Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 36A
Custer County · Pioneer Zone
Unit 36A hunt planner notes, 2026-27
Elk here go on the Pioneer Zone A or B tag; 23 drawn hunts and 22 general lines reach Unit 36A in Custer.
Photo: Stephen Hanafin (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Unit 36A by county
At 493,901 acres on the Hunt Planner, Unit 36A is filed with the IDFG Salmon Region; Custer County holds the biggest share, 100%. Unit 36A stays inside Custer County, which gives one county page for its towns, services and land.
| Where | Unit share | County share | Named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County | 100% | 16% | Yes |
For Unit 36A the IDFG contact is Salmon: the Salmon Region Office, 99 Hwy. 93 N..
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 36A unit-level rules
- The A/B choice for Unit 36A is made at the Pioneer Zone level, shared with Units 49 and 50.
- Wolf: Unit 36A falls in the Southern Mountains wolf zone, one of 13 IDFG data analysis units; wolf seasons themselves are set by unit and land type.
- Chronic wasting disease: Unit 36A is outside the management zone and the testing units.
- For motorized travel while hunting, note that Unit 36A left the Motorized Hunting Rule in 2026.
Zone details: Pioneer 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; Motorized Hunting Rule; checked November 12, 2026.
Controlled hunt numbers in Unit 36A
Drawn hunting in Unit 36A: 23 hunt numbers and 1,274 tags for 2026, counting hunts that also reach other units. The largest quota touching the unit is 250 tags, on hunt 2167.
The controlled hunt draw is random; a successful applicant buys the tag before the August 1 deadline. Moose, sheep and goat dates come from the 2025 & 2026 brochure, read as 2026 hunts.
A bighorn sheep ram on a rocky slope with ewes behind
Deer, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1026 | 36A | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1136 | 36A-1X | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 200 | 36A, 36B, 37, 37A | p. 28 | White-tailed deer only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 37A, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
| 1137 | 36A-1X | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 200 | 36A, 36B, 37, 37A | p. 28 | White-tailed deer only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 37A, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Deer, outfitter allocated (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 1166 | 36A | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 30 | — |
Deer, youth only – extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1112 | 36A-1X | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 75 | 36A, 36B, 37, 37A | p. 26 | White-tailed deer only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 37A, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Elk, antlered (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 36A-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 60 | Only here | p. 51 | — |
| 2011 | 36A-2 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 120 | 36A, 50 | p. 51 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 50 |
Elk, extra antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2167 | 36AX | Any Weapon | Dec 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 250 | Only here | p. 57 | — |
| 2280 | 36A-1X | Any Weapon | Jan 1 to Jan 31, 2027 | Antlerless | 50 | 36A, 37 | p. 58 | Portion of Unit only, See Hunt Planner or contact the Salmon Regional Office for map of Hunt Area |
Elk, muzzleloader (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2133 | 36A-3 | Muzzleloader | Nov 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 250 | 36A, 50 | p. 55 | Either sex, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 50 |
Elk, outfitter allocated (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2182 | 36A-3 | Muzzleloader | Nov 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 3 | 36A, 50 | p. 58 | Either Sex, Muzzleloader only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 50 |
| 2183 | 36A-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 3 | Only here | p. 58 | Antlered only |
| 2184 | 36A-2 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 7 | 36A, 50 | p. 58 | Antlered only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 50 |
Pronghorn, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4029 | 36-1 | Archery | Aug 15 to Sep 15, 2026 | Bucks Only | Unlimited | 36, 36A | p. 66 | Buck only |
Pronghorn, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4049 | 36A-1 | Short-Range Weapons | Sep 25 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 30 | 36, 36A | p. 67 | Either sex |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3051 | 36A | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 10 | — |
Bighorn sheep, ram (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5015 | 36A | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 2 | 36, 36A | p. 19 | — |
Mountain goat, either sex (4)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6009 | 36A-1 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 12, 2026 | Either-sex | 1 | 36A, 48, 50 | p. 26 | — |
| 6010 | 36A-2 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 12, 2026 | Either-sex | 1 | 36A, 48 | p. 26 | — |
| 6011 | 36A-3 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 12, 2026 | Either-sex | 2 | 36, 36A | p. 26 | — |
| 6012 | 36A-4 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 12, 2026 | Either-sex | 2 | 36, 36A | p. 26 | — |
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 36A
Unit 36A carries 22 general season lines for deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and wild turkey; residents buy these tags over the counter. The regular tag any-weapon line opens October 10, 2026 in this unit.
Deer (7)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Antlered | This unit | Very limited access. | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Youth Hunt ONLY. | |
| 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 (4)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Unit 36A ONLY, on or within 1 mile of private irrigated agricultural lands. | |
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 36A, 49, 50 | — | |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 1 to Nov 9, 2026 | Antlerless | 36A, 49, 50 | — | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Nov 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 36A, 49, 50 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 50. |
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 | 29, 30, 30A, 36A, 37, 37A | Dogs prohibited: Oct 1 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 15, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 29, 30, 30A, 36A, 37, 37A | Dogs prohibited: Oct 1 – 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 | 30, 30A, 36A, 37 | Dogs prohibited: Apr 1 – June 30; July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 1 – Nov 8; Apr 1 – June 30 |
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 (1)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring youth | — | Apr 8 to May 25, 2027 | Male or bearded turkey | 9 units | — |
Pick the Pioneer A or B tag by weapon and dates: 3 and 1 lines reach Unit 36A. Wolf trapping lines that close June 30, 2026 (2) sit outside this season and are left out.
Pioneer Zone A and B tag lines (5)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 36A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Aug 29, 2026 | Antlerless | — | No |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 1 to Nov 9, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Nov 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 500 | 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 36A results by year
The Hunt Planner credits Unit 36A with 135 general season deer in 2025 from 526 hunters.
For elk the 2025 line reads 138 taken by 696 general hunters.
Other 2025 unit figures: 10 black bear, 1 mountain lion, 2 gray wolf and 4 spring turkey.
A dash means the Hunt Planner prints no figure for that cell.
Take method, 2025
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 116 | 408 | 28% | 1,862 | 113 | 3 |
| Deer, Archery | 19 | 117 | 16% | 952 | 6 | 13 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 0 | 1 | 0% | 12 | — | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 135 | 526 | 26% | 2,826 | 119 | 16 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 81 | 302 | 27% | 1,286 | — | 81 |
| Elk, Archery | 56 | 356 | 16% | 2,510 | 52 | 5 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 1 | 38 | 3% | 168 | — | 1 |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 138 | 696 | 20% | 3,963 | 52 | 86 |
Five seasons, 2021 to 2025
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 200 | 302 | 16 | 2 | 15 | — |
| 2022 | 112 | 375 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 |
| 2023 | 69 | 130 | 7 | 3 | 6 | — |
| 2024 | 151 | 150 | 9 | 3 | 5 | — |
| 2025 | 135 | 138 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Drawn hunts, harvest by year (22)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1026 | Deer | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| 1070 | Deer | 16 | 14 | 22 | — | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| 1136 | Deer | 2 | 46 | 9 | 23 | 46 | 120 | 38% |
| 1137 | Deer | 2 | 32 | 34 | 19 | 45 | 124 | 36% |
| 1157 | Deer | 34 | 46 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 1166 | Deer | — | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 1112 | Deer | 27 | 27 | 17 | 23 | 9 | 32 | 28% |
| 2010 | Elk | 78 | 75 | 68 | 81 | 25 | 57 | 44% |
| 2011 | Elk | 48 | 40 | 57 | 58 | 77 | 112 | 69% |
| 2167 | Elk | 0 | — | 11 | 11 | 138 | 186 | 74% |
| 2280 | Elk | — | — | — | — | 21 | 31 | 68% |
| 2133 | Elk | 33 | 29 | 17 | 20 | 57 | 208 | 27% |
| 2182 | Elk | 37 | 28 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| 2183 | Elk | 20 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 67% |
| 2184 | Elk | 22 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 86% |
| 4029 | Pronghorn | 38 | 42 | 46 | 63 | 37 | 230 | 16% |
| 4049 | Pronghorn | 17 | 21 | 6 | 18 | 18 | 29 | 62% |
| 3051 | Moose | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | — | 1 | 0% |
| 6009 | Mountain goat | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 6010 | Mountain goat | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 6011 | Mountain goat | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 6012 | Mountain goat | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
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 pronghorn, controlled moose, controlled mountain goat; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Land records in Unit 36A
7 land records cross into Unit 36A, 7 with a page of their own.
Within Custer some places carry no state hunting: Bayhorse State Park and Land of the Yankee Fork State Park; check whether they fall in Unit 36A.
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.
Near Unit 36A
None of our towns lies inside Unit 36A, but Challis is within 10 miles of it.
- ChallisWithin 10 mi · Custer County
Snowy ridge above valley fog on a winter morning near Stanley
Units in the counties Unit 36A reaches, with their elk zones and 2025 deer:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 37 | Custer | Lemhi | 196 | 21 |
| Unit 36 | Custer | Sawtooth | 338 | 17 |
| Unit 36B | Custer | Salmon | 383 | 13 |
| Unit 50 | Custer | Pioneer | 383 | 18 |
| Unit 27 | Custer | Middle Fork | 307 | 12 |
| Unit 37A | Custer | Lemhi | 58 | 16 |
| Unit 51 | Custer | Lemhi | 251 | 16 |
| Unit 28 | Custer | Salmon | 568 | 16 |
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 36A shooting light by date
Clocks fall back on November 1, 2026 and spring forward on March 14, 2027, so the Unit 36A times jump an hour across those dates.
| Day | Why it matters | Sun up | Sun down | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 6:23 a.m. MT | 9:04 p.m. MT | 5:53 a.m. MT to 9:34 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:57 a.m. MT | 8:20 p.m. MT | 6:27 a.m. MT to 8:50 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener and general deer opener | 7:15 a.m. MT | 7:50 p.m. MT | 6:45 a.m. MT to 8:20 p.m. MT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:55 a.m. MT | 6:48 p.m. MT | 7:25 a.m. MT to 7:18 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 8:09 a.m. MT | 5:00 p.m. MT | 7:39 a.m. MT to 5:30 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.
Questions on Unit 36A
How many deer came out of Unit 36A in 2025?
135 on general tags, all weapons combined.
Is there a general deer season in Unit 36A?
Yes, 7 lines on the regular tag and white-tailed tag.
Is wolf hunting open in Unit 36A?
7 wolf lines reach it, split by public and private land.
Does fall bear open early in Unit 36A?
The fall line opens August 30, 2026.
Is there Access Yes! land in Unit 36A?
No Access Yes! property lists it.
May a whole deer carcass leave Unit 36A?
The zone transport rule does not reach this unit.
Where is the nearest IDFG office to Unit 36A?
Salmon, 99 Hwy. 93 N..
Which towns sit within the boundary of Unit 36A?
None; Challis lie within 10 miles.
Which units share the Pioneer Zone with Unit 36A?
Units 49 and 50.
Which IDFG region files Unit 36A?
IDFG Salmon Region; its staff work out of Salmon.
How many 2026 tags do hunts in Unit 36A carry?
1,274 across 23 hunts, some shared with other units.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: daveynin (CC BY 2.0); Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0); David E Smith (Public Domain Mark 1.0).