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Idaho county hunting, 2026-27

Gem County Hunting Overview

From August archery elk to winter lion hunts, this Gem County guide gathers unit shares, zone tags, hunt numbers, harvest tables and public ground for 2026-27.

3Hunting units
2Elk zones
SouthwestIDFG region
MountainTime zone
129,867Public GIS acres
21Hunts by draw

Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Gem County region, seat and size

On the IDFG regional map the county belongs entirely to the Southwest Region; the region's other counties are Ada, Adams, Boise, Canyon, Elmore and Owyhee. The 2024 population estimate is 21,857 (14.3% up from the 2020 base of 19,127), with Emmett as the seat of government. By land area (560 square miles) Gem County places 40th among Idaho counties.

It shares its boundary with Ada County, Adams County, Boise County, Canyon County, Payette County, Valley County and Washington County. Mountain Time applies across Gem County; the Pacific Time block starts far to the north. For licenses, check-ins and questions, the regional contact is Nampa (Southwest Region South – Nampa Office).

EmmettSeat town
21,8572024 residents
560Land sq mi
129,867Mapped public
3Unit count
MountainLocal time

Population from the Census Vintage 2024 estimates; area from the 2024 Census gazetteer; neighbours from Census county adjacency; regions from the IDFG regions and the IDFG administrative regions layer; offices from the IDFG office locations page; time zone from 49 CFR 71.9. Checked November 12, 2026.

Nearby

Places to hunt and shoot around Gem County

Shooting Ranges Near Meridian

Range · 31 mi from Gem County

Directions
Hunting Near Meridian, Idaho

Town · 31 mi from Gem County

Directions
Shooting Ranges Near Caldwell

Range · 32 mi from Gem County

Directions
Hunting Near Boise, Idaho

Town · 33 mi from Gem County

Directions
Washington County

County · 33 mi from Gem County

Directions
Canyon County

County · 34 mi from Gem County

Directions

Gem County by hunting unit

Of county: how much of the county lies in the unit. Of unit: how much of the unit lies in the county.

Seasons here follow unit lines rather than the county line: 3 units cross it, Unit 32 biggest at 64%. Of the counties sharing units with Gem County, Washington County leads with 2.

Hunting unit% of county% of unitElk zoneWolf zoneCWDAlso covers
Unit 3264%25%Weiser River ZoneMcCall – Weiser—Washington, Payette, Boise +3
Unit 32A24%22%Weiser River ZoneMcCall – Weiser—Adams, Valley, Washington +1
Unit 3812%4%Boise River ZoneSouthern Idaho—Ada, Canyon, Elmore +1

For black bear, Unit 38 sits outside the units listed in the general tables.

Share of Gem County in each unit (%)020406080Unit 32: 64%64Unit 32Unit 32A: 24%24Unit 32AUnit 38: 12%12Unit 38

Unit shares from the IDFG Game Units layer overlaid on Census county polygons (GIS shares of land area, both ways); elk zone of each unit from the IDFG Elk Zones layer; wolf zones from the IDFG Wolf Zones layer; CWD units from the 2026 brochure; bear tables from the 2026 brochure. Checked November 12, 2026.

Gem County general elk tags by zone

Each zone page lists every unit in it and its controlled elk hunts.

Idaho sells a general elk tag for one zone at a time as an A tag or a B tag; 2 zones reach Gem County, led by the Weiser River Zone at 88%.

Elk tag zone% of county% of zoneUnits
Weiser River Zone88%17%32/32A
Boise River Zone12%2%38

Gem County elk zone tag seasons

ZoneTagMethodOpenCloseLimitReachTags
Weiser RiverB TagAny WeaponAug 1, 2026Sep 30, 2026Antlerless32—
Weiser RiverA TagArcheryAug 30, 2026Sep 30, 2026Antlerless or Antlered22/32/32A—
Weiser RiverB TagAny WeaponOct 1, 2026Oct 31, 2026AntlerlessUnit 32—
Weiser RiverB TagAny WeaponOct 25, 2026Nov 3, 2026AntleredUnits 22,32,32A—
Weiser RiverA TagAny WeaponNov 1, 2026Nov 15, 2026AntlerlessUnit 32—
Weiser RiverA TagAny WeaponNov 16, 2026Nov 30, 2026Antlerless32—
Boise RiverB TagAny WeaponAug 1, 2026Sep 30, 2026Antlerless or AntleredUnit 38—
Boise RiverB TagAny WeaponOct 1, 2026Dec 31, 2026Antlerless or SpikeUnit 38—
Boise RiverB TagAny WeaponOct 27, 2026Nov 9, 2026AntleredPortion of Unit 39—
Boise RiverA TagArcheryNov 10, 2026Nov 30, 2026Antlerless or AntleredPortion of Unit 39—

Zone shares from the IDFG Elk Zones layer overlaid on county polygons; A and B tag lines from the IDFG Hunt Planner general hunt pages and the brochure elk zone table; tag sale dates from the 2026 brochure. Checked November 12, 2026.

CWD and wolf rules for Gem County

Hunters in Gem County face no CWD zone or testing requirement in 2026. The testing list shifted for 2026 (64 and 69 added, 24 and 32A removed), and Unit 32A is part of Gem County.

Gem County wolf lines by unit

The county's units belong to 2 wolf zones (McCall – Weiser and Southern Idaho); seasons follow units and whether the land is public or private. Wolf trapping requires the trapping license and wolf trapper education, and transmitting trail cameras are allowed for checks from July 1, 2026.

Wolf zoneUnits here
McCall – WeiserUnit 32, Unit 32A
Southern IdahoUnit 38
KindLand typeCounty unitsStartEnd
HuntingPrivate land32/32A/38Jul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
HuntingPublic land32/32AApr 1, 2026Nov 14, 2026
HuntingPublic land38Jul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
HuntingPublic land32/32ANov 15, 2026Mar 31, 2027
TrappingPrivate land32/32A/38Nov 15, 2026Mar 31, 2027
TrappingPublic land32/32ASep 10, 2026Nov 14, 2026
TrappingPublic land38Sep 10, 2026Nov 14, 2026
TrappingPublic land32/32ANov 15, 2026Mar 31, 2027
TrappingPublic land38Nov 15, 2026Mar 31, 2027

CWD zone, transport and testing rules from the Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 9; 2026 changes from IDFG, What hunters need to know about CWD requirements for 2026; county units from the IDFG CWD zone rules; wolf rules from the 2026 brochure; wolf zones from the IDFG Wolf Zones layer. Checked November 12, 2026.

Dated seasons around Gem County

IDFG writes big game seasons unit by unit, and Gem County spans Unit 32, Unit 32A and Unit 38; the area column shows which of those units each line covers.

GameHunt nameTag kindUnits or areaFromToRight now
DeerArcheryGeneral tagUnits 32, 32A, 38Aug 30, 2026Sep 30, 2026
DeerControlled: AntleredControlled4 huntsOct 10, 2026Nov 24, 2026
DeerControlled: Extra AntlerlessControlled4 huntsOct 10, 2026Dec 28, 2026
DeerAny WeaponGeneral tagUnits 32, 32AOct 10, 2026Oct 24, 2026
DeerAny WeaponGeneral tagUnits 32, 32AOct 10, 2026Oct 31, 2026
DeerShort-Range WeaponGeneral tagUnit 38Oct 10, 2026Oct 31, 2026
DeerShort-Range WeaponGeneral tagUnit 38Oct 10, 2026Nov 24, 2026
ElkB TagB tagUnit 32Aug 1, 2026Sep 30, 2026
ElkB TagB tagUnit 38Aug 1, 2026Sep 30, 2026
ElkA TagA tagUnits 32, 32AAug 30, 2026Sep 30, 2026
ElkControlled: AntlerlessControlled4 huntsOct 1, 2026Dec 30, 2026
ElkControlled: Youth OnlyControlled2 huntsOct 1, 2026Nov 10, 2026
ElkB TagB tagUnit 38Oct 1, 2026Dec 31, 2026
ElkB TagB tagUnits 32, 38Oct 1, 2026Oct 31, 2026
ElkB TagB tagUnits 32, 32AOct 25, 2026Nov 3, 2026
ElkA TagA tagUnits 32, 38Nov 1, 2026Nov 15, 2026
ElkControlled: Extra AntlerlessControlled2 huntsNov 16, 2026Dec 31, 2026
ElkA TagA tagUnit 32Nov 16, 2026Nov 30, 2026
PronghornControlled: Either SexControlled2 huntsSep 25, 2026Oct 24, 2026
PronghornControlled: Youth OnlyControlled1 huntSep 25, 2026Oct 24, 2026
Black bearFall 2026General tagUnits 32, 32AAug 30, 2026Oct 31, 2026
Black bearFall controlledControlled1 huntSep 1, 2026Oct 31, 2026
Black bearSpring 2027General tagUnits 32, 32AApr 1, 2027May 22, 2027
Black bearSpring controlledControlled1 huntApr 1, 2027May 22, 2027
Mountain lion
July 2026 –
June 2027
General tagUnits 32, 32A, 38Jul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
Wild turkey
Fall general –
outside National Forest
System lands
Units 32, 32AAug 30, 2026Oct 9, 2026
Wild turkey
Spring general –
youth only
Units 32, 32AApr 8, 2027Apr 14, 2027
Wild turkeySpring generalUnits 32, 32AApr 15, 2027May 25, 2027
Forest grouse
Forest grouse (dusky,
ruffed, spruce)
Area 2Aug 30, 2026Dec 31, 2026
ChukarChukarStatewideSep 15, 2026Jan 31, 2027
Gray partridgeGray (Hungarian) partridgeStatewideSep 15, 2026Jan 31, 2027
QuailCalifornia and bobwhite quailStatewideSep 15, 2026Jan 31, 2027
Pheasant
Pheasant – youth
(17 and under)
StatewideOct 8, 2026Oct 14, 2026
PheasantPheasant – residentStatewideOct 15, 2026Dec 31, 2026
PheasantPheasant – nonresidentStatewideOct 20, 2026Dec 31, 2026
Cottontail rabbitCottontailStatewideAug 30, 2026Mar 31, 2027
Snowshoe hareSnowshoe hareStatewideAug 30, 2026Mar 31, 2027
Red squirrelRed squirrelStatewideAug 30, 2026Mar 31, 2027
Ducks
Youth and veterans/active
military waterfowl weekend
StatewideSep 26, 2026Sep 27, 2026
DucksDucksPermitArea 1Oct 19, 2026Jan 31, 2027
ScaupScaupArea 1Nov 7, 2026Jan 31, 2027
American cootAmerican cootArea 1Oct 19, 2026Jan 31, 2027
Wilson's snipeWilson's snipeArea 1Oct 19, 2026Jan 31, 2027
Canada gooseCanada gooseArea 1Oct 19, 2026Jan 31, 2027
White-fronted gooseWhite-fronted goose (4 areas)Areas 1-4Oct 3, 2026Feb 15, 2027
Light goose
Snow, blue and
Ross's geese (5
areas)
Areas 1-5Oct 3, 2026Mar 10, 2027
Mourning doveMourning and white-winged dovePermitStatewideSep 1, 2026Oct 30, 2026
American crowAmerican crowStatewideOct 27, 2026Feb 28, 2027
BadgerTrapping and huntingTrappingStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
BeaverTrappingTrappingStatewideOct 15, 2026Apr 15, 2027
BobcatTrapping and huntingTrappingStatewideDec 14, 2026Feb 16, 2027
MartenTrappingTrappingStatewideNov 1, 2026Jan 31, 2027
MinkTrappingTrappingStatewideOct 15, 2026Apr 15, 2027
MuskratTrappingTrappingStatewideOct 15, 2026Apr 15, 2027
River otterTrappingTrappingStatewideOct 15, 2026Mar 31, 2027
Red fox
Trapping and hunting
– other regions
(year-round)
By regionJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027

Controlled tags must be bought by the deadline.

From the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, the Moose, Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat 2025 and 2026 brochure, the Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer 2026 and 2027 brochure, the Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 brochure and the IDFG Hunt Planner (Idaho Department of Fish and Game), data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Gem County hunt numbers by species

Tags are 2026 counts for the whole hunt.

Hunts whose units reach the county in 2026 total 21, made up of 8 deer, 8 elk, 3 pronghorn and 2 black bear. The tag total for these hunts is 1,390 in 2026, counted by hunt rather than by county.

A second application period, August 5 to 15, covers tags left after the first draw, and controlled tags must be bought by August 1.

Gem County: controlled deer (8)

HuntCategoryUnits hereWeaponOpenCloseBagTag count
1023Antlered32Any WeaponOct 10, 2026Nov 24, 2026Antlered40
1024Antlered32AAny WeaponOct 10, 2026Nov 24, 2026Antlered30
1028Antlered38Short-Range WeaponsOct 10, 2026Nov 24, 2026Antlered5
1029Antlered38Short-Range WeaponsOct 10, 2026Nov 24, 2026Antlered20
1138Extra Antlerless38Short-Range WeaponsOct 10, 2026Oct 29, 2026Antlerless10
1139Extra Antlerless38Short-Range WeaponsOct 30, 2026Nov 18, 2026Antlerless10
1140Extra Antlerless38Short-Range WeaponsNov 19, 2026Dec 8, 2026Antlerless10
1141Extra Antlerless38Short-Range WeaponsDec 9, 2026Dec 28, 2026Antlerless10

Controlled elk in Gem County (8)

HuntCategoryUnits hereWeaponOpenCloseBagTag count
2060Antlerless32AAny WeaponOct 1, 2026Oct 24, 2026Antlerless200
2152Youth Only32AAny WeaponOct 1, 2026Oct 24, 2026Antlerless150
2061Antlerless32AAny WeaponOct 25, 2026Nov 10, 2026Antlerless200
2153Youth Only32AAny WeaponOct 25, 2026Nov 10, 2026Antlerless150
2062Antlerless32AAny WeaponNov 11, 2026Nov 30, 2026Antlerless100
2165Extra Antlerless32Any WeaponNov 16, 2026Dec 31, 2026Antlerless150
2075Antlerless32AAny WeaponDec 1, 2026Dec 30, 2026Antlerless50
2166Extra Antlerless32AShort-Range WeaponsDec 1, 2026Dec 31, 2026Antlerless50

Controlled pronghorn in Gem County (3)

HuntCategoryUnits hereWeaponOpenCloseBagTag count
4003Either Sex32/32AAny WeaponSep 25, 2026Oct 24, 2026Antlerless or Antlered5
4006Either Sex38Any WeaponSep 25, 2026Oct 24, 2026Antlerless or Antlered10
4050Youth Only32/32AAny WeaponSep 25, 2026Oct 24, 2026Antlerless or Antlered15

Gem County: controlled black bear (2)

HuntCategoryUnits hereWeaponOpenCloseBagTag count
8503Fall32ASep 1, 2026Oct 31, 2026100
8002Spring32AApr 1, 2027May 22, 202775

Hunt numbers, types, units, dates, bags and 2026 tags from the IDFG Hunt Planner hunt pages (each hunt number links its page) matched to the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules and the Moose, Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat 2025 and 2026 brochure; counties are whole units, so a hunt area can be smaller. Application periods from the 2026 brochure, the moose, sheep and goat brochure and the spring bear page. Checked November 12, 2026.

Gem County unit harvest, 2025

Each figure belongs to the whole unit, not to the county.

Harvest figures come from the IDFG Hunt Planner statistics for 2025, unit by unit, and the units run past the county line. For general season elk, Unit 32A led with 419 taken by 2,450 hunters in 2025, all weapons combined. On the deer side, Unit 32 returned 886 deer at 29% success.

Unit (2025)Deer (success)Elk (success)Black bearMountain lionTurkey
Unit 32886 (29%)395 (21%)214463
Unit 32A430 (16%)419 (17%)473139
Unit 38246 (28%)51 (16%)——227
Harvest per unit, general season elk, 20250125250375500Unit 32: 395395Unit 32Unit 32A: 419419Unit 32AUnit 38: 5151Unit 38

2025 harvest from the IDFG Hunt Planner statistics: general season deer 2025; general season elk 2025; black bear 2025; mountain lion 2025; spring turkey 2025. Deer and elk cells are IDFG’s “All Weapons Combined” unit rows (harvest and success); bear, lion and wolf cells are unit harvest; turkey is the spring unit row. IDFG publishes harvest by hunting unit and controlled hunt only (Hunt Planner harvest statistics); no county harvest exists. `counties` on unit rows list every county named in the unit boundary description. Checked November 12, 2026.

Gem County public land, owner by owner

Solid points on the map are places in the county; hollow ones lie just outside it.

Open public ground in Gem County totals 129,867 GIS acres once overlapping layers are counted once; that is 36% of the county. Sort the owners by size and BLM land comes first, 68,216 acres within the county line. Roughly 59,815 forest acres in the county belong to the Emmett Ranger District (Boise National Forest), the largest of 1 districts.

Land typeAcresOf the countyOpen?
Department WMAs1,792under 1%Rules by area
National forest (incl. NRAs)59,85917%Open in season
BLM land68,21619%Open in season
Total open (GIS)129,86736%Deduplicated
Access Yes! (private)3,228under 1%Not in total
State trust land18,6875%See rule
Bureau of Reclamation173under 1%Not in total

The field office with the largest BLM footprint in Gem County is the Four Rivers Field Office, at 68,216 of 68,216 acres. The 18,687 endowment acres are trust land managed for revenue, so they get their own row.

Gem County public places by owner

Montour Wildlife Management Area

IDFG WMA · 1,561 acres

Unit 32

Payette River Wildlife Management Area

IDFG WMA · 1,260 acres · also Payette

Units 32/38

Willow-Oxarango (Access Yes!)

Access Yes! property · 3,277 acres · also Payette

Unit 32

A L Cattle – Dodson Pass (Access Yes!)

Access Yes! property · 1,757 acres · also Washington

Units 32/32A

Letha – Payette River Access (Access Yes!)

Access Yes! property · 11 acres

Unit 32

Boise National Forest

National forest · 2,526,140 acres · also Boise and Elmore

Units 24/25/32 +8

Cascade Ranger District

Ranger district · 401,300 acres · also Valley

Units 24/25/33 +1

Emmett Ranger District

Ranger district · 353,745 acres · also Valley and Boise

Units 24/32/32A +2

Boise District

BLM district · 3,946,282 acres · also Owyhee and Elmore

Units 22/23/24 +13

Four Rivers Field Office

BLM field office · 1,254,788 acres · also Elmore and Ada

Units 22/23/24 +12

Open land a short drive from Gem County

Acres are GIS measures of polygons with water over 2 square km removed, not official acreage: IDFG WMA layer, PAD-US 4.1 (forest, grassland, BLM, refuge, park, endowment, Reclamation, military, DOE and tribal land), IDFG Access Yes! 2026 layer, IDFG Large Tracts layer; refuges counted only when listed in 50 CFR 32.31; tribal rule from 18 U.S.C. 1165; closures from the 2026 brochure; Craters of the Moon from the NPS laws and policies page. Checked November 12, 2026.

Gem County offices and outfitters

Gem County is served by the IDFG Southwest Region; bear, lion and wolf skulls and hides go to a regional office, a check point or an officer within 10 days.

IDFG Southwest Region South – Nampa Office

Assigned office · 15950 N. Gate Blvd, Nampa

Gem County town guides

  • Emmett8,803 people · Unit 32 · 7 places within 10 mi

The Census gazetteer counts 2 places in Gem County (1 incorporated); Emmett has a hunting page here. 3 sporting goods shops, 2 taxidermists and 0 meat processors list an address in the county. Guided hunts: 2 outfitters on the IDFG licence layer name areas covering this county.

High Rollin' Taxidermy

Emmett, Gem County · about 13 mi away

Wild Memories Taxidermy

Emmett, Gem County · about 14 mi away

Kingfisher Sporting Goods

Emmett, Gem County · about 14 mi away

Snake River Shooting Product

Emmett, Gem County · about 15 mi away

iBeOutdoors.com

Emmett, Gem County · about 16 mi away

Ponderosa Sports & Amish Quilts

Horseshoe Bend, Boise County · about 12 mi away

Blue Arms Gun Shop

Horseshoe Bend, Boise County · about 15 mi away

Inspired Gunworks

Midvale, Washington County · about 16 mi away

American Northwest Outdoors

Fruitland, Payette County

  • Idaho Guest RanchOutfitter
  • Korell Outfitters Unlimited LlcOutfitter

Offices from the IDFG office locations page; skull and hide rule from the 2026 brochure; towns from the 2024 Census gazetteer; shops from Yellow Pages listings and chain store locators; outfitters from the IDFG outfitter layer of OGLB licences. Listings not individually verified; call ahead. Checked November 12, 2026.

Gem County banquets and classes

Kinds ahead here: DU sportsman’s bingo. Count: 2 dates ahead.

First dayTitleLocationTickets or seatsPage
Nov 21, 2026Emmett Valley Bingo for Boomsticks format: DU sportsman’s bingo
The Roadhouse at the Mill
Tickets

starts 2:30 p.m. MT

Source, read 11/11/2026
Apr 10, 2027Emmett Valley Bingo for Boomsticks format: DU sportsman’s bingo
The Roadhouse at the Mill
Tickets

starts 3 p.m. MT

Source, read 11/11/2026

Your club’s date not shown? Submit it

Gem County: club benches and clay fields

Gem County has 2 ranges on file.

Gem County Rod and
Gun Club
gun club

Emmett, Gem County

Bays for: rifle, handgun, shotgun, black powder, to 100 yd

Members only · boisegunclub.com, checked Nov 11, 2026

Rock Creek Ranch
sporting clays course

Emmett, Gem County

Bays for: sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun, archery, 3D archery

Access not stated · boisegunclub.com, checked Nov 11, 2026

Among the IDFG ranges, Boise River WMA Archery Range sits closest to the Gem County centre at about 33 miles (measured to Boise; IDFG publishes no map point).

19 more across the county line.

Ranges from IDFG range pages, the BLM qualified range list, club sites and directory listings, checked November 12, 2026.

Gem County shooting light by date

Every time in the Gem County table carries its zone, because north Idaho runs on Pacific Time and the rest of the state on Mountain Time.

DayNoteSunupSundownWindow
Aug 1, 2026General elk opener6:33 a.m. MT9:12 p.m. MT6:03 a.m. MT to 9:42 p.m. MT
Aug 30, 2026Archery deer opener7:05 a.m. MT8:28 p.m. MT6:35 a.m. MT to 8:58 p.m. MT
Sep 15, 2026Chukar opener7:23 a.m. MT7:59 p.m. MT6:53 a.m. MT to 8:29 p.m. MT
Oct 10, 2026General deer opener7:52 a.m. MT7:12 p.m. MT7:22 a.m. MT to 7:42 p.m. MT
Oct 19, 2026Duck opener8:04 a.m. MT6:57 p.m. MT7:34 a.m. MT to 7:27 p.m. MT
Dec 21, 2026Shortest day8:17 a.m. MT5:10 p.m. MT7:47 a.m. MT to 5:40 p.m. MT
Apr 15, 2027Spring turkey7:04 a.m. MT8:28 p.m. MT6:34 a.m. MT to 8:58 p.m. MT

Times rounded to the minute.

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.

Gem County gear picks

Chosen to suit the game listed on this page.

Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Bugle tube

One less thing to borrow at camp: bugle tube.

Amazon prices

Rangefinder

A piece of kit that earns its weight here: rangefinder.

Amazon prices

Shooting sticks

One less thing to borrow at camp: shooting sticks.

Amazon prices

Headlamp

Packed for this trip and matched to the game here: headlamp.

Amazon prices

Eastern cottontail rabbit sitting in grass

Eastern cottontail rabbit sitting in grassPhoto: Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0)

White-tailed deer buck in the trees

White-tailed deer buck in the treesPhoto: USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0)

Eastern cottontail rabbit at the edge of a field

Eastern cottontail rabbit at the edge of a fieldPhoto: mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Gem County FAQ

How are controlled hunt winners picked for Gem County?

By random draw. 21 hunt numbers with 1,390 tags reach Gem County this year.

What elk zones overlap Gem County?

2: Weiser River Zone, Boise River Zone.

Which Gem County units carry CWD rules?

None. The 2026 CWD units all lie in other counties.

What does the merged public land count show for Gem County?

129,867 acres with overlaps counted once.

Where does a Gem County bear skull get checked?

Bear, lion and wolf skull and hide go to a regional office, a check point or a conservation officer within 10 days; the regional office is in Nampa.

What are the big game shooting hours in Gem County?

From half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; migratory birds follow the separate IDFG table.

Must big game hunters in Gem County wear orange?

Not by law for big game. IDFG recommends at least 36 square inches above the waist and requires it only for permit pheasant areas and sponsored hunts.

Where did Gem County hunters fill the most tags in 2025?

In Unit 32A: 419 (general season elk) in 2025, counted across the whole unit.

Which hunting unit holds most of Gem County?

Unit 32, with 64% of the county; the others are Unit 32A, Unit 38.

When must I report a deer or elk from Gem County?

Within 10 days after harvest for deer, elk and pronghorn, or within 10 days after the season closes if you did not hunt or came home empty.

From the Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules, IDFG hunter orange policy, harvest reporting, CWD rules, 49 CFR 71.9, 18 U.S.C. 1165 and the county data above. Checked November 12, 2026.

Other photos on this page: Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0).