Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 51
Wolf zone Southern Mountains · Upper Snake
Idaho Unit 51: controlled hunts and general seasons
Unit 51 takes in 604,464 acres by the Hunt Planner, parts of Butte County, Custer County, Lemhi County and Clark County, with 16 controlled hunt numbers and 19 general season rows for 2026-27.
Photo: cifraser1 (CC BY 2.0)
Unit 51 size, region and office
The Hunt Planner measures Unit 51 at 604,464 acres, and 66% of it lies in Butte County by the IDFG Game Units layer. Unit lines follow ridges, rivers and roads, so Unit 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County | 66% | 28% | Yes |
| Custer County | 25% | 5% | Yes |
| Lemhi County | 9% | 2% | Yes |
| Clark County | 0.5% | 0.2% | GIS only |
Clark shows up only on the GIS overlay, a thin edge the boundary text does not name.
Regional staff in Idaho Falls look after Unit 51, along with 18 other units in the Upper Snake 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 51
- For elk, IDFG groups Unit 51 into the Lemhi Zone (4 units in all).
- Wolf zone: Southern Mountains. 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 51.
More on 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; checked November 12, 2026.
Unit 51 drawn tags by species
Unit 51 sits inside 16 controlled hunt areas, 6 elk, 4 bighorn sheep, 2 pronghorn, 2 mountain goat, 1 deer and 1 moose. 8 hunts are limited to Unit 51 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.
A bighorn sheep ram on a rocky slope with ewes behind
Deer, muzzleloader (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1090 | 51-1 | Muzzleloader | Nov 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 50 | 50, 51 | p. 25 | Antlered only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Elk, antlered (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 51 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | Only here | p. 51 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See Pages 104 – 106 |
| 2032 | 51 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 125 | Only here | p. 52 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Elk, antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2090 | 51 | Any Weapon | Oct 16 to Nov 5, 2026 | Antlerless | 75 | Only here | p. 53 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See Pages 104 – 106 |
| 2091 | 51 | Any Weapon | Dec 10 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 75 | Only here | p. 53 | — |
Elk, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2114 | 51-1 | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Aug 29, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 25 | Only here | p. 54 | Outside the National Forest System Boundary on or within 1 mile of private irrigated agricultural lands |
Elk, extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2283 | 51-1X | Any Weapon | Jan 1 to Feb 15, 2027 | Antlerless | 25 | Only here | p. 58 | — |
Pronghorn, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4036 | 51-2 | Archery | Aug 15 to Sep 15, 2026 | Bucks Only | Unlimited | 51, 63 | p. 66 | Buck only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 51, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Pronghorn, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4015 | 51 | Any Weapon | Sep 25 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 75 | Only here | p. 65 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 51, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3055 | 51 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 5 | Only here | p. 10 | — |
Bighorn sheep, ram (4)
| 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 | — |
| 5020 | 51 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 13, 2026 | Rams Only | 2 | 51, 58 | p. 19 | — |
| 5027 | 37L | Any Weapon | Oct 14 to Oct 31, 2026 | Rams Only | 3 | 37, 50, 51 | p. 19 | — |
Mountain goat, either sex (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6014 | 37A | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 12, 2026 | Either-sex | 1 | 29, 37A, 51, 58 | p. 26 | — |
| 6018 | 51 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 12, 2026 | Either-sex | 2 | 51, 58 | 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.
Over-the-counter seasons in Unit 51
The 19 general rows for Unit 51 below are the hunts you can buy into without applying. Mark October 10, 2026 for the general any-weapon deer opener in Unit 51.
Deer (6)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| Regular tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Nov 10 to Dec 9, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. |
Elk (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Aug 29, 2026 | Antlerless | Part of unit | Unit 51 ONLY on or within 1 mile of private agricultural lands outside National Forest System Boundary. | |
| 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 | 50, 51, 58, 59, 59A | Dogs prohibited: Oct 1 – Oct 31 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 50, 51, 58, 59, 59A | 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 | 17 units | Dogs prohibited: July 1 – Aug 29; Oct 1 – Nov 30; 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) | 29, 32, 32A, 50, 51 | — | |
| Hunting, public land | Hunting | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 29, 32, 32A, 50, 51 | — | |
| 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 | — |
Lemhi zone tags split into 3 A and 0 B lines for Unit 51. The data dates 2 wolf trapping lines March to June 2026; they are not in the table.
Lemhi Zone general elk (4)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 51 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Aug 29, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | — | No |
| 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.
Unit 51 success rates and harvest
General deer, all weapons combined, 2025: 251 taken by 979 hunters in Unit 51, a 26% success rate.
General elk hunters numbered 500 and took 92 elk (18%).
Hunt Planner 2025, other species: 11 black bear and 4 mountain lion.
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 | 239 | 846 | 28% | 3,386 | 234 | 5 |
| Deer, Archery | 12 | 133 | 9% | 1,024 | 12 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 251 | 979 | 26% | 4,410 | 246 | 5 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 20 | 64 | 31% | 414 | — | 20 |
| Elk, Archery | 46 | 298 | 15% | 2,377 | 42 | 4 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 26 | 138 | 19% | 419 | — | 26 |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 92 | 500 | 18% | 3,210 | 42 | 51 |
Results by season
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 175 | 101 | 17 | 5 | — | — |
| 2022 | 177 | 95 | 10 | 5 | — | — |
| 2023 | 190 | 80 | 9 | 9 | — | — |
| 2024 | 199 | 87 | 28 | 5 | — | — |
| 2025 | 251 | 92 | 11 | 4 | — | — |
Controlled hunts in this unit (12)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1090 | Deer | 27 | 25 | 50 | 65 | 17 | 47 | 36% |
| 2031 | Elk | 15 | 13 | 54 | 69 | 6 | 10 | 60% |
| 2032 | Elk | 77 | 78 | 16 | 22 | 53 | 120 | 44% |
| 2090 | Elk | 35 | 33 | 74 | 50 | 20 | 62 | 32% |
| 2091 | Elk | 11 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 42 | 65 | 65% |
| 2114 | Elk | 49 | 34 | 107 | 96 | 14 | 22 | 64% |
| 2283 | Elk | — | — | — | — | 8 | 13 | 62% |
| 4036 | Pronghorn | 32 | 14 | 63 | 120 | 22 | 177 | 12% |
| 4015 | Pronghorn | 18 | 21 | 65 | 58 | 59 | 68 | 87% |
| 3055 | Moose | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 60% |
| 6014 | Mountain goat | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 6018 | Mountain goat | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 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, controlled mountain goat; data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.
Mapped ground inside Unit 51
These 8 land records share ground with Unit 51; open each for access dates, vehicle rules and parking.
Closed ground in the counties Unit 51 reaches (not necessarily inside the unit): Craters of the Moon National Monument, 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.
Around Unit 51
Rooms and fuel for Unit 51 mean a drive from Arco, the nearest town page.
The stone Arco city building with its sign for the first city lit by atomic power
County neighbours of Unit 51, ranked by how close their centres sit:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 50 | Butte, Custer | Pioneer | 383 | 18 |
| Unit 58 | Butte, Clark, Lemhi | Beaverhead | 122 | 11 |
| Unit 36 | Custer | Sawtooth | 338 | 17 |
| Unit 36A | Custer | Pioneer | 135 | 23 |
| Unit 37 | Custer, Lemhi | Lemhi | 196 | 21 |
| Unit 36B | Custer | Salmon | 383 | 13 |
| Unit 52A | Butte | Big Desert | 207 | 4 |
| Unit 63 | Butte, Clark | Snake River | 53 | 13 |
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 51 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 51 table.
| Date | Marker | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2026 | General elk opener | 6:21 a.m. MT | 9:00 p.m. MT | 5:51 a.m. MT to 9:30 p.m. MT |
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:54 a.m. MT | 8:16 p.m. MT | 6:24 a.m. MT to 8:46 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:12 a.m. MT | 7:47 p.m. MT | 6:42 a.m. MT to 8:17 p.m. MT |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:32 a.m. MT | 7:13 p.m. MT | 7:02 a.m. MT to 7:43 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:41 a.m. MT | 7:01 p.m. MT | 7:11 a.m. MT to 7:31 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 8:05 a.m. MT | 4:59 p.m. MT | 7:35 a.m. MT to 5:29 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 51 FAQ
What is the nearest town on this site to Unit 51?
Arco.
Which IDFG office covers Unit 51?
Upper Snake Region Office.
How much of Unit 51 is Butte ground?
66% of the unit, which works out to 28% of that county.
How many general elk lines reach Unit 51?
3, all on Lemhi Zone tags.
Which hunt in Unit 51 has the most tags?
Hunt 2032, with 125 tags.
Does a white-tailed deer tag work in Unit 51?
Yes.
Is Unit 51 a good unit?
Judge by the numbers: 251 general deer in 2025 and 92 elk.
How many bears were taken in Unit 51 in 2025?
11.
Which wolf zone is Unit 51 in?
Southern Mountains, one of 13 IDFG wolf zones.
Which CWD rule touches Unit 51 in 2026?
None written for this unit.
How many land records touch Unit 51?
8.
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); Nicolas Henderson (CC BY 2.0).