Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 20
Clearwater Region · 2 controlled hunts
Hunting Unit 20 in Idaho
Everything IDFG prints for Unit 20: 2 hunt numbers, 18 general rows and 2021 to 2025 results across Idaho.
Photo: David Wilson (CC BY 2.0)
Where Unit 20 lies
Read on the Hunt Planner, Unit 20 runs to 302,968 acres; the GIS overlay puts 100% of that ground in Idaho County. The whole unit falls inside Idaho County and covers 6% of that county.
| County piece | Unit % | County % | Boundary text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho County | 100% | 6% | Yes |
The IDFG Clearwater Region runs Unit 20; its nearest desk for the unit is the Clearwater Region Office in Lewiston.
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 20 unit-level rules
- Buy the Selway A or B tag for general elk in Unit 20; the zone also holds 3 other units.
- Unit 20 counts toward the Selway wolf zone (4 units). Hunting and trapping dates differ for public and private land.
- No CWD zone or mandatory testing rule names Unit 20 for 2026.
See the zone: 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 20 controlled hunts
IDFG's 2026 hunt areas put 2 drawn hunts inside Unit 20: 2 bighorn sheep. Their tags add up to 6, some shared with other units. Every one of them also reaches at least one other unit.
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 bighorn sheep ram on a rocky slope with ewes behind
Bighorn sheep, ram (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5002 | 19 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 4 | 14, 19, 20 | p. 19 | — |
| 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 20 general seasons
Over-the-counter big game in Unit 20 means deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and wild turkey, 18 lines in all. General any-weapon deer opens September 15, 2026 and the last such line closes November 20, 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. |
On general elk tags, Unit 20 has 1 A and 2 B lines. Left out: 2 wolf trapping lines whose printed dates end June 30, 2026.
Selway A/B lines (3)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Unit 20 harvest, 2021 to 2025
Deer on general tags, 2025: 102 from Unit 20, against 138 the year before.
The 2025 general elk total for the unit is 43, with 315 hunters afield.
2025 also brought 16 black bear, 3 mountain lion and 1 gray wolf from Unit 20.
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 | 98 | 296 | 33% | 1,705 | 85 | 13 |
| Deer, Archery | 3 | 7 | 43% | 97 | 3 | — |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 102 | 303 | 34% | 1,802 | 89 | 13 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 43 | 312 | 14% | 2,066 | 43 | — |
| Elk, Archery | 0 | 2 | 0% | 8 | — | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 43 | 315 | 14% | 2,074 | 43 | 0 |
Year by year
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 78 | 35 | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 125 | 33 | 25 | 6 | — | — |
| 2023 | 66 | 34 | 22 | 2 | 8 | — |
| 2024 | 138 | 60 | 15 | 4 | 4 | — |
| 2025 | 102 | 43 | 16 | 3 | 1 | — |
White-tailed deer buck in the trees
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 20
Unit 20 overlaps 4 mapped land records, from WMAs (0) and Access Yes! ground (0) to national forest units (4) and BLM ground (0).
Leave Nez Perce National Historical Park, Glade Creek State Park and Nez Perce 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 20
The unit itself has no listed town, so hunters stay in Elk City or farther out.
- Elk CityWithin 10 mi · Idaho County
Steep mountain slopes above the Salmon River valley near Riggins
Sharing a county with Unit 20, closest centres first:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 13 | Idaho | Hells Canyon | 208 | 6 |
| Unit 16A | Idaho | Selway | 29 | 1 |
| Unit 17 | Idaho | Selway | 155 | 2 |
| Unit 19 | Idaho | Selway | 103 | 1 |
| 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.
Legal hours in Unit 20, PT and MT
North of the Salmon River in Idaho County the clock is Pacific, south of it Mountain; the Unit 20 table carries both, worked out with 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 20 in brief
Does IDFG publish harvest for Unit 20?
Yes, by unit and by hunt on the Hunt Planner, 2021 to 2025 here.
Where are bear rules for Unit 20?
In the general bear tables of Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules.
Are wolf seasons set by zone in Unit 20?
No. IDFG sets them by unit and land type; zones are for analysis.
Must deer shot in Unit 20 go in for a CWD sample?
No, the 2026 sampling list leaves it out.
Are there WMAs in Unit 20?
None in our records.
Where are rooms and meals closest to Unit 20?
Elk City.
Which region handles Unit 20?
IDFG Clearwater Region.
What counties fall inside Unit 20 on the IDFG map?
Idaho County; Idaho County holds 100% of the unit by the GIS overlay.
Is Unit 20 an A tag or a B tag unit?
Both tags exist for the Selway Zone; 1 A and 2 B lines reach this unit.
How many 2026 tags do hunts in Unit 20 carry?
6 across 2 hunts, some shared with other units.
Which deer tags work in Unit 20?
Regular tag and white-tailed tag.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: daveynin (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); David Wilson (CC BY 2.0).