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Wolf zone Salmon · Salmon
Idaho Unit 21: controlled hunts and general seasons
Unit 21 takes in 325,743 acres by the Hunt Planner, parts of Lemhi County, with 10 controlled hunt numbers and 20 general season rows for 2026-27.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Idaho (CC BY 2.0)
Counties inside Unit 21
The Hunt Planner measures Unit 21 at 325,743 acres, and 100% of it lies in Lemhi County by the IDFG Game Units layer. One county only, Lemhi, and Unit 21 fills 11% of it.
| County | Part of unit | Part of county | Text names it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemhi County | 100% | 11% | Yes |
Regional staff in Salmon look after Unit 21, along with 11 other units in the Salmon 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 21 elk zone, wolf zone and CWD
- For elk, IDFG groups Unit 21 into the Salmon Zone (4 units in all).
- Wolf zone: Salmon. 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 21.
More on the zone: Salmon 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 21 drawn tags by species
Unit 21 sits inside 10 controlled hunt areas, 7 deer and 3 bighorn sheep. 4 hunts are limited to Unit 21 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 bighorn sheep ram on a rocky slope with ewes behind
Deer, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1013 | 21 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 5 | Only here | p. 22 | — |
Deer, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1070 | 21-1 | Archery | Aug 1 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | 11 units | p. 24 | Antlered only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Units 29 and 37A, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Deer, extra antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1134 | 21-1X | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 200 | 6 units | p. 28 | White-tailed deer only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 29, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
| 1135 | 21-1X | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 200 | 6 units | p. 28 | White-tailed deer only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 29, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Deer, outfitter allocated (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1156 | 21 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 30 | — |
| 1157 | 21-1 | Archery | Aug 1 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | 11 units | p. 30 | Archery only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Units 29 and 37A, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Deer, youth only – extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1111 | 21-1X | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 75 | 6 units | p. 26 | White-tailed deer only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 29, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Bighorn sheep, ram (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5004 | 20 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 2 | 16A, 17, 20, 21 | p. 19 | — |
| 5006 | 21 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 3 | Only here | p. 19 | — |
| 5023 | 21L | Any Weapon | Oct 14 to Oct 31, 2026 | Rams Only | 2 | Only here | 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 21 hunts without a draw
The 20 general rows for Unit 21 below are the hunts you can buy into without applying. Mark October 10, 2026 for the general any-weapon deer opener in Unit 21.
Deer (8)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Youth hunt ONLY on Private Land ONLY | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Youth Hunt ONLY. Very limited access. | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | Very limited access. | |
| White-tailed tag | Short-Range Weapons | Nov 1 to Dec 9, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | Very limited access. | |
| White-tailed tag | Short-Range Weapons | Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Very limited access. |
Elk (1)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 8, 2026 | Antlered | 21, 21A, 28, 36B | — |
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 | 21, 28 | Dogs prohibited: Oct 10 – Nov 8 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 1 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 21, 28 | Dogs prohibited: Oct 10 – Nov 8 |
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 | 21, 28 | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 10 – Nov 8 |
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 (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | — | Aug 30 to Dec 31, 2026 | Either sex | 25 units | Unit 28 only downstream from the Hat Creek drainage. | |
| Spring youth | — | Apr 8 to May 25, 2027 | Male or bearded turkey | 9 units | — |
Salmon zone tags split into 0 A and 1 B lines for Unit 21. The data dates 2 wolf trapping lines March to June 2026; they are not in the table.
Salmon Zone general elk (3)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | — | No |
| A tag | Archery | Dec 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | No |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 8, 2026 | Antlered | 2,507 | 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 21 success rates and harvest
General deer, all weapons combined, 2025: 405 taken by 824 hunters in Unit 21, a 49% success rate.
General elk hunters numbered 566 and took 129 elk (23%).
Hunt Planner 2025, other species: 31 black bear, 1 mountain lion, 4 gray wolf and 0 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 | 368 | 733 | 50% | 4,066 | 361 | 7 |
| Deer, Archery | 31 | 81 | 38% | 684 | 22 | 9 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 6 | 10 | 60% | 70 | 3 | 3 |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 405 | 824 | 49% | 4,820 | 386 | 19 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 106 | 424 | 25% | 3,063 | 104 | 2 |
| Elk, Archery | 23 | 141 | 16% | 1,306 | 20 | 3 |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 129 | 566 | 23% | 4,370 | 124 | 5 |
Results by season
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 263 | 145 | 29 | 3 | 6 | — |
| 2022 | 194 | 98 | 36 | 4 | 9 | — |
| 2023 | 187 | 97 | 38 | — | 12 | — |
| 2024 | 329 | 117 | 37 | 6 | 4 | — |
| 2025 | 405 | 129 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Controlled hunts in this unit (7)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1013 | Deer | 52 | 57 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| 1070 | Deer | 16 | 14 | 22 | — | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| 1134 | Deer | 21 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 77 | 155 | 50% |
| 1135 | Deer | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 64 | 135 | 47% |
| 1156 | Deer | 36 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 1157 | Deer | 34 | 46 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 1111 | Deer | 149 | 106 | 68 | 107 | 27 | 46 | 59% |
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; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 21 WMAs, forests and walk-in land
These 2 land records share ground with Unit 21; open each for access dates, vehicle rules and parking.
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 21
For Unit 21, use the Lemhi County page to find the closest town.
A rocky hill above sagebrush at McKim Creek near Salmon
County neighbours of Unit 21, ranked by how close their centres sit:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 21A | Lemhi | Salmon | 202 | 10 |
| Unit 30 | Lemhi | Beaverhead | 288 | 13 |
| Unit 30A | Lemhi | Beaverhead | 30 | 13 |
| Unit 28 | Lemhi | Salmon | 568 | 16 |
| Unit 29 | Lemhi | Lemhi | 253 | 16 |
| Unit 37A | Lemhi | Lemhi | 58 | 16 |
| Unit 27 | Lemhi | Middle Fork | 307 | 12 |
| Unit 37 | Lemhi | Lemhi | 196 | 21 |
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 around Unit 21
Migratory bird hours follow a separate IDFG table in the migratory brochure, so ducks, geese and doves are not timed in this Unit 21 table.
| Date | Marker | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 6:20 a.m. MT | 9:04 p.m. MT | 5:50 a.m. MT to 9:34 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:54 a.m. MT | 8:19 p.m. MT | 6:24 a.m. MT to 8:49 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener and general deer opener | 7:13 a.m. MT | 7:49 p.m. MT | 6:43 a.m. MT to 8:19 p.m. MT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:55 a.m. MT | 6:46 p.m. MT | 7:25 a.m. MT to 7:16 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 8:10 a.m. MT | 4:57 p.m. MT | 7:40 a.m. MT to 5:27 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 21 FAQ
Which wolf zone is Unit 21 in?
Salmon, one of 13 IDFG wolf zones.
Which CWD rule touches Unit 21 in 2026?
None written for this unit.
How many land records touch Unit 21?
2.
What town works as a base camp for Unit 21?
Our list has none close; the Lemhi County page shows the nearest.
Who manages wildlife in Unit 21?
IDFG Salmon Region staff based in Salmon.
How much of Unit 21 is Lemhi ground?
100% of the unit, which works out to 11% of that county.
How many general elk lines reach Unit 21?
1, all on Salmon Zone tags.
How does the draw work for Unit 21?
Idaho draws controlled tags at random; apply in the period for the species, then buy the tag if drawn.
Does a white-tailed deer tag work in Unit 21?
Yes.
What was elk success in Unit 21 in 2025?
23% (129 elk).
How many bears were taken in Unit 21 in 2025?
31.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: daveynin (CC BY 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); Matt Lavin (CC BY-SA 2.0).