Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 42
Owyhee Zone · 1 county
Unit 42 hunting: seasons, hunts and harvest
Unit 42 sits in the IDFG Southwest Region and the Southern Idaho wolf zone; its 13 controlled hunts carry 676 tags in 2026.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Idaho (CC BY 2.0)
Mapping Unit 42
Owyhee County carries 100% of the 859,602 acres in Unit 42, which IDFG assigns to its Southwest Region. No county line crosses Unit 42: every acre is in Owyhee County, where the unit makes up 17% of the county.
| County | Of the unit | Of the county | Named by IDFG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owyhee County | 100% | 17% | Yes |
Questions about access, closures or animal numbers in Unit 42 go to the Southwest Region South – Nampa Office in Nampa, (208) 465-8465.
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 42 tag zones and disease rules
- General elk tags are sold per zone, and Unit 42 belongs to the Owyhee Zone with Units 40 and 41.
- The Southern Idaho wolf zone takes in Unit 42; IDFG uses those zones for analysis and writes the seasons unit by unit.
- CWD: Unit 42 is neither a management zone nor a mandatory testing unit in 2026.
- Unit 42 does not appear in the general black bear tables this season, so no general bear dates are shown here.
Open the zone: Owyhee 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; general bear tables, Big Game 2026 p. 71; checked November 12, 2026.
Controlled hunt numbers in Unit 42
13 controlled hunt numbers include Unit 42 for 2026 (6 elk, 3 deer, 3 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep), carrying 676 tags between them. 8 of the hunts spread beyond Unit 42, 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, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1033 | 42 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 24, 2026 | Antlered | 50 | Only here | p. 23 | — |
Deer, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1074 | 41-2 | Archery | Aug 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | 25 | 41, 42 | p. 24 | Antlered only |
Deer, outfitter allocated (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1170 | 42 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 24, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 30 | — |
Elk, antlered (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 40-1 | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 5 | 40, 41, 42 | p. 51 | Caution: An archery only hunt is open at the same time |
| 2018 | 42 | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 24, 2026 | Antlered | 15 | Only here | p. 51 | — |
Elk, antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2083 | 40-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 24, 2026 | Antlerless | 150 | 40, 41, 42 | p. 53 | — |
Elk, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2123 | 40-1 | Archery | Sep 15 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 25 | 40, 41, 42 | p. 55 | Antlered only, Caution archers and muzzleloaders: An “any weapon” |
Elk, outfitter allocated (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2190 | 40-1 | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | 40, 41, 42 | p. 59 | Antlered only |
| 2191 | 42 | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Nov 24, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 59 | Antlered only |
Pronghorn, archery (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4030 | 40-1 | Archery | Aug 15 to Aug 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 200 | 40, 41, 42 | p. 66 | Either sex |
| 4031 | 40-1 | Archery | Sep 1 to Sep 15, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | Unlimited | 40, 41, 42 | p. 66 | Either sex |
Pronghorn, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4009 | 41-1 | Any Weapon | Sep 25 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 200 | 41, 42 | p. 65 | — |
Bighorn sheep, ram (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7003 | 42 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 8, 2026 | Rams Only | 3 | Only here | p. 20 | — |
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 42 general hunt calendar
General tags open 7 dated lines in Unit 42, grouped below by species and by tag or season type. Rifle deer hunters on a general tag start October 10, 2026 in Unit 42.
Deer (1)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Two-Point | This unit | — |
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 | 41, 42 | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 5 – Nov 24 |
Gray wolf (5)
| 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 | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 21 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Sep 10 to Nov 14, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 32 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 32 units | — |
The Owyhee zone tags list no line for Unit 42.
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 42 results by year
13% of the 251 general deer hunters in Unit 42 filled a tag in 2025 (33 deer).
Elk harvest on general tags is not reported for Unit 42 in 2025.
Bear, lion, wolf and turkey rows for 2025 show 5 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 | 33 | 242 | 14% | 855 | 33 | — |
| Deer, Archery | 0 | 9 | 0% | 32 | — | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 33 | 251 | 13% | 887 | 33 | 0 |
2021-2025 results
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 | 63 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 2023 | 34 | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| 2024 | 53 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 2025 | 33 | — | — | 5 | — | — |
Hunt numbers, 2021-2025 (12)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1033 | Deer | 132 | 174 | 36 | 37 | 29 | 46 | 63% |
| 1074 | Deer | 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 11% |
| 1170 | Deer | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2015 | Elk | 15 | 15 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 2018 | Elk | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 73% |
| 2083 | Elk | 36 | 41 | 26 | 25 | 19 | 122 | 16% |
| 2123 | Elk | 5 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 14 | 25 | 56% |
| 2190 | Elk | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 2191 | Elk | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 4030 | Pronghorn | 29 | 21 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 166 | 13% |
| 4031 | Pronghorn | 39 | 34 | 21 | 28 | 53 | 350 | 15% |
| 4009 | Pronghorn | 65 | 52 | 87 | 105 | 98 | 183 | 54% |
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; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 42 public ground
Our land data places 4 records in Unit 42; 4 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 42, among them Bruneau Dunes State Park and Duck Valley 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.
Near Unit 42
Our town pages miss Unit 42 entirely; plan supplies from towns in Owyhee County.
Rabbitbrush and basalt boulders on the rim of Big Jacks Creek canyon
Units that overlap the same counties as Unit 42, sorted by distance:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 41 | Owyhee | Owyhee | 148 | 16 |
| Unit 46 | Owyhee | South Hills | 406 | 10 |
| Unit 40 | Owyhee | Owyhee | 640 | 12 |
| Unit 47 | Owyhee | South Hills | 21 | 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.
Unit 42 hours on key season dates
The dates in this Unit 42 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 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 7:07 a.m. MT | 8:25 p.m. MT | 6:37 a.m. MT to 8:55 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:23 a.m. MT | 7:57 p.m. MT | 6:53 a.m. MT to 8:27 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:50 a.m. MT | 7:13 p.m. MT | 7:20 a.m. MT to 7:43 p.m. MT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 8:01 a.m. MT | 6:58 p.m. MT | 7:31 a.m. MT to 7:28 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 8:11 a.m. MT | 5:14 p.m. MT | 7:41 a.m. MT to 5:44 p.m. MT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 7:05 a.m. MT | 8:25 p.m. MT | 6:35 a.m. MT to 8:55 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 42 answered
What elk zone is Unit 42 in?
The Owyhee Zone, shared with Units 40 and 41.
In which part of the state does Unit 42 sit?
Southwest country: the IDFG Southwest Region, across Owyhee County.
Can I hunt deer in Unit 42 without a draw?
Yes, on the regular tag.
How many controlled hunts include Unit 42?
13: 6 elk, 3 deer, 3 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep.
Is there a general bear season in Unit 42?
It is not listed in the fall 2026 or spring 2027 general bear tables; check the brochure.
How did hunters do in Unit 42 last season?
13% deer success on general tags.
Does the CWD Management Zone cover Unit 42?
No; the zone is Units 14, 18 and part of Unit 1.
How many wolves were taken in Unit 42 in 2025?
No 2025 row.
Where do hunters in Unit 42 buy fuel and groceries?
In the larger towns of Owyhee County.
Is there Access Yes! land in Unit 42?
No Access Yes! property lists it.
Who do I call about access in Unit 42?
The Nampa office at (208) 465-8465.
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).