Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 55
South Hills Zone · 1 county
Unit 55 tags, seasons and 2025 harvest
Cassia: 16 drawn hunts, 4 species on general tags and 7 land records touching Unit 55.
Photo: AllAroundTheWest (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Unit 55 size, region and office
No whole-unit acreage is printed on the Hunt Planner rows read for Unit 55; the GIS overlay puts 100% of it in Cassia County. Cassia County holds all of Unit 55; seen from the county side, the unit is 40% of its land.
| In county | % of unit | % of county | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassia County | 100% | 40% | Yes |
Call the Magic Valley Region Office ((208) 324-4359) for road, fire or access news in Unit 55.
Region, elk zone and boundary counties from the IDFG Hunt Planner unit 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 55
- South Hills Zone tags cover Unit 55 and 5 neighbouring units; the A tag and the B tag carry different weapons and dates.
- For wolf data IDFG files Unit 55 under Southern Idaho; the season table below lists each land type separately.
- The 2026 CWD lists leave out Unit 55.
- Bear hunters: Unit 55 is not in the general tables printed for this season.
Zone page: South Hills 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.
Unit 55 draw list
Apply for any of these 16 hunts to carry a controlled tag in Unit 55; tag counts total 748, though multi-unit hunts spread them wider. Hunt 1045 carries the most tags here, 320.
Moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat applications close April 30, spring bear runs January 15 to February 15. Moose, sheep and goat: 2026 hunts, 2025 & 2026 brochure dates.
A bighorn sheep ram on a rocky slope with ewes behind
Deer, antlered (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1044 | 55 | Any Weapon | Aug 15 to Sep 24, 2026 | Antlered | 25 | Only here | p. 23 | — |
| 1045 | 55 | Any Weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 320 | Only here | p. 23 | — |
Deer, antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1062 | 55 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | Only here | p. 24 | — |
Deer, outfitter allocated (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1180 | 55 | Any Weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 2 | Only here | p. 31 | — |
| 1181 | 55-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 1 | 55, 57 | p. 31 | Youth hunt only, Either sex |
Deer, youth only (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1107 | 55-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 40 | 55, 57 | p. 26 | Antlered only |
| 1108 | 55-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 5 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 50 | 55, 57 | p. 26 | Antlerless only |
Elk, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2036 | 55-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 50 | 55, 56, 57 | p. 52 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 56, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Elk, antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2093 | 55-2 | Any Weapon | Aug 1 to Aug 29, 2026 | Antlerless | 50 | 55, 57 | p. 53 | — |
Elk, muzzleloader (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2141 | 55-2 | Muzzleloader | Nov 1 to Nov 14, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | 55, 57 | p. 56 | Antlered only |
Pronghorn, archery (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4039 | 55-1 | Archery | Aug 15 to Sep 15, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 10 | 55, 56, 57 | p. 66 | Either sex, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 56, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Pronghorn, either sex (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4019 | 55-1 | Any Weapon | Sep 25 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 10 | 55, 56, 57 | p. 65 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 56, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Pronghorn, landowner permission required extra doe or fawn (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4603 | 46-1X | Any Weapon | Aug 15 to Oct 24, 2026 | Doe or Fawn | 50 | 6 units | p. 14 | Private land only |
| 4604 | 54-1X | Any Weapon | Aug 15 to Oct 24, 2026 | Doe or Fawn | 25 | 54, 55, 57 | p. 14 | Private land only |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3057 | 55 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 3 | Only here | p. 10 | — |
Bighorn sheep, ram (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7004 | 55 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Oct 8, 2026 | Rams Only | 2 | 54, 55 | 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.
Over-the-counter seasons in Unit 55
Besides drawn tags, Unit 55 has 8 general lines covering deer, elk, mountain lion and gray wolf. General deer here is limited to the weapons shown; there is no any-weapon line.
Deer (1)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular tag | Archery | Nov 16 to Dec 10, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — |
Elk (1)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 55, 56, 57 | Units 55, 56 & 57 ONLY. Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 56. |
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 (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 | — |
A tag lines here: 1. B tag lines: 0.
All South Hills Zone lines (2)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 55 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Nov 15, 2026 | Antlerless | 500 | 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.
Five seasons in Unit 55
In 2025, 748 general season deer hunters took 72 deer in Unit 55, all weapons combined (10% success).
Elk success ran 7% in 2025 (10 of 138 hunters).
For the predators and turkey, 2025 reads 4 mountain lion.
Figures are IDFG Hunt Planner statistics, copied as printed.
2025 general deer and elk by take method
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 5 | 36 | 14% | 163 | 5 | — |
| Deer, Archery | 67 | 711 | 9% | 3,515 | 60 | 7 |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 72 | 748 | 10% | 3,677 | 65 | 7 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 0 | 6 | 0% | 16 | — | — |
| Elk, Archery | 10 | 132 | 8% | 1,059 | 10 | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 10 | 138 | 7% | 1,075 | 10 | 0 |
Five-year record
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 59 | 16 | — | 7 | — | — |
| 2022 | 87 | 18 | — | 6 | — | — |
| 2023 | 59 | 5 | — | 5 | — | — |
| 2024 | 96 | 13 | — | 3 | — | — |
| 2025 | 72 | 10 | — | 4 | — | — |
Controlled harvest by hunt (13)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1044 | Deer | 181 | 178 | 19 | 16 | 25 | 25 | 100% |
| 1045 | Deer | 30 | 41 | 152 | 184 | 215 | 301 | 71% |
| 1062 | Deer | 148 | 131 | 38 | 171 | 70 | 86 | 81% |
| 1180 | Deer | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50% |
| 1181 | Deer | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 1107 | Deer | 150 | 205 | 10 | 12 | 28 | 37 | 76% |
| 1108 | Deer | 19 | 23 | 55 | 59 | 31 | 41 | 76% |
| 2036 | Elk | 18 | 14 | 35 | 48 | 36 | 50 | 72% |
| 2093 | Elk | 75 | 64 | 49 | 86 | 8 | 41 | 20% |
| 2141 | Elk | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 50% |
| 4039 | Pronghorn | 2 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 5 | 9 | 56% |
| 4019 | Pronghorn | 43 | 39 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 90% |
| 3057 | Moose | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
White-tailed deer fawn in tall grass
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 55
Public and walk-in ground in Unit 55: 7 records, the ones that sit only in this unit listed first.
County-level closures near Unit 55: City of Rocks National Reserve.
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 55
Burley is the largest town within Unit 55, with Rupert close by.
The wide Sawtooth Valley with meadows, forest and distant peaks
These units take in part of the same county ground as Unit 55:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 57 | Cassia | South Hills | 16 | 16 |
| Unit 54 | Cassia | South Hills | 10 | 23 |
| Unit 53 | Cassia | Big Desert | 115 | 3 |
| Unit 56 | Cassia | South Hills | 417 | 5 |
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 55 sunrise and shooting times
Every time in the Unit 55 table carries its zone, because north Idaho runs on Pacific Time and the rest of the state on Mountain Time.
| Day | Note | Sunup | Sundown | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:57 a.m. MT | 8:15 p.m. MT | 6:27 a.m. MT to 8:45 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:14 a.m. MT | 7:47 p.m. MT | 6:44 a.m. MT to 8:17 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:41 a.m. MT | 7:03 p.m. MT | 7:11 a.m. MT to 7:33 p.m. MT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:51 a.m. MT | 6:49 p.m. MT | 7:21 a.m. MT to 7:19 p.m. MT |
| Oct 25, 2026 | General elk opener | 7:58 a.m. MT | 6:40 p.m. MT | 7:28 a.m. MT to 7:10 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 8:01 a.m. MT | 5:05 p.m. MT | 7:31 a.m. MT to 5:35 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 55 questions
Is Unit 55 a good unit?
Judge by the numbers: 72 general deer in 2025 and 10 elk.
How many general deer lines does Unit 55 have?
1.
Do I need a different wolf tag for Unit 55?
Wolf lines here use the gray wolf tag; trapping also needs the trapping license.
Why are there no bear dates for Unit 55?
The unit is not listed in the general bear tables printed for this season.
Is any national forest in Unit 55?
Yes, 2 Forest Service records.
What is the chronic wasting disease status of Unit 55?
Outside both the 2026 zone and the testing list.
Which IDFG office covers Unit 55?
Magic Valley Region Office.
What is the nearest town on this site to Unit 55?
Burley.
Does the South Hills elk tag cover Unit 55?
Yes. Unit 55 is one of 6 units in that zone.
How many acres does the Hunt Planner give Unit 55?
No whole-unit acreage was read; 100% of it lies in Cassia County.
Which hunt in Unit 55 has the most tags?
Hunt 1045, with 320 tags.
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 Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Acroterion (CC BY-SA 4.0).