Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 69
Tex Creek Zone · 3 counties
Unit 69 hunt planner notes, 2026-27
Elk here go on the Tex Creek Zone A or B tag; 12 drawn hunts and 24 general lines reach Unit 69 in Bingham and Bonneville and beyond.
Photo: Bureau of Land Management (CC BY 2.0)
Unit 69 size, region and office
At 925,320 acres on the Hunt Planner, Unit 69 is filed with the IDFG Upper Snake Region; Bingham County holds the biggest share, 54%. Unit lines follow ridges, rivers and roads, so Unit 69 reaches 3 counties; the table gives each share of the unit and of the county.
| Where | Unit share | County share | Named |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bingham County | 54% | 37% | Yes |
| Bonneville County | 42% | 32% | Yes |
| Caribou County | 4% | 4% | Yes |
For Unit 69 the IDFG contact is Idaho Falls: the Upper Snake Region Office, 4279 Commerce Circle.
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 69
- The A/B choice for Unit 69 is made at the Tex Creek Zone level, shared with Unit 66.
- Wolf: Unit 69 falls in the Southern Idaho wolf zone, one of 13 IDFG data analysis units; wolf seasons themselves are set by unit and land type.
- CWD: Unit 69 is a mandatory deer testing unit outside the management zone; deer taken here must be tested within 10 days. It was added for 2026.
Zone details: Tex Creek 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 69 draw list
Drawn hunting in Unit 69: 12 hunt numbers and 1,515 tags for 2026, counting hunts that also reach other units. The largest quota touching the unit is 400 tags, on hunt 2103.
The controlled hunt draw is random; a successful applicant buys the tag before the August 1 deadline. Moose, sheep and goat dates come from the 2025 & 2026 brochure, read as 2026 hunts.
White-tailed doe standing in light snow
Deer, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1054 | 69 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | Only here | p. 23 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Deer, extra antlerless (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1144 | 60A-1X | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 300 | 7 units | p. 29 | Archery only, White-tailed deer only, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Units 66 and 69, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Elk, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2040 | 66-1 | Any Weapon | Nov 15 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 50 | 66, 69 | p. 52 | — |
Elk, antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2102 | 66-2 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 15, 2026 | Antlerless | 400 | 66, 66A, 69 | p. 54 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See Pages 104 – 106 |
| 2103 | 66-2 | Any Weapon | Nov 16 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 400 | 66, 66A, 69 | p. 54 | — |
Elk, extra antlerless (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2171 | 69-1X | Short-Range Weapons | Dec 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 75 | Only here | p. 57 | Short range weapons only, Private land only |
| 2285 | 69-1X | Short-Range Weapons | Jan 1 to Feb 15, 2027 | Antlerless | 75 | Only here | p. 58 | Short range weapons only, Private land only |
Elk, muzzleloader (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2144 | 66-1 | Muzzleloader | Oct 1 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 75 | 66, 69 | p. 56 | Either sex, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Elk, youth only (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2162 | 66-2 | Any Weapon | Nov 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | 66, 66A, 69 | p. 57 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Moose, antlered (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3077 | 69-1 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 10 | Only here | p. 10 | — |
| 3078 | 69-2 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 15 | Only here | p. 11 | — |
| 3079 | 69-3 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 5 | 66, 69 | p. 11 | — |
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 69
Unit 69 carries 24 general season lines for deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion and gray wolf; residents buy these tags over the counter. The regular tag any-weapon line opens October 10, 2026 in this unit.
Deer (7)
| 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 | — | |
| Regular tag | Archery | Nov 20 to Dec 19, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | — | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required. Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required. Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. | |
| White-tailed tag | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Chronis Wasting Disease Testing Required. Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. | |
| White-tailed tag | Archery | Nov 1 to Dec 19, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | This unit | Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required. Motorized Hunting Rule Applies. |
Elk (4)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 66, 69 | — | |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 22 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 66, 69 | — | |
| B tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 14, 2026 | Antlerless or Spike | 66, 69 | — | |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Oct 21, 2026 | Antlered | 66, 69 | — |
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 | 64, 65, 66, 67, 69 | 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 | 64, 65, 66, 67, 69 | 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 (10)
| 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) | 11 units | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Jul 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 10 units | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 10 units | — | |
| Trapping, private land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 10 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Jul 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Sep 10 to Nov 14, 2026 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Nov 15, 2026 to Mar 31, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — | |
| Trapping, public land | Trapping | Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027 | Per wolf tag (see brochure for tag limits) | 15 units | — |
Pick the Tex Creek A or B tag by weapon and dates: 2 and 2 lines reach Unit 69. Wolf trapping lines that close June 30, 2026 (2) sit outside this season and are left out.
Tex Creek Zone A and B tag lines (4)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 69 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 22 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| B tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 14, 2026 | Antlerless or Spike | — | Yes |
| B tag | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Oct 21, 2026 | Antlered | — | 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.
Five seasons in Unit 69
The Hunt Planner credits Unit 69 with 427 general season deer in 2025 from 2,129 hunters.
For elk the 2025 line reads 419 taken by 1,834 general hunters.
Other 2025 unit figures: 13 black bear and 8 mountain lion.
A dash means the Hunt Planner prints no figure for that cell.
Take method, 2025
| Kind and method | Taken | Hunters | Success | Days | Antlered | Antlerless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Any Weapon | 403 | 1,828 | 22% | 7,577 | 388 | 15 |
| Deer, Archery | 24 | 302 | 8% | 2,614 | 24 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 427 | 2,129 | 20% | 10,191 | 412 | 15 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 306 | 1,348 | 23% | 4,983 | 207 | 99 |
| Elk, Archery | 112 | 485 | 23% | 4,345 | 97 | 15 |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 1 | 1 | 100% | 12 | 1 | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 419 | 1,834 | 23% | 9,339 | 305 | 114 |
Five seasons, 2021 to 2025
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 540 | 263 | 11 | 5 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | 480 | 376 | 21 | 10 | — | — |
| 2023 | 259 | 311 | 22 | 7 | — | — |
| 2024 | 296 | 341 | 21 | 10 | — | — |
| 2025 | 427 | 419 | 13 | 8 | — | — |
Drawn hunts, harvest by year (12)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1054 | Deer | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 33% |
| 1144 | Deer | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 54 | 202 | 27% |
| 2040 | Elk | 18 | 11 | 24 | 34 | 29 | 44 | 66% |
| 2102 | Elk | 212 | 245 | 11 | 16 | 135 | 349 | 39% |
| 2103 | Elk | 32 | 34 | 29 | 47 | 106 | 367 | 29% |
| 2171 | Elk | 34 | 39 | — | — | 6 | 34 | 18% |
| 2285 | Elk | — | — | — | — | 17 | 25 | 68% |
| 2144 | Elk | 18 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 32 | 71 | 45% |
| 2162 | Elk | 58 | 75 | 5 | 6 | 31 | 87 | 36% |
| 3077 | Moose | 4 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 80% |
| 3078 | Moose | 6 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 100% |
| 3079 | Moose | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
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 69
18 land records cross into Unit 69, 18 with a page of their own. Fifteen shown, 3 more on the hub pages.
Within Bingham, Bonneville and Caribou some places carry no state hunting: Fort Hall Reservation and Fort Hall Off-Reservation Trust Land; check whether they fall in Unit 69.
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 69
Idaho Falls and Iona sit inside the lines of Unit 69, and Blackfoot, Rigby and Ririe are within 10 miles of its edge.
- Idaho FallsIn unit · Bonneville County
- IonaIn unit · Bonneville County
- BlackfootWithin 10 mi · Bingham County
- RigbyWithin 10 mi · Jefferson County
- RirieWithin 10 mi · Jefferson County
- IrwinWithin 10 mi · Bonneville County
Mineral terraces of the Soda Springs geyser with the town and hills behind
Units in the counties Unit 69 reaches, with their elk zones and 2025 deer:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 63A | Bonneville | Snake River | 197 | 3 |
| Unit 66 | Bonneville | Tex Creek | 124 | 10 |
| Unit 66A | Bonneville, Caribou | Diamond Creek | 58 | 12 |
| Unit 67 | Bonneville | Palisades | 91 | 8 |
| Unit 63 | Bingham, Bonneville | Snake River | 53 | 13 |
| Unit 68A | Bingham, Bonneville | Big Desert | 0 | 4 |
| Unit 71 | Bingham, Caribou | Bannock | 222 | 5 |
| Unit 72 | Bingham, Caribou | Bannock | 202 | 6 |
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 69 sunrise and shooting times
Clocks fall back on November 1, 2026 and spring forward on March 14, 2027, so the Unit 69 times jump an hour across those dates.
| Day | Why it matters | Sun up | Sun down | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | Archery deer opener | 6:49 a.m. MT | 8:09 p.m. MT | 6:19 a.m. MT to 8:39 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:06 a.m. MT | 7:41 p.m. MT | 6:36 a.m. MT to 8:11 p.m. MT |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:26 a.m. MT | 7:08 p.m. MT | 6:56 a.m. MT to 7:38 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:34 a.m. MT | 6:55 p.m. MT | 7:04 a.m. MT to 7:25 p.m. MT |
| Oct 15, 2026 | General elk opener | 7:40 a.m. MT | 6:47 p.m. MT | 7:10 a.m. MT to 7:17 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:57 a.m. MT | 4:54 p.m. MT | 7:27 a.m. MT to 5:24 p.m. MT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:47 a.m. MT | 8:09 p.m. MT | 6:17 a.m. MT to 8:39 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.
Questions on Unit 69
Which hunt in Unit 69 has the most tags?
Hunt 2103, with 400 tags.
Which units share the Tex Creek Zone with Unit 69?
Unit 66.
Is Unit 69 a good unit?
Judge by the numbers: 427 general deer in 2025 and 419 elk.
Is there a general deer season in Unit 69?
Yes, 7 lines on the regular tag and white-tailed tag.
Is wolf hunting open in Unit 69?
10 wolf lines reach it, split by public and private land.
Is there spring bear hunting in Unit 69?
Yes, April 15, 2027 to June 30, 2027.
Is any national forest in Unit 69?
Yes, 2 Forest Service records.
May a whole deer carcass leave Unit 69?
The zone transport rule does not reach this unit.
Which IDFG office covers Unit 69?
Upper Snake Region Office.
Which towns sit within the boundary of Unit 69?
Idaho Falls and Iona.
Which IDFG region files Unit 69?
IDFG Upper Snake Region; its staff work out of Idaho Falls.
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); NPS Photo (Public domain); Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0).