Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 37
2026-27 · Salmon Region
Unit 37 hunting: seasons, hunts and harvest
Unit 37 sits in the IDFG Salmon Region and the Southern Mountains wolf zone; its 21 controlled hunts carry 929 tags in 2026.
Photo: lamblukas (CC BY 2.0)
Unit 37 size, region and office
Custer County carries 94% of the 449,657 acres in Unit 37, which IDFG assigns to its Salmon Region. Unit lines follow ridges, rivers and roads, so Unit 37 reaches 2 counties; the table gives each share of the unit and of the county.
| County | Of the unit | Of the county | Named by IDFG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County | 94% | 13% | Yes |
| Lemhi County | 6% | 0.9% | Yes |
Questions about access, closures or animal numbers in Unit 37 go to the Salmon Region Office in Salmon, (208) 756-2271.
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 37
- General elk tags are sold per zone, and Unit 37 belongs to the Lemhi Zone with Units 29, 37A and 51.
- The Southern Mountains wolf zone takes in Unit 37; IDFG uses those zones for analysis and writes the seasons unit by unit.
- CWD: Unit 37 is neither a management zone nor a mandatory testing unit in 2026.
- IDFG took Unit 37 out of the Motorized Hunting Rule for 2026, along with Units 30, 30A, 36A, 47, 49, 70 and 72.
Open the zone: Lemhi 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.
Unit 37 draw list
21 controlled hunt numbers include Unit 37 for 2026 (9 elk, 6 deer, 3 bighorn sheep, 2 pronghorn and 1 moose), carrying 929 tags between them. 13 of the hunts spread beyond Unit 37, so a tag there is not tied to this unit alone.
Idaho controlled hunts are drawn at random: deer, elk, pronghorn and fall bear apply May 1 to June 5, moose, sheep and goat April 1 to 30. Hunt Planner pages still show 2025 dates for the moose, sheep and goat hunts; the brochure month and day are used here.
A bighorn sheep ram on a rocky slope with ewes behind
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 (1)
| 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 |
Deer, youth only (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1102 | 36B-1 | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 15 | 36B, 37 | p. 26 | Either Sex, Portion of Units only, Outside National Forest Boundary, See Hunt Planner or contact Salmon Regional Office for map of hunt area, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 37, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
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 (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 37 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 100 | Only here | p. 51 | — |
Elk, antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2078 | 37 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 20, 2026 | Antlerless | 60 | Only here | p. 53 | — |
| 2079 | 37 | Any Weapon | Dec 10 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | Only here | p. 53 | — |
Elk, extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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, outfitter allocated (4)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2185 | 37 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 2 | Only here | p. 58 | Antlered only |
| 2186 | 37 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 20, 2026 | Antlerless | 2 | Only here | p. 58 | Antlerless only |
| 2187 | 37 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 3 | Only here | p. 58 | Antlerless only, Youth hunt only |
| 2188 | 37 | Any Weapon | Dec 10 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 3 | Only here | p. 58 | Antlerless only |
Elk, youth only (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2157 | 37 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 25 | Only here | p. 56 | — |
Pronghorn, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4027 | 28-1 | Archery | Aug 15 to Sep 15, 2026 | Bucks Only | Unlimited | 28, 36B, 37, 37A | p. 66 | Buck only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 37A, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Pronghorn, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4005 | 37-1 | Any Weapon | Sep 25 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 60 | 29, 37, 37A | p. 64 | — |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3050 | 29 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 8 | 6 units | p. 10 | — |
Bighorn sheep, ram (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5017 | 37 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Sep 20, 2026 | Rams Only | 6 | 37, 50, 51 | p. 19 | — |
| 5018 | 37 | Any Weapon | Sep 21 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 6 | 37, 50, 51 | p. 19 | — |
| 5027 | 37L | Any Weapon | Oct 14 to Oct 31, 2026 | Rams Only | 3 | 37, 50, 51 | 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 37
General tags open 21 dated lines in Unit 37, grouped below by species and by tag or season type. Rifle deer hunters on a general tag start October 10, 2026 in Unit 37.
Deer (7)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | Short-range weapons only on C.J. Strike, Chester Wetlands, Payette River, and Montour Wildlife Management Areas, and Pahsimeroi Access Area. | |
| 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 | Short-range weapons ONLY on Pahsimeroi Access Area. Very limited access. | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | Short-range weapons ONLY on Pahsimeroi Access Area. 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 (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 29, 37, 37A | Units 29, 37 and 37A ONLY on or within 1 mile of private irrigated agricultural lands. | |
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 29, 37, 37A, 51 | — | |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 25 to Dec 9, 2026 | Antlerless | 29, 37, 37A, 51 | — |
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 | — |
Unit 37 gets 3 A tag elk lines and 0 B tag lines from the Lemhi Zone tags. 2 wolf trapping lines dated March 1 to June 30, 2026 are left out because they fall before this July 2026 to June 2027 season.
Lemhi Zone tag rows (4)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 37 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 25 to Dec 9, 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.
Five seasons in Unit 37
41% of the 475 general deer hunters in Unit 37 filled a tag in 2025 (196 deer).
367 general elk hunters brought home 117 elk here last season.
Bear, lion, wolf and turkey rows for 2025 show 4 black bear and 1 mountain lion.
General rows count general tag holders only; drawn hunts sit in their own table.
Weapon split, 2025
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 160 | 383 | 42% | 1,733 | 142 | 19 |
| Deer, Archery | 17 | 64 | 27% | 342 | 9 | 7 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 20 | 29 | 69% | 152 | 17 | 3 |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 196 | 475 | 41% | 2,226 | 168 | 29 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 88 | 198 | 44% | 1,021 | — | 88 |
| Elk, Archery | 22 | 110 | 20% | 706 | 16 | 5 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 8 | 60 | 13% | 184 | — | 8 |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 117 | 367 | 32% | 1,911 | 16 | 101 |
2021-2025 results
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 144 | 63 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 115 | 50 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 2023 | 112 | 58 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 2024 | 161 | 85 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 2025 | 196 | 117 | 4 | 1 | — | — |
Hunt numbers, 2021-2025 (18)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 1102 | Deer | 11 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 40% |
| 1112 | Deer | 27 | 27 | 17 | 23 | 9 | 32 | 28% |
| 2012 | Elk | 45 | 42 | 43 | 52 | 56 | 90 | 62% |
| 2078 | Elk | 22 | 21 | 10 | 28 | 23 | 47 | 49% |
| 2079 | Elk | 12 | 4 | 118 | 89 | 42 | 84 | 50% |
| 2280 | Elk | — | — | — | — | 21 | 31 | 68% |
| 2185 | Elk | 3 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 2186 | Elk | 9 | 13 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 2187 | Elk | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2188 | Elk | 0 | 21 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — |
| 2157 | Elk | 29 | 28 | 11 | 70 | 9 | 22 | 41% |
| 4027 | Pronghorn | 14 | 13 | 1 | — | 45 | 216 | 21% |
| 4005 | Pronghorn | 9 | 6 | 56 | 53 | 51 | 59 | 86% |
| 3050 | Moose | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 8 | 100% |
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, controlled deer, controlled elk, controlled pronghorn, controlled moose; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Mapped ground inside Unit 37
Our land data places 6 records in Unit 37; 6 have a page of their own and 0 are sections on county pages or the public land hub.
2 closed places sit in the counties of Unit 37, among them Bayhorse State Park and Land of the Yankee Fork State Park.
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 37
Look just outside Unit 37 for supplies: Challis.
- ChallisWithin 10 mi · Custer County
Snow-covered Mount Borah above the sagebrush flats of the Lost River Range in winter
Units that overlap the same counties as Unit 37, sorted by distance:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 36A | Custer | Pioneer | 135 | 23 |
| Unit 36B | Custer | Salmon | 383 | 13 |
| Unit 36 | Custer | Sawtooth | 338 | 17 |
| Unit 50 | Custer | Pioneer | 383 | 18 |
| Unit 27 | Custer, Lemhi | Middle Fork | 307 | 12 |
| Unit 37A | Custer, Lemhi | Lemhi | 58 | 16 |
| Unit 51 | Custer, Lemhi | Lemhi | 251 | 16 |
| Unit 28 | Custer, Lemhi | 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 37 sunrise and shooting times
The dates in this Unit 37 table come from the season lines that reach its own units, plus the shortest day of the year.
| When | Event | First sun | Last sun | Legal light |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 6:56 a.m. MT | 8:19 p.m. MT | 6:26 a.m. MT to 8:49 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.
Unit 37 answered
How many wolves were taken in Unit 37 in 2025?
No 2025 row.
Does fall bear open early in Unit 37?
The fall line opens August 30, 2026.
Is any national forest in Unit 37?
Yes, 3 Forest Service records.
Does the CWD Management Zone cover Unit 37?
No; the zone is Units 14, 18 and part of Unit 1.
Which IDFG office covers Unit 37?
Salmon Region Office.
What is the nearest town on this site to Unit 37?
Challis.
What elk zone is Unit 37 in?
The Lemhi Zone, shared with Units 29, 37A and 51.
In which part of the state does Unit 37 sit?
Salmon country: the IDFG Salmon Region, across Custer County and Lemhi County.
Can I hunt deer in Unit 37 without a draw?
Yes, on the regular tag and white-tailed tag.
Which hunt in Unit 37 has the most tags?
Hunt 1137, with 200 tags.
Is Unit 37 a good unit?
Judge by the numbers: 196 general deer in 2025 and 117 elk.
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); Bureau of Land Management Idaho (CC BY 2.0).