 units). Hunting and trapping dates differ for public and private land.
- No CWD zone or mandatory testing rule names Unit 63 for 2026.
See the zone: Snake 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 63 drawn tags by species
IDFG's 2026 hunt areas put 13 drawn hunts inside Unit 63: 6 elk, 6 pronghorn and 1 moose. Their tags add up to 546, some shared with other units. 11 of them stay inside this unit; the rest also cover neighbouring units.
Applications for deer, elk, pronghorn and fall bear run May 1 to June 5; a second period runs August 5 to 15, with results by August 25. The moose, sheep and goat lines are 2026 hunts from the 2025 & 2026 brochure.
A ruffed grouse walking on a gravel road
Elk, antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2100 | 63 | Any Weapon | Sep 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | Unlimited | Only here | p. 54 | Short range weapons only on Mud Lake WMA, Portions of this hunt are located within Idaho National Laboratory lands, See Note 1, Page 56 |
Elk, either sex (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2119 | 63 | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Aug 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | Unlimited | Only here | p. 55 | Short range weapons only on Mud Lake WMA. Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
| 2120 | 63 | Any Weapon | Aug 31 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 100 | Only here | p. 55 | Short range weapons only on Mud Lake WMA. Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
Elk, extra antlerless (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2169 | 63X | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | Only here | p. 57 | Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
| 2170 | 63X | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | Only here | p. 57 | Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
| 2284 | 63-1X | Short-Range Weapons | Jan 1 to Feb 15, 2027 | Antlerless | 50 | 59, 59A, 63 | p. 58 | Short range weapons only on Mud Lake WMA, Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
Pronghorn, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4036 | 51-2 | Archery | Aug 15 to Sep 15, 2026 | Bucks Only | Unlimited | 51, 63 | p. 66 | Buck only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 51, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Pronghorn, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4022 | 63-1 | Any Weapon | Sep 25 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 65 | Portions of this hunt are located within Idaho National Laboratory lands, See Note 1, Page 66 |
Pronghorn, landowner permission required extra doe or fawn (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4605 | 63-1X | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Oct 24, 2026 | Doe or Fawn | 20 | Only here | p. 14 | Private land only |
Pronghorn, muzzleloader (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4047 | 63-2 | Muzzleloader | Aug 15 to Sep 18, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 67 | Either sex, Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
| 4048 | 63-2 | Muzzleloader | Sep 19 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 67 | Either sex, Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
Pronghorn, youth only (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4054 | 63-2 | Muzzleloader | Aug 8 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 25 | Only here | p. 67 | Either sex, Muzzleloader only, Portions of this hunt area are located within Idaho National Laboratory (INL) lands. INL lands that are open to hunting require an INL permit which can be obtained at the Upper Snake Regional Office. |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3068 | 63 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 10 | Short range weapons only on Mud Lake WMA. |
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 63 general hunt calendar
Over-the-counter big game in Unit 63 means deer, black bear, mountain lion and gray wolf, 19 lines in all. No general any-weapon deer line includes Unit 63.
Deer (7)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Short-Range Weapons | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Short-Range Weapons | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Short-Range Weapons | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Youth hunt only. | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Nov 1 to Dec 19, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — |
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 | 60A, 63, 63A | Dogs prohibited: Oct 1 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 60A, 63, 63A | Dogs prohibited: Oct 1 – 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 | 17 units | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 1 – Nov 30; Apr 1 – June 30 |
Gray wolf (9)
| 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) | 52A, 63, 66A, 68, 68A | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 52A, 63, 66A, 68, 68A | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Jul 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Sep 10 to Nov 14, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — |
General elk: none for Unit 63, even inside the Snake River Zone. Left out: 2 wolf trapping lines whose printed dates end June 30, 2026.
Snake River A/B lines (2)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Short-Range Weapons | Aug 1 to Aug 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | No |
| A tag | Short-Range Weapons | Sep 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | — | No |
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 63 success rates and harvest
Deer on general tags, 2025: 53 from Unit 63, against 47 the year before.
The 2025 general elk total for the unit is 1, with 18 hunters afield.
IDFG reports this harvest by unit and by hunt, never by county.
General deer and elk, 2025
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 39 | 256 | 15% | 1,016 | 36 | 3 |
| Deer, Archery | 7 | 55 | 13% | 516 | 7 | — |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 7 | 6 | 117% | 7 | 7 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 53 | 317 | 17% | 1,539 | 50 | 3 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 1 | 12 | 8% | 61 | — | 1 |
| Elk, Archery | 0 | 4 | 0% | 27 | — | — |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 0 | 1 | 0% | 5 | — | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 1 | 18 | 6% | 93 | 0 | 1 |
Year by year
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 67 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 52 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 35 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
| 2024 | 47 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 53 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Results for the drawn hunts (12)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2100 | Elk | 100 | 125 | 58 | 85 | 121 | 611 | 20% |
| 2119 | Elk | 15 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 184 | 465 | 40% |
| 2120 | Elk | 16 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 60 | 93 | 65% |
| 2169 | Elk | 14 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 28 | 80 | 35% |
| 2170 | Elk | 52 | 66 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 80 | 18% |
| 2284 | Elk | — | — | — | — | 11 | 28 | 39% |
| 4036 | Pronghorn | 32 | 14 | 63 | 120 | 22 | 177 | 12% |
| 4022 | Pronghorn | 37 | 49 | — | — | 32 | 45 | 71% |
| 4047 | Pronghorn | 17 | 8 | 13 | 28 | 17 | 39 | 44% |
| 4048 | Pronghorn | 15 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 5 | 43 | 12% |
| 4054 | Pronghorn | 7 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 7% |
| 3068 | Moose | 8 | 8 | 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 elk, controlled pronghorn, controlled moose; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 63 public ground
Unit 63 overlaps 6 mapped land records, from WMAs (2) and Access Yes! ground (0) to national forest units (0) and BLM ground (3).
Leave Craters of the Moon National Monument and Fort Hall Reservation out of any plan: these closed places lie in the unit's counties.
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 63
Town pages for Unit 63: 1 inside the unit, 7 within 10 miles, beginning with Mud Lake.
- Mud LakeIn unit · Jefferson County
- Idaho FallsWithin 10 mi · Bonneville County
- BlackfootWithin 10 mi · Bingham County
- RigbyWithin 10 mi · Jefferson County
- IonaWithin 10 mi · Bonneville County
- ArcoWithin 10 mi · Butte County
- RobertsWithin 10 mi · Jefferson County
- DuboisWithin 10 mi · Clark County
A refuge pond and cattails below distant snowy peaks at Camas National Wildlife Refuge
Sharing a county with Unit 63, closest centres first:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 63A | Bonneville, Jefferson | Snake River | 197 | 3 |
| Unit 69 | Bingham, Bonneville | Tex Creek | 427 | 12 |
| Unit 60A | Clark, Jefferson | Island Park | 489 | 21 |
| Unit 64 | Jefferson | Palisades | 94 | 4 |
| Unit 59 | Clark | Beaverhead | 340 | 9 |
| Unit 59A | Clark, Jefferson | Beaverhead | 135 | 9 |
| Unit 68A | Bingham, Bonneville | Big Desert | 0 | 4 |
| Unit 66 | Bonneville | Tex Creek | 124 | 10 |
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 63 hours on key season dates
IDFG allows big game, wolf and upland game animals from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; for Unit 63 that window is worked out below with the NOAA solar formula on Mountain Time.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 6:18 a.m. MT | 8:55 p.m. MT | 5:48 a.m. MT to 9:25 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:50 a.m. MT | 8:12 p.m. MT | 6:20 a.m. MT to 8:42 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:08 a.m. MT | 7:43 p.m. MT | 6:38 a.m. MT to 8:13 p.m. MT |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:28 a.m. MT | 7:09 p.m. MT | 6:58 a.m. MT to 7:39 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:36 a.m. MT | 6:57 p.m. MT | 7:06 a.m. MT to 7:27 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 8:00 a.m. MT | 4:55 p.m. MT | 7:30 a.m. MT to 5:25 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 63 in brief
Which deer tags work in Unit 63?
Regular tag and white-tailed tag.
How did hunters do in Unit 63 last season?
17% deer success on general tags.
Where are bear rules for Unit 63?
In the general bear tables of Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules.
Are wolf seasons set by zone in Unit 63?
No. IDFG sets them by unit and land type; zones are for analysis.
Must deer shot in Unit 63 go in for a CWD sample?
No, the 2026 sampling list leaves it out.
How many land records touch Unit 63?
6.
Where do hunters in Unit 63 buy fuel and groceries?
Mud Lake, Idaho Falls and Blackfoot.
Who do I call about access in Unit 63?
The Idaho Falls office at (208) 525-7290.
What counties fall inside Unit 63 on the IDFG map?
Jefferson County, Bingham County, Butte County, Bonneville County and Clark County; Jefferson County holds 38% of the unit by the GIS overlay.
Is Unit 63 an A tag or a B tag unit?
Both tags exist for the Snake River Zone; 0 A and 0 B lines reach this unit.
How many controlled hunts include Unit 63?
13: 6 elk, 6 pronghorn and 1 moose.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Sue Tinkle (posted by Seney Natural History Association) (CC BY-SA 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).