Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 26
2026-27 · Southwest Region
Idaho Unit 26: controlled hunts and general seasons
Unit 26 takes in 381,055 acres by the Hunt Planner, parts of Valley County and Idaho County, with 4 controlled hunt numbers and 19 general season rows for 2026-27.
Photo: Lance Cheung (USDA) (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Unit 26 size, region and office
The Hunt Planner measures Unit 26 at 381,055 acres, and 80% of it lies in Valley County by the IDFG Game Units layer. Unit lines follow ridges, rivers and roads, so Unit 26 reaches 2 counties; the table gives each share of the unit and of the county.
| County | Part of unit | Part of county | Text names it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley County | 80% | 13% | Yes |
| Idaho County | 20% | 1% | Yes |
Regional staff in McCall look after Unit 26, along with 17 other units in the Southwest 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.
Zones and rules in Unit 26
- For elk, IDFG groups Unit 26 into the Middle Fork Zone (3 units in all).
- Wolf zone: Middle Fork. 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 26.
More on the zone: Middle Fork 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 26 controlled hunts
Unit 26 sits inside 4 controlled hunt areas, 2 deer and 2 bighorn sheep. 4 hunts are limited to Unit 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1017 | 26 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 18, 2026 | Antlered | — | Only here | p. 22 | Nonresident tag limit is 13 tags, See Page 109 |
Deer, outfitter allocated (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1160 | 26 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 18, 2026 | Antlered | 46 | Only here | p. 30 | — |
Bighorn sheep, ram (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5007 | 26 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 4 | Only here | p. 19 | — |
| 5024 | 26L | Any Weapon | Oct 14 to Oct 31, 2026 | Rams Only | 3 | 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.
Over-the-counter seasons in Unit 26
The 19 general rows for Unit 26 below are the hunts you can buy into without applying. Mark September 15, 2026 for the general any-weapon deer opener in Unit 26.
Deer (2)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Nov 18, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — |
Elk (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 20A, 26 | Units 20A & 26 only | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 20A, 26 | Units 20A & 26 only | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 18, 2026 | Antlered | 20A, 26 | Units 20A & 26 only |
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 | This unit | Dogs prohibited: Sep 15 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 1 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | This unit | Dogs prohibited: 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 | 20A, 26 | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Sep 15 – Oct 31; May 1 – June 30 |
Gray wolf (11)
| 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) | 10 units | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 10 units | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 10 units | — | |
| 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 | — |
Middle Fork zone tags split into 1 A and 2 B lines for Unit 26. The data dates 2 wolf trapping lines March to June 2026; they are not in the table.
Middle Fork Zone general elk (6)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 1,551 | Yes |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Brow-tined | 1,551 | No |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 1,636 | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Brow-tined | 1,636 | No |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 18, 2026 | Antlered | 1,636 | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 18, 2026 | Brow-tined | 1,636 | 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 26 harvest, 2021 to 2025
General deer, all weapons combined, 2025: 52 taken by 176 hunters in Unit 26, a 30% success rate.
General elk hunters numbered 227 and took 39 elk (17%).
Hunt Planner 2025, other species: 10 black bear, 1 mountain lion and 7 gray wolf.
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 | 52 | 176 | 30% | 1,075 | 51 | 1 |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 52 | 176 | 30% | 1,075 | 51 | 1 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 39 | 227 | 17% | 1,335 | 39 | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 39 | 227 | 17% | 1,335 | 39 | 0 |
Results by season
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 61 | 40 | 12 | 4 | 5 | — |
| 2022 | 43 | 30 | 19 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 2023 | 39 | 38 | 17 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 2024 | 53 | 35 | 14 | 1 | 5 | — |
| 2025 | 52 | 39 | 10 | 1 | 7 | — |
Controlled hunts in this unit (2)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1017 | Deer | 205 | 193 | 38 | 35 | 35 | 80 | 44% |
| 1160 | Deer | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | 26 | 36 | 72% |
White-tailed buck emerging from the tree line at the edge of a field
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.
Mapped ground inside Unit 26
These 2 land records share ground with Unit 26; open each for access dates, vehicle rules and parking.
Closed ground in the counties Unit 26 reaches (not necessarily inside the unit): Nez Perce National Historical Park, Glade Creek State Park, Lake Cascade State Park, Ponderosa State Park and Nez Perce Reservation.
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 26
For Unit 26, use the Valley County page to find the closest town.
Aerial view of Lake Cascade and the forested mountains of Long Valley
County neighbours of Unit 26, ranked by how close their centres sit:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 25 | Valley | McCall | 249 | 1 |
| Unit 34 | Valley | Sawtooth | 60 | 4 |
| Unit 24 | Valley | McCall | 324 | 3 |
| Unit 23 | Idaho | McCall | 356 | 9 |
| Unit 19A | Idaho, Valley | McCall | 110 | 5 |
| Unit 18 | Idaho | Hells Canyon | 179 | 12 |
| Unit 20A | Idaho, Valley | Middle Fork | 35 | 5 |
| Unit 32A | Valley | Weiser River | 430 | 12 |
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.
When light starts in Unit 26
Unit 26 reaches ground on both sides of the Pacific and Mountain time line, so each legal window below is given on both clocks, worked out with the NOAA solar formula at the middle of the unit.
| Date | Marker | Pacific (open, close) | Mountain (open, close) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 4:57 a.m. PT 8:41 p.m. PT | 5:57 a.m. MT 9:41 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 5:31 a.m. PT 7:56 p.m. PT | 6:31 a.m. MT 8:56 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener and general deer opener | 5:50 a.m. PT 7:26 p.m. PT | 6:50 a.m. MT 8:26 p.m. MT |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck opener | 6:11 a.m. PT 6:51 p.m. PT | 7:11 a.m. MT 7:51 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 6:47 a.m. PT 4:33 p.m. PT | 7:47 a.m. MT 5:33 p.m. MT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 5:29 a.m. PT 7:56 p.m. PT | 6:29 a.m. MT 8:56 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 26 FAQ
How many general elk lines reach Unit 26?
3, all on Middle Fork Zone tags.
Which hunt in Unit 26 has the most tags?
Hunt 1160, with 46 tags.
Does a white-tailed deer tag work in Unit 26?
Yes.
Is Unit 26 a good unit?
Judge by the numbers: 52 general deer in 2025 and 39 elk.
How many bears were taken in Unit 26 in 2025?
10.
Which wolf zone is Unit 26 in?
Middle Fork, one of 13 IDFG wolf zones.
Which CWD rule touches Unit 26 in 2026?
None written for this unit.
Are there WMAs in Unit 26?
None in our records.
Which towns sit within the boundary of Unit 26?
None on our list.
Which IDFG office covers Unit 26?
Southwest Region North – McCall Office.
How much of Unit 26 is Valley ground?
80% of the unit, which works out to 13% of that county.
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 Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Sam Beebe (CC BY 2.0).