Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 5
Panhandle Region · 9 controlled hunts
What opens in Unit 5, Idaho
Hunt numbers, tag counts, general dates, five years of Hunt Planner harvest and the public ground of Unit 5 (Benewah and Kootenai).
Photo: LibertyLakeAnne (CC0 1.0)
Where Unit 5 lies
IDFG gives the unit a number and no name. Unit 5 covers 457,550 acres, mostly in Benewah County (64%). Pieces of Benewah County and Kootenai County make up Unit 5; seen from the county side, the unit covers 55% of Benewah.
| County | Share of unit | Share of county | In boundary text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benewah County | 64% | 55% | Yes |
| Kootenai County | 36% | 19% | Yes |
Unit 5 reports to the Panhandle Region, whose Coeur d'Alene office answers questions about this ground.
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 5 unit-level rules
- Elk: Unit 5 is part of the Panhandle Zone, so a general elk tag here is the Panhandle A tag or B tag, good across Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 6, 7 and 9 as well.
- On the IDFG wolf layer Unit 5 sits in the Panhandle zone with 8 other units, but seasons follow units and land type, not zones.
- No CWD sampling is required for deer from Unit 5 under the 2026 rules.
Zone tags: 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 5 controlled hunts
All 9 controlled hunts valid somewhere in Unit 5 are listed below with dates, bag, 2026 tags and the brochure page. Single-unit hunts: 6. Multi-unit hunts: 3.
Results for the first deer, elk and pronghorn period come out in early July; second-period results by August 25. For moose, sheep and goat the two-year brochure prints month and day once; these rows apply 2026.
White-tailed doe standing in light snow
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, extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1126 | 5-1X | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 50 | Only here | p. 27 | Archery only, White-tailed deer only |
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, antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2049 | 5-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 200 | Only here | p. 52 | On or within 1 mile of private agricultural lands |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2150 | 5 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3020 | 5 | Any Weapon | Sep 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | Only here | p. 9 | — |
| 3021 | 5 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 3 | Only here | p. 9 | — |
| 3022 | 5 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlered | 3 | 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.
Unit 5 general seasons
Without a draw, a hunter in Unit 5 can work 32 general lines: deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and wild turkey. The first general any-weapon deer day here is October 10, 2026, on the regular tag.
Deer (12)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Nov 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlerless | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 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 Dec 1, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Dec 10 to Dec 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — |
Elk (8)
| 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 | Archery | Sep 15 to Sep 21, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5, 6 | Open only within 1 mile of private land in the following Units: 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 & 6. "Any weapon"hunts will be open during the archery or muzzleloader season. 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 | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 | Only open within 1 mile of private land. 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 | 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. | |
| B tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | 1, 2, 3, 4A, 5 | Open only within 1 mile of private land. 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 Oct 31, 2026 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 2, 3, 5 | Dogs prohibited: Aug 30 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 15, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 2, 3, 5 | Dogs prohibited: 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 | 2, 3, 5 | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Sep 14; Oct 10 – Dec 1 |
Gray wolf (6)
| 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 | 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. |
Elk lines in Unit 5: 5 A tag lines and 3 B tag lines, all on Panhandle Zone tags. 2 earlier wolf trapping lines (to June 30, 2026) are not listed.
Every Panhandle zone tag line (9)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Archery | Sep 15 to Sep 21, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Oct 29, 2026 | Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Nov 15 to Dec 1, 2026 | Antlered | — | No |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 2 to Dec 8, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| 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 | — | 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 5 harvest, 2021 to 2025
Unit 5 gave up 1,055 deer to general tag holders in 2025, 131 fewer than in 2024.
Elk, all weapons combined: 369 in 2025, success 17%.
The same year IDFG recorded 11 black bear, 16 mountain lion and 278 spring turkey for Unit 5.
Success is the share of hunters who took an animal, as IDFG prints it.
2025 by weapon type
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 1,010 | 2,499 | 40% | 17,208 | 721 | 290 |
| Deer, Archery | 40 | 279 | 14% | 2,154 | 29 | 10 |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 6 | 36 | 17% | 117 | 6 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 1,055 | 2,814 | 37% | 19,480 | 755 | 300 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 256 | 1,335 | 19% | 7,061 | 256 | — |
| Elk, Archery | 78 | 469 | 17% | 4,113 | 77 | 1 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 35 | 361 | 10% | 1,099 | — | 35 |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 369 | 2,166 | 17% | 12,273 | 333 | 36 |
Harvest by year
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,144 | 355 | 23 | 15 | — | 291 |
| 2022 | 1,036 | 312 | 21 | 13 | — | 227 |
| 2023 | 1,241 | 480 | 16 | 11 | — | 331 |
| 2024 | 1,186 | 423 | 18 | 12 | — | 211 |
| 2025 | 1,055 | 369 | 11 | 16 | — | 278 |
Controlled hunt results (9)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | Deer | 29 | 16 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 55 | 51% |
| 1126 | Deer | 86 | 43 | 34 | 32 | 20 | 41 | 49% |
| 1148 | Deer | 16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| 2049 | Elk | 14 | 15 | 51 | 52 | 86 | 167 | 51% |
| 2109 | Elk | 15 | 27 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 23 | 70% |
| 2150 | Elk | 18 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 32% |
| 3020 | Moose | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 90% |
| 3021 | Moose | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| 3022 | Moose | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 67% |
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 moose; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Public land across Unit 5
11 land records list Unit 5 among their units: 1 IDFG WMA, 0 Access Yes! properties, 4 Forest Service records and 3 BLM records.
The closed list for these counties includes Coeur d'Alene Parkway State Park, Heyburn State Park, Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park, Old Mission State Park and Coeur d'Alene Reservation. Tribal land is closed to non-member hunting except under tribal authority.
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 5
Inside Unit 5 the biggest place on our town list is St. Maries; 4 other towns sit within 10 miles.
- St. MariesIn unit · Benewah County
- Conkling ParkIn unit · Kootenai County
- Coeur d'AleneWithin 10 mi · Kootenai County
- Post FallsWithin 10 mi · Kootenai County
- HauserWithin 10 mi · Kootenai County
- PotlatchWithin 10 mi · Latah County
Evening light on Lake Coeur d'Alene and its forested shoreline
Other units inside Benewah and Kootenai, nearest to Unit 5 first:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 3 | Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,258 | 10 |
| Unit 6 | Benewah, Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,559 | 7 |
| Unit 2 | Kootenai | Panhandle | 1,351 | 8 |
| Unit 4 | Benewah, Kootenai | Panhandle | 743 | 7 |
| Unit 8A | Benewah | Palouse | 1,548 | 4 |
| Unit 4A | Kootenai | Panhandle | 199 | 4 |
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.
Sun and shooting hours for Unit 5
Deer, elk, bear, lion and wolf hunters around Unit 5 share the same half-hour rule at both ends of the day.
| Date | Opener | Rise | Set | Big game hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 5:24 a.m. PT | 8:23 p.m. PT | 4:54 a.m. PT to 8:53 p.m. PT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:02 a.m. PT | 7:34 p.m. PT | 5:32 a.m. PT to 8:04 p.m. PT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 6:23 a.m. PT | 7:02 p.m. PT | 5:53 a.m. PT to 7:32 p.m. PT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Duck opener and general deer opener | 6:56 a.m. PT | 6:11 p.m. PT | 6:26 a.m. PT to 6:41 p.m. PT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:31 a.m. PT | 3:58 p.m. PT | 7:01 a.m. PT to 4:28 p.m. PT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:00 a.m. PT | 7:34 p.m. PT | 5:30 a.m. PT to 8:04 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.
Asked about Unit 5
Can I trap wolves in Unit 5?
Yes, with a trapping license and wolf trapper education, in the dates shown.
Is Unit 5 on the 2026 CWD sampling list?
No.
Are there WMAs in Unit 5?
Yes, 1 IDFG WMA.
Is there a town inside the lines of Unit 5?
Yes: St. Maries and Conkling Park.
Which region handles Unit 5?
IDFG Panhandle Region.
Does Unit 5 cross a county boundary?
Yes: Benewah County and Kootenai County, with the largest piece in Benewah County.
Which elk tag do I need for Unit 5?
The Panhandle A tag or B tag for general elk; controlled elk hunts need a drawn tag.
How many 2026 tags do hunts in Unit 5 carry?
377 across 9 hunts, some shared with other units.
When does general rifle deer open in Unit 5?
October 10, 2026.
Does IDFG publish harvest for Unit 5?
Yes, by unit and by hunt on the Hunt Planner, 2021 to 2025 here.
Can I use a general bear tag in Unit 5?
Yes, in the dates in the table.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0).