Idaho › Hunting seasons › Units › Unit 73
Wolf zone Southern Idaho · Southeast
Unit 73 tags, seasons and 2025 harvest
Oneida, Bannock and Franklin and more: 9 drawn hunts, 6 species on general tags and 10 land records touching Unit 73.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)
Counties inside Unit 73
Unit 73 spans 791,868 acres of the IDFG Southeast Region, with Oneida County holding 61% of the unit on the county overlay. Unit 73 is shared by Oneida, Bannock, Franklin and Power; the second column is the share of the unit, the third the share of each county.
| In county | % of unit | % of county | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oneida County | 61% | 63% | Yes |
| Bannock County | 17% | 19% | Yes |
| Franklin County | 17% | 31% | Yes |
| Power County | 5% | 4% | Yes |
Call the Southeast Region Office ((208) 232-4703) for road, fire or access news in Unit 73.
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 73 elk zone, wolf zone and CWD
- Bannock Zone tags cover Unit 73 and 5 neighbouring units; the A tag and the B tag carry different weapons and dates.
- For wolf data IDFG files Unit 73 under Southern Idaho; the season table below lists each land type separately.
- The 2026 CWD lists leave out Unit 73.
Zone page: Bannock 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 73 draw list
Apply for any of these 9 hunts to carry a controlled tag in Unit 73; tag counts total 554, though multi-unit hunts spread them wider. Hunt 2044 carries the most tags here, 250.
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.
White-tailed deer fawn in tall grass
Deer, antlered (3)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1057 | 73 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | Unlimited | Only here | p. 23 | 1st choice only Unlimited Controlled Hunt, See Page 110 Nonresident tag limit is 240 tags, See Page 109, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
| 1058 | 73 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 31, 2026 | Antlered | 40 | Only here | p. 24 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles. |
| 1059 | 73 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlered | 5 | Only here | p. 24 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1146 | 66A-1X | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless | 100 | 12 units | p. 29 | White-tailed deer only, Very limited access, Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Units 66A, 73, 75, 76, 77, and 78, See idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/access/motorized-vehicles |
Deer, outfitter allocated (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1187 | 73 | Any Weapon | Oct 10 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | 1 | Only here | p. 31 | — |
Elk, antlered (2)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2043 | 70-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 1 to Oct 14, 2026 | Antlered | 25 | 6 units | p. 52 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 73, See Pages 104 – 106 |
| 2044 | 70-1 | Any Weapon | Oct 15 to Oct 24, 2026 | Antlered | 250 | 6 units | p. 52 | Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 73, See Pages 104 – 106 |
Elk, muzzleloader (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2145 | 70-1 | Muzzleloader | Nov 16 to Nov 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 125 | 6 units | p. 56 | Either sex |
Moose, antlered (1)
| Hunt | Area | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Tags 2026 | Units | Brochure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3083 | 73 | Any Weapon | Aug 30 to Nov 23, 2026 | Antlered | 8 | Only here | 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.
Unit 73 hunts without a draw
Besides drawn tags, Unit 73 has 14 general lines covering deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and wild turkey. 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 | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlered | This unit | — |
Elk (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74 | Motorized Hunting Rule applies in Units 70, 72 and 73. | |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Nov 15, 2026 | Antlerless | 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74 | Motorized Hunting Rule applies in Units 70, 72 and 73. | |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | Antlerless | 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74 | — |
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 | 11 units | Dogs prohibited: Aug 30 – Oct 31; Apr 15 – June 30 | |
| Spring 2027 | Any weapon | Apr 15 to Jun 30, 2027 | One black bear per tag; females with young protected | 11 units | Dogs prohibited: Aug 30 – Oct 31; Apr 15 – June 30 |
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 (4)
| 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, 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 | — |
Wild turkey (3)
| Tag or type | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Area | Notes | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | — | Aug 30 to Dec 31, 2026 | Either sex | 25 units | Unit 28 only downstream from the Hat Creek drainage. | |
| 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. |
A tag lines here: 3. B tag lines: 0.
All Bannock Zone lines (3)
| Tag | Weapon | Dates | Bag | Zone tags | In Unit 73 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tag | Archery | Aug 30 to Sep 30, 2026 | Antlerless or Antlered | — | Yes |
| A tag | Any Weapon | Oct 25 to Nov 15, 2026 | Antlerless | — | Yes |
| A tag | Muzzleloader | Dec 1 to Dec 31, 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.
Five seasons in Unit 73
In 2025, 370 general season deer hunters took 70 deer in Unit 73, all weapons combined (19% success).
Elk success ran 13% in 2025 (88 of 657 hunters).
For the predators and turkey, 2025 reads 4 mountain lion and 75 spring turkey.
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 | 24 | 147 | 16% | 631 | 24 | — |
| Deer, Archery | 43 | 221 | 19% | 1,676 | 43 | — |
| Deer, Muzzleloader | 3 | 3 | 100% | 39 | 3 | — |
| Deer, All Weapons Combined | 70 | 370 | 19% | 2,346 | 70 | 0 |
| Elk, Any Weapon | 71 | 399 | 18% | 1,576 | 1 | 70 |
| Elk, Archery | 17 | 222 | 8% | 1,619 | 17 | — |
| Elk, Muzzleloader | 0 | 37 | 0% | 132 | — | — |
| Elk, All Weapons Combined | 88 | 657 | 13% | 3,327 | 19 | 70 |
Five-year record
| Year | Deer (all weapons) | Elk (all weapons) | Black bear | Mountain lion | Gray wolf | Spring turkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 67 | 35 | — | 22 | — | 82 |
| 2022 | 65 | 68 | — | 16 | — | 74 |
| 2023 | 26 | 52 | — | 3 | — | 66 |
| 2024 | 75 | 87 | — | 7 | — | 93 |
| 2025 | 70 | 88 | — | 4 | — | 75 |
Controlled harvest by hunt (9)
| Hunt | Species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Hunters 2025 | Success 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1057 | Deer | 4 | 5 | 508 | 738 | 840 | 1,830 | 46% |
| 1058 | Deer | 100 | 86 | 2 | 25 | 25 | 38 | 66% |
| 1059 | Deer | 27 | 2 | 56 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 80% |
| 1146 | Deer | 1 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 53 | 26% |
| 1187 | Deer | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 2043 | Elk | 106 | 117 | 100 | 93 | 17 | 24 | 71% |
| 2044 | Elk | 12 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 98 | 243 | 40% |
| 2145 | Elk | 7 | 5 | 19 | 11 | 17 | 111 | 15% |
| 3083 | Moose | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
A young mule deer buck stepping out of green brush
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.
Unit 73 WMAs, forests and walk-in land
Public and walk-in ground in Unit 73: 10 records, the ones that sit only in this unit listed first.
County-level closures near Unit 73: Massacre Rocks State Park, Fort Hall Reservation and Fort Hall Off-Reservation Trust Land.
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 73
Preston is the largest town within Unit 73, with McCammon close by.
- PrestonIn unit · Franklin County
- Malad CityIn unit · Oneida County
- McCammonWithin 10 mi · Bannock County
Brick storefronts with a painted flag on main street in Preston
These units take in part of the same county ground as Unit 73:
| Unit | Shared counties | Elk zone | Deer 2025 | Hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 77 | Franklin | Bear River | 195 | 3 |
| Unit 74 | Bannock, Franklin | Bannock | 366 | 8 |
| Unit 71 | Bannock | Bannock | 222 | 5 |
| Unit 78 | Franklin | Bear River | 32 | 6 |
| Unit 75 | Franklin | Bear River | 139 | 3 |
| Unit 73A | Oneida, Power | Bannock | 34 | 6 |
| Unit 70 | Bannock, Power | Bannock | 21 | 9 |
| Unit 56 | Oneida, Power | 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.
Legal hours around Unit 73
Every time in the Unit 73 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 | 6:51 a.m. MT | 8:08 p.m. MT | 6:21 a.m. MT to 8:38 p.m. MT |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Chukar opener | 7:07 a.m. MT | 7:41 p.m. MT | 6:37 a.m. MT to 8:11 p.m. MT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | General deer opener | 7:34 a.m. MT | 6:57 p.m. MT | 7:04 a.m. MT to 7:27 p.m. MT |
| Oct 19, 2026 | Duck opener | 7:44 a.m. MT | 6:42 p.m. MT | 7:14 a.m. MT to 7:12 p.m. MT |
| Oct 25, 2026 | General elk opener | 7:52 a.m. MT | 6:34 p.m. MT | 7:22 a.m. MT to 7:04 p.m. MT |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:54 a.m. MT | 4:59 p.m. MT | 7:24 a.m. MT to 5:29 p.m. MT |
| Apr 15, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:49 a.m. MT | 8:08 p.m. MT | 6:19 a.m. MT to 8:38 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 73 questions
Do I need a different wolf tag for Unit 73?
Wolf lines here use the gray wolf tag; trapping also needs the trapping license.
When is bear season in Unit 73?
Fall August 30, 2026 to October 31, 2026; spring April 15, 2027 to June 30, 2027.
Is any national forest in Unit 73?
Yes, 2 Forest Service records.
What is the chronic wasting disease status of Unit 73?
Outside both the 2026 zone and the testing list.
Who manages wildlife in Unit 73?
IDFG Southeast Region staff based in Pocatello.
Where do hunters in Unit 73 buy fuel and groceries?
Preston, Malad City and McCammon.
Does the Bannock elk tag cover Unit 73?
Yes. Unit 73 is one of 6 units in that zone.
How many acres does the Hunt Planner give Unit 73?
791,868 acres, most of them in Oneida County.
How many general deer lines does Unit 73 have?
1.
How does the draw work for Unit 73?
Idaho draws controlled tags at random; apply in the period for the species, then buy the tag if drawn.
What was elk success in Unit 73 in 2025?
13% (88 elk).
Answers drawn from the IDFG sources cited on this page; checked November 12, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0); Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0).