Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 2
Bonner County · Panhandle Zone
Hunting Unit 2 in Idaho
Everything IDFG prints for Unit 2: 8 hunt numbers, 33 general rows and 2021 to 2025 results across Bonner and Kootenai.
Photo: daveynin (CC BY 2.0)
Unit 2 by county
Read on the Hunt Planner, Unit 2 runs to 444,721 acres; the GIS overlay puts 60% of that ground in Bonner County. The boundary text names Bonner and Kootenai, and the GIS overlay below sizes each piece both ways.
| County piece | Unit % | County % | Boundary text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonner County | 60% | 23% | Yes |
| Kootenai County | 40% | 22% | Yes |
The IDFG Panhandle Region runs Unit 2; its nearest desk for the unit is the Panhandle Region Office in Coeur d'Alene.
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 2 zones at a glance
- Buy the Panhandle A or B tag for general elk in Unit 2; the zone also holds 8 other units.
- Unit 2 counts toward the Panhandle wolf zone (9 units). Hunting and trapping dates differ for public and private land.
- No CWD zone or mandatory testing rule names Unit 2 for 2026.
See the zone: Panhandle 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 2 controlled hunts
IDFG's 2026 hunt areas put 8 drawn hunts inside Unit 2: 3 deer, 3 moose and 2 elk. Their tags add up to 295, some shared with other units. 5 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.
White-tailed doe standing in light snow
Deer, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | 1-1 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 60 | 9 units | p. 22 | In a portion of Unit 1, Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules Apply and Testing is Required, See idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more informaiton. |
Deer, extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1124 | 2-1X | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 150 | Only here | p. 27 | Archery only, White-tailed deer only |
Deer, outfitter allocated (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1148 | 1-1 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | 9 units | p. 30 | In a portion of Unit 1, Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules Apply and Testing is Required, See idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more informaiton. |
Elk, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2109 | 1-2 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 25 | 9 units | p. 54 | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules Apply in a portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Selkirk Mountain crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd. Season overlaps some archery and muzzleloader hunts |
Elk, youth only (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2147 | 2 | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 25 | Only here | p. 56 | Archery only |
Moose, antlered (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3010 | 2 | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 18 | Only here | p. 8 | — |
| 3011 | 2 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 8 | Only here | p. 8 | — |
| 3012 | 2 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlered | 8 | Only here | p. 8 | — |
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 2
Over-the-counter big game in Unit 2 means deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and wild turkey, 33 lines in all. General any-weapon deer opens October 10, 2026 and the last such line closes December 1, 2026.
Deer (13)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Nov 1 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Nov 1 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Nov 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Farragut State Park and Farragut Wildlife Management Area are closed. | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Nov 1 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — |
Elk (8)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| A tag | Archery | Sep 15 to Sep 21, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5, 6 | Open only within 1 mile of private land in the following Units: 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 & 6. "Any weapon"hunts will be open during the archery or muzzleloader season. Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Oct 29, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 | Only open within 1 mile of private land. Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| A tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 16, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| B tag | Archery | Sep 6 to Sep 12, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| B tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 | Open only within 1 mile of private land. Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. |
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 | 2, 3, 5 | Dogs prohibited: Aug 30 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 15, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 2, 3, 5 | Dogs prohibited: Aug 30 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – 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 | 2, 3, 5 | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – Dec 1 |
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, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027 | Either sex | 9 units | Turkey tags expire Dec. 31; a 2027 license and tag are needed after Jan. 1. | |
| 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. |
On general elk tags, Unit 2 has 5 A and 3 B lines. Left out: 2 wolf trapping lines whose printed dates end June 30, 2026.
Panhandle A/B lines (9)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Archery | Sep 15 to Sep 21, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Oct 29, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | — | No |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| A tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 16, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Archery | Sep 6 to Sep 12, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | — | 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 2 harvest, 2021 to 2025
Deer on general tags, 2025: 1,351 from Unit 2, against 1,370 the year before.
The 2025 general elk total for the unit is 81, with 1,466 hunters afield.
2025 also brought 21 black bear, 14 mountain lion, 1 gray wolf and 721 spring turkey from Unit 2.
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 | 1,276 | 3,592 | 36% | 23,605 | 864 | 412 |
| Deer, Archery | 68 | 403 | 17% | 2,546 | 47 | 21 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 7 | 28 | 25% | 99 | 7 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 1,351 | 4,022 | 34% | 26,251 | 918 | 433 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 58 | 967 | 6% | 5,245 | 58 | — |
| Elk, Archery | 8 | 321 | 2% | 1,962 | 7 | 1 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 14 | 179 | 8% | 482 | — | 14 |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 81 | 1,466 | 6% | 7,689 | 65 | 15 |
Year by year
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,380 | 92 | 22 | 9 | — | 442 |
| 2022 | 1,260 | 92 | 26 | 7 | — | 518 |
| 2023 | 1,210 | 132 | 26 | 13 | 1 | 467 |
| 2024 | 1,370 | 118 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 454 |
| 2025 | 1,351 | 81 | 21 | 14 | 1 | 721 |
Results for the drawn hunts (8)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | Deer | 29 | 16 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 55 | 51% |
| 1124 | Deer | 108 | 95 | 75 | 66 | 41 | 125 | 33% |
| 1148 | Deer | 16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2109 | Elk | 15 | 27 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 23 | 70% |
| 2147 | Elk | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 22 | 18% |
| 3010 | Moose | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 83% |
| 3011 | Moose | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 88% |
| 3012 | Moose | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 88% |
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, controlled deer, controlled elk, controlled moose; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Land records in Unit 2
Unit 2 overlaps 11 mapped land records, from WMAs (2) and Access Yes! ground (0) to national forest units (3) and BLM ground (3).
Leave Coeur d'Alene Parkway State Park, Enid Nesbitt Memorial State Park, Heyburn State Park and Old Mission State Park 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 2
Town pages for Unit 2: 4 inside the unit, 4 within 10 miles, beginning with Coeur d'Alene.
- Coeur d'AleneIn unit · Kootenai County
- Post FallsIn unit · Kootenai County
- HauserIn unit · Kootenai County
- AtholIn unit · Kootenai County
- SandpointWithin 10 mi · Bonner County
- Priest RiverWithin 10 mi · Bonner County
- Clark ForkWithin 10 mi · Bonner County
- OldtownWithin 10 mi · Bonner County
Calm blue water of Lake Pend Oreille below a forested mountain
Sharing a county with Unit 2, closest centres first:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 | Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,258 | 10 |
| Unit 4A | Bonner, Kootenai | Panhandle | 199 | 4 |
| Unit 5 | Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,055 | 9 |
| Unit 1 | Bonner | Panhandle | 2,838 | 21 |
| Unit 4 | Bonner, Kootenai | Panhandle | 743 | 7 |
| Unit 6 | Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,559 | 7 |
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 2 shooting light by date
IDFG allows big game, wolf and upland game animals from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; for Unit 2 that window is worked out below with the NOAA solar formula on Pacific Time.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:02 a.m. PT | 7:35 p.m. PT | 5:32 a.m. PT to 8:05 p.m. PT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 6:23 a.m. PT | 7:02 p.m. PT | 5:53 a.m. PT to 7:32 p.m. PT |
| Oct 1, 2026 | General deer opener | 6:45 a.m. PT | 6:29 p.m. PT | 6:15 a.m. PT to 6:59 p.m. PT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and general elk opener | 6:57 a.m. PT | 6:11 p.m. PT | 6:27 a.m. PT to 6:41 p.m. PT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:33 a.m. PT | 3:57 p.m. PT | 7:03 a.m. PT to 4:27 p.m. PT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:00 a.m. PT | 7:35 p.m. PT | 5:30 a.m. PT to 8:05 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 2 in brief
What can I draw for Unit 2?
3 deer, 3 moose and 2 elk hunts.
Which deer tags work in Unit 2?
Regular tag and white-tailed tag.
How many deer came out of Unit 2 in 2025?
1,351 on general tags, all weapons combined.
Where are bear rules for Unit 2?
In the general bear tables of Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules.
Are wolf seasons set by zone in Unit 2?
No. IDFG sets them by unit and land type; zones are for analysis.
Must deer shot in Unit 2 go in for a CWD sample?
No, the 2026 sampling list leaves it out.
Are there WMAs in Unit 2?
Yes, 2 IDFG WMAs.
Where do hunters in Unit 2 buy fuel and groceries?
Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Hauser.
Where is the nearest IDFG office to Unit 2?
Coeur d'Alene, 2885 W. Kathleen Ave..
What counties fall inside Unit 2 on the IDFG map?
Bonner County and Kootenai County; Bonner County holds 60% of the unit by the GIS overlay.
Is Unit 2 an A tag or a B tag unit?
Both tags exist for the Panhandle Zone; 5 A and 3 B lines reach this unit.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0); daveynin (CC BY 2.0).