Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 4
2026-27 · Panhandle Region
Idaho Unit 4: controlled hunts and general seasons
Unit 4 takes in 787,906 acres by the Hunt Planner, parts of Shoshone County, Kootenai County, Bonner County and Benewah County, with 7 controlled hunt numbers and 31 general season rows for 2026-27.
Photo: daveynin (CC BY 2.0)
Unit 4 size, region and office
The Hunt Planner measures Unit 4 at 787,906 acres, and 80% of it lies in Shoshone County by the IDFG Game Units layer. Unit lines follow ridges, rivers and roads, so Unit 4 reaches 4 counties; the table gives each share of the unit and of the county.
| County | Part of unit | Part of county | Text names it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoshone County | 80% | 38% | Yes |
| Kootenai County | 17% | 17% | Yes |
| Bonner County | 2% | 1% | Yes |
| Benewah County | 1% | 2% | GIS only |
Benewah shows up only on the GIS overlay, a thin edge the boundary text does not name.
Regional staff in Coeur d'Alene look after Unit 4, along with 8 other units in the Panhandle 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 4
- For elk, IDFG groups Unit 4 into the Panhandle Zone (9 units in all).
- Wolf zone: Panhandle. 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 4.
More on the zone: Panhandle 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 4 drawn tags by species
Unit 4 sits inside 7 controlled hunt areas, 3 moose, 2 deer and 2 elk. 4 hunts are limited to Unit 4 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.
White-tailed deer buck in the trees
Deer, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | 1-1 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 60 | 9 units | p. 22 | In a portion of Unit 1, Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules Apply and Testing is Required, See idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more informaiton. |
Deer, outfitter allocated (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1148 | 1-1 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | 9 units | p. 30 | In a portion of Unit 1, Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules Apply and Testing is Required, See idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more informaiton. |
Elk, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2109 | 1-2 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 25 | 9 units | p. 54 | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules Apply in a portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Selkirk Mountain crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd. Season overlaps some archery and muzzleloader hunts |
Elk, youth only (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2149 | 4 | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 25 | Only here | p. 56 | Archery only |
Moose, antlered (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3016 | 4 | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | Only here | p. 9 | — |
| 3017 | 4 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 5 | Only here | p. 9 | — |
| 3018 | 4 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlered | 5 | Only here | p. 9 | — |
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 4
The 31 general rows for Unit 4 below are the hunts you can buy into without applying. Mark October 10, 2026 for the general any-weapon deer opener in Unit 4.
Deer (12)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 9, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 9, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 10 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 10 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 9, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 10 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — |
Elk (6)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Oct 29, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 4, 7, 9 | — | |
| A tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 16, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| B tag | Archery | Sep 6 to Sep 12, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | 9 units | Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules apply in that portion of Unit 1 (portion of Boundary County east of the Silkirt Mountains crest), see idfg.idaho.gov/cwd for more information. |
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 | 4, 4A | Dogs prohibited: Apr 15 – Apr 30; Aug 30 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 4, 4A | Dogs prohibited: Apr 15 – Apr 30; Aug 30 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – 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 | 4, 4A, 6 | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – 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, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027 | Either sex | 9 units | Turkey tags expire Dec. 31; a 2027 license and tag are needed after Jan. 1. | |
| 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. |
Panhandle zone tags split into 4 A and 2 B lines for Unit 4. The data dates 2 wolf trapping lines March to June 2026; they are not in the table.
Panhandle Zone general elk (9)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Archery | Sep 15 to Sep 21, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | No |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Oct 29, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | — | No |
| A tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 16, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Archery | Sep 6 to Sep 12, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | — | 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 4 success rates and harvest
General deer, all weapons combined, 2025: 743 taken by 3,964 hunters in Unit 4, a 19% success rate.
General elk hunters numbered 5,152 and took 508 elk (10%).
Hunt Planner 2025, other species: 149 black bear, 13 mountain lion, 17 gray wolf and 154 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 | 576 | 2,826 | 20% | 16,170 | 394 | 181 |
| Deer, Archery | 10 | 495 | 2% | 3,219 | 7 | 3 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 158 | 642 | 25% | 2,917 | 133 | 25 |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 743 | 3,964 | 19% | 22,306 | 534 | 209 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 370 | 3,150 | 12% | 16,834 | 370 | — |
| Elk, Archery | 89 | 1,310 | 7% | 10,073 | 89 | — |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 48 | 692 | 7% | 2,974 | 48 | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 508 | 5,152 | 10% | 29,881 | 508 | 0 |
Results by season
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 704 | 475 | 171 | 29 | 54 | 168 |
| 2022 | 432 | 518 | 201 | 39 | 35 | 115 |
| 2023 | 642 | 447 | 137 | 14 | 44 | 67 |
| 2024 | 679 | 473 | 200 | 16 | 28 | 165 |
| 2025 | 743 | 508 | 149 | 13 | 17 | 154 |
Controlled hunts in this unit (7)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | Deer | 29 | 16 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 55 | 51% |
| 1148 | Deer | 16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2109 | Elk | 15 | 27 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 23 | 70% |
| 2149 | Elk | 4 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 22 | 86% |
| 3016 | Moose | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| 3017 | Moose | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 3018 | Moose | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
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, controlled elk, controlled moose; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Mapped ground inside Unit 4
These 10 land records share ground with Unit 4; open each for access dates, vehicle rules and parking.
Closed ground in the counties Unit 4 reaches (not necessarily inside the unit): Coeur d'Alene Parkway State Park, Enid Nesbitt Memorial State Park, Heyburn State Park, Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park, Old Mission State Park and Priest Lake 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.
Around Unit 4
Base camp choices start with Wallace, Mullan and St. Maries, each linked to its own town page.
- WallaceIn unit · Shoshone County
- MullanIn unit · Shoshone County
- St. MariesWithin 10 mi · Benewah County
- AtholWithin 10 mi · Kootenai County
- Clark ForkWithin 10 mi · Bonner County
- Conkling ParkWithin 10 mi · Kootenai County
Morning mist over Lake Coeur d'Alene and a pine-covered point
County neighbours of Unit 4, ranked by how close their centres sit:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 7 | Shoshone | Panhandle | 56 | 6 |
| Unit 9 | Shoshone | Panhandle | 8 | 6 |
| Unit 6 | Benewah, Kootenai, Shoshone | Panhandle | 1,559 | 7 |
| Unit 5 | Benewah, Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,055 | 9 |
| Unit 3 | Kootenai, Shoshone | Panhandle | 1,258 | 10 |
| Unit 2 | Bonner, Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,351 | 8 |
| Unit 8A | Benewah | Palouse | 1,548 | 4 |
| Unit 10 | Shoshone | Lolo | 84 | 7 |
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 4 sunrise and shooting times
Migratory bird hours follow a separate IDFG table in the migratory brochure, so ducks, geese and doves are not timed in this Unit 4 table.
| Date | Marker | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 5:59 a.m. PT | 7:31 p.m. PT | 5:29 a.m. PT to 8:01 p.m. PT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 6:19 a.m. PT | 6:59 p.m. PT | 5:49 a.m. PT to 7:29 p.m. PT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and general deer opener and general elk opener | 6:53 a.m. PT | 6:08 p.m. PT | 6:23 a.m. PT to 6:38 p.m. PT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:28 a.m. PT | 3:55 p.m. PT | 6:58 a.m. PT to 4:25 p.m. PT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 5:57 a.m. PT | 7:31 p.m. PT | 5:27 a.m. PT to 8:01 p.m. PT |
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 (Pacific Time); migratory bird hours: IDFG migratory bird table; checked November 12, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Unit 4 FAQ
Is Unit 4 a good unit?
Judge by the numbers: 743 general deer in 2025 and 508 elk.
How many bears were taken in Unit 4 in 2025?
149.
Which wolf zone is Unit 4 in?
Panhandle, one of 13 IDFG wolf zones.
Which CWD rule touches Unit 4 in 2026?
None written for this unit.
How many land records touch Unit 4?
10.
What town works as a base camp for Unit 4?
Wallace, Mullan, St. Maries and Athol.
Which IDFG office covers Unit 4?
Panhandle Region Office.
How much of Unit 4 is Shoshone ground?
80% of the unit, which works out to 38% of that county.
How many general elk lines reach Unit 4?
6, all on Panhandle Zone tags.
Which hunt in Unit 4 has the most tags?
Hunt 1001, with 60 tags.
Does a white-tailed deer tag work in Unit 4?
Yes.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); LibertyLakeAnne (CC0 1.0).