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Mountain Lion seasons, limits and tags in Idaho, 2026-27

When and where to hunt mountain lions in Idaho for 2026-27: july 2026 – June 2027 on July 1, 2026, plus limits and rules.

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32Rows

Jul 1, 2026Earliest

99Units

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Photo: Bureau of Land Management Idaho (CC BY 2.0)

Quick read on Idaho mountain lions

No application is needed for july 2026 – june 2027; residents buy the lion tag over the counter. Lion dates run from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, starting with july 2026 – June 2027. Limit as printed for mountain lions: one mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected.

32Brochure rows

Jul 1, 2026From

Jun 30, 2027Through

99Hunting units

44Counties

From Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Lion hound seasons across Idaho

Any weapon; hounds with hound hunter permit outside dog-prohibited dates. Mountain lion seasons July 2026-June 2027 by unit (brochure pages 74-76).

Units	Dogs prohibited
1	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – December 1; April 1 – June 30; December 2 – March 31
2 3 5	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – September 14; October 10 – December 1
4 4A 6	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – September 14; October 10 – October 31
7 9 10 12	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – October 31
8 11A	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – December 1; April 1 – June 30
8A	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – September 14; October 10 – December 1; April 1 – June 30
10A	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – September 14; October 10 – December 1; April 1 – June 30
11	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – December 1; April 1 – June 30
13	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 3; April 1 – June 30
14 15 16	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 20; April 1 – June 30
16A 17 19 20	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; September 15 – October 31
18	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 20; April 1 – June 30
19A 23	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 24; April 1 – June 30
20A 26	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; September 15 – October 31; May 1 – June 30
21 28	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 8
21A 36B	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 8; April 1 – June 30
22 31 32	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – November 24; April 1 – June 30
24 25	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 24; April 1 – June 30
27	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; September 15 – November 8
29 37A	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 8
30 30A 36A 37	Dogs prohibited: April 1 – June 30; July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 8; April 1 – June 30
32A	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – November 3; November 10 – November 24
33 34 35 36	Dogs prohibited: April 1 – June 30; July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 8; April 1 – June 30
38	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 30; April 1 – June 30
39	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 9; April 1 – June 30
40	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 24
41 42	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 24
43 44 46 48 54 55 +11	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 30; April 1 – June 30
45	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 30; April 1 – June 30
47 49 70 72	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 30; April 1 – June 30
50 51 52 52A 53 56 +11	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 30; April 1 – June 30
60 60A 61 62 62A	Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; December 1 – March 31; October 1 – November 30; April 1 – June 30

From mountain lion seasons, Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules pp. 74-76 (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Idaho lion dates, row by row

Dates as printed by IDFG for mountain lions, with the area each line covers.

Season line	Covers	Kind	Dates	Bag
July 2026 – June 2027	1	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – December 1; April 1 – June 30; December 2 – March 31
July 2026 – June 2027	2 3 5	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – September 14; October 10 – December 1
July 2026 – June 2027	4 4A 6	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – September 14; October 10 – October 31
July 2026 – June 2027	7 9 10 12	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – October 31
July 2026 – June 2027	8 11 11A	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – December 1; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	8A 10A	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – September 14; October 10 – December 1; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	13	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 3; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	14 15 16 18	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 20; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	16A 17 19 20	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; September 15 – October 31
July 2026 – June 2027	19A 23	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 24; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	20A 26	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; September 15 – October 31; May 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	21 28	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 8
July 2026 – June 2027	21A 36B	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 10 – November 8; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	22 31 32	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – November 24; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	24 25	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 24; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	27	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; September 15 – November 8
July 2026 – June 2027	29 37A	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 8
July 2026 – June 2027	30 30A 36A 37	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: April 1 – June 30; July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 8; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	32A	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – November 3; November 10 – November 24
July 2026 – June 2027	33 34 35 36	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: April 1 – June 30; July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 8; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	38	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 30; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	39	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 9; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	40 41 42	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 5 – November 24
July 2026 – June 2027	43 44 45 46 47 +34	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; October 1 – November 30; April 1 – June 30
July 2026 – June 2027	60 60A 61 62 62A	General tag	Jul 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2027	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected Dogs prohibited: July 1 – August 29; December 1 – March 31; October 1 – November 30; April 1 – June 30

25 lines stand for 32 general lion rows; matching rows share one line and all of their units.

From Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Mountain Lion units across Idaho

Hunting unit	Region	Season rows	Tags (2026)	Zone	Counties
Unit 1	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Boundary Bonner
Unit 2	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Bonner Kootenai
Unit 3	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Kootenai Shoshone
Unit 4	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Shoshone Kootenai Bonner
Unit 4A	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Bonner Kootenai
Unit 5	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Benewah Kootenai
Unit 6	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Shoshone Benewah Latah
Unit 7	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Shoshone
Unit 8	Clearwater	1	–	Palouse Zone	Latah Nez Perce Clearwater
Unit 8A	Clearwater	1	–	Palouse Zone	Latah Clearwater Benewah
Unit 9	Panhandle	1	–	Panhandle Zone	Shoshone
Unit 10	Clearwater	1	–	Lolo Zone	Clearwater Idaho Shoshone
Unit 10A	Clearwater	1	–	Dworshak Zone	Clearwater Idaho Shoshone
Unit 11	Clearwater	1	–	Hells Canyon Zone	Nez Perce Lewis Idaho
Unit 11A	Clearwater	1	–	Palouse Zone	Idaho Lewis Nez Perce
Unit 12	Clearwater	1	–	Lolo Zone	Idaho Clearwater
Unit 13	Clearwater	1	–	Hells Canyon Zone	Idaho
Unit 14	Clearwater	1	–	Elk City Zone	Idaho
Unit 15	Clearwater	1	–	Elk City Zone	Idaho
Unit 16	Clearwater	1	–	Elk City Zone	Idaho
Unit 16A	Clearwater	1	–	Selway Zone	Idaho
Unit 17	Clearwater	1	–	Selway Zone	Idaho
Unit 18	Clearwater	1	–	Hells Canyon Zone	Idaho Adams
Unit 19	Clearwater	1	–	Selway Zone	Idaho
Unit 19A	Southwest	1	–	McCall Zone	Idaho Valley
Unit 20	Clearwater	1	–	Selway Zone	Idaho
Unit 20A	Southwest	1	–	Middle Fork Zone	Idaho Valley
Unit 21	Salmon	1	–	Salmon Zone	Lemhi
Unit 21A	Salmon	1	–	Salmon Zone	Lemhi
Unit 22	Southwest	1	–	Weiser River Zone	Adams Washington
Unit 23	Southwest	1	–	McCall Zone	Idaho Adams
Unit 24	Southwest	1	–	McCall Zone	Valley
Unit 25	Southwest	1	–	McCall Zone	Valley
Unit 26	Southwest	1	–	Middle Fork Zone	Valley Idaho
Unit 27	Salmon	1	–	Middle Fork Zone	Valley Custer Lemhi
Unit 28	Salmon	1	–	Salmon Zone	Lemhi Custer
Unit 29	Salmon	1	–	Lemhi Zone	Lemhi
Unit 30	Salmon	1	–	Beaverhead Zone	Lemhi
Unit 30A	Salmon	1	–	Beaverhead Zone	Lemhi
Unit 31	Southwest	1	–	Brownlee Zone	Washington
Unit 32	Southwest	1	–	Weiser River Zone	Washington Gem Payette
Unit 32A	Southwest	1	–	Weiser River Zone	Adams Gem Valley
Unit 33	Southwest	1	–	Sawtooth Zone	Boise Valley
Unit 34	Southwest	1	–	Sawtooth Zone	Valley Boise
Unit 35	Southwest	1	–	Sawtooth Zone	Boise
Unit 36	Salmon	1	–	Sawtooth Zone	Custer Blaine
Unit 36A	Salmon	1	–	Pioneer Zone	Custer
Unit 36B	Salmon	1	–	Salmon Zone	Custer
Unit 37	Salmon	1	–	Lemhi Zone	Custer Lemhi
Unit 37A	Salmon	1	–	Lemhi Zone	Lemhi Custer
Unit 38	Southwest	1	–	Boise River Zone	Ada Canyon Elmore
Unit 39	Southwest	1	–	Boise River Zone	Elmore Boise Ada
Unit 40	Southwest	1	–	Owyhee Zone	Owyhee
Unit 41	Southwest	1	–	Owyhee Zone	Owyhee
Unit 42	Southwest	1	–	Owyhee Zone	Owyhee
Unit 43	Magic Valley	1	–	Smoky-Bennett Zone	Camas Elmore
Unit 44	Magic Valley	1	–	Smoky-Bennett Zone	Camas Elmore Blaine
Unit 45	Magic Valley	1	–	Smoky-Bennett Zone	Elmore Gooding Camas
Unit 46	Magic Valley	1	–	South Hills Zone	Owyhee Twin Falls Elmore
Unit 47	Magic Valley	1	–	South Hills Zone	Twin Falls Owyhee
Unit 48	Magic Valley	1	–	Smoky-Bennett Zone	Blaine
Unit 49	Magic Valley	1	–	Pioneer Zone	Blaine
Unit 50	Upper Snake	1	–	Pioneer Zone	Custer Butte Blaine
Unit 51	Upper Snake	1	–	Lemhi Zone	Butte Custer Lemhi
Unit 52	Magic Valley	1	–	Smoky-Bennett Zone	Lincoln Blaine Camas
Unit 52A	Upper Snake	1	–	Big Desert Zone	Lincoln Blaine Minidoka
Unit 53	Magic Valley	1	–	Big Desert Zone	Jerome Minidoka Lincoln
Unit 54	Magic Valley	1	–	South Hills Zone	Twin Falls Cassia
Unit 55	Magic Valley	1	–	South Hills Zone	Cassia
Unit 56	Magic Valley	1	–	South Hills Zone	Cassia Oneida Power
Unit 57	Magic Valley	1	–	South Hills Zone	Cassia Oneida
Unit 58	Upper Snake	1	–	Beaverhead Zone	Lemhi Clark Butte
Unit 59	Upper Snake	1	–	Beaverhead Zone	Clark
Unit 59A	Upper Snake	1	–	Beaverhead Zone	Clark Lemhi Jefferson
Unit 60	Upper Snake	1	–	Island Park Zone	Fremont Clark
Unit 60A	Upper Snake	1	–	Island Park Zone	Fremont Clark Jefferson
Unit 61	Upper Snake	1	–	Island Park Zone	Fremont Clark
Unit 62	Upper Snake	1	–	Island Park Zone	Fremont Teton Madison
Unit 62A	Upper Snake	1	–	Island Park Zone	Fremont
Unit 63	Upper Snake	1	–	Snake River Zone	Jefferson Bingham Butte
Unit 63A	Upper Snake	1	–	Snake River Zone	Jefferson Bonneville Madison
Unit 64	Upper Snake	1	–	Palisades Zone	Madison Teton Jefferson
Unit 65	Upper Snake	1	–	Palisades Zone	Teton
Unit 66	Upper Snake	1	–	Tex Creek Zone	Bonneville
Unit 66A	Southeast	1	–	Diamond Creek Zone	Bonneville Caribou
Unit 67	Upper Snake	1	–	Palisades Zone	Bonneville Teton Madison
Unit 68	Upper Snake	1	–	Big Desert Zone	Bingham Power Blaine
Unit 68A	Southeast	1	–	Big Desert Zone	Bingham Bannock Power
Unit 69	Upper Snake	1	–	Tex Creek Zone	Bingham Bonneville Caribou
Unit 70	Southeast	1	–	Bannock Zone	Bannock Power
Unit 71	Southeast	1	–	Bannock Zone	Bannock Caribou Bingham
Unit 72	Southeast	1	–	Bannock Zone	Caribou Bingham
Unit 73	Southeast	1	–	Bannock Zone	Oneida Bannock Franklin
Unit 73A	Southeast	1	–	Bannock Zone	Power Oneida
Unit 74	Southeast	1	–	Bannock Zone	Bannock Caribou Franklin
Unit 75	Southeast	1	–	Bear River Zone	Bear Lake Caribou Franklin
Unit 76	Southeast	1	–	Diamond Creek Zone	Caribou Bear Lake
Unit 77	Southeast	1	–	Bear River Zone	Franklin Bear Lake
Unit 78	Southeast	1	–	Bear River Zone	Bear Lake Franklin

Counties are listed for orientation; the legal boundary for mountain lions is the unit, hunt area or brochure area printed with each row.

County	Rows that reach it	Units	IDFG region	Time zone
Idaho	11	10 10A 11 11A 12 13 +12	Clearwater	PT/MT
Valley	7	19A 20A 24 25 26 27 +4	Southwest	MT
Custer	6	27 28 36 36A 36B 37 +3	Salmon	MT
Lemhi	6	21 21A 27 28 29 30 +6	Salmon	MT
Clearwater	5	6 8 8A 10 10A 11A +1	Clearwater	PT
Adams	4	18 22 23 32 32A	Southwest	MT
Blaine	4	36 44 48 49 50 52 +3	Magic Valley	MT
Boise	4	32 32A 33 34 35 39	Southwest	MT
Elmore	4	38 39 43 44 45 46 +1	Southwest	MT
Nez Perce	4	8 8A 11 11A	Clearwater	PT
Owyhee	4	40 41 42 46 47	Southwest	MT
Shoshone	4	3 4 6 7 9 10 +1	Panhandle	PT
Bannock	3	68A 70 71 73 74	Southeast	MT
Benewah	3	4 5 6 8A	Panhandle	PT
Bingham	3	63 68 68A 69 71 72	Southeast	MT
Bonner	3	1 2 4 4A	Panhandle	PT
Camas	3	43 44 45 52	Magic Valley	MT
Caribou	3	66A 69 71 72 74 75 +1	Southeast	MT
Clark	3	51 58 59 59A 60 60A +2	Upper Snake	MT
Gem	3	32 32A 38	Southwest	MT
Jefferson	3	59A 60A 63 63A 64 67	Upper Snake	MT
Latah	3	6 8 8A	Clearwater	PT
Power	3	56 68 68A 70 73 73A	Southeast	MT
Twin Falls	3	46 47 53 54	Magic Valley	MT
Ada	2	32 38 39	Southwest	MT
Bonneville	2	63 63A 66 66A 67 68A +1	Upper Snake	MT
Butte	2	50 51 52A 58 63 68	Upper Snake	MT
Cassia	2	53 54 55 56 57	Magic Valley	MT
Franklin	2	73 74 75 77 78	Southeast	MT
Gooding	2	45 52 53	Magic Valley	MT
Kootenai	2	2 3 4 4A 5 6	Panhandle	PT
Lewis	2	11 11A	Clearwater	PT
Madison	2	60A 62 63A 64 67	Upper Snake	MT
Minidoka	2	52A 53 68	Magic Valley	MT
Oneida	2	56 57 73 73A	Southeast	MT
Payette	2	32 38	Southwest	MT
Teton	2	62 64 65 67	Upper Snake	MT
Washington	2	22 31 32 32A	Southwest	MT
Bear Lake	1	75 76 77 78	Southeast	MT
Boundary	1	1	Panhandle	PT
Canyon	1	38	Southwest	MT
Fremont	1	60 60A 61 62 62A	Upper Snake	MT
Jerome	1	53	Magic Valley	MT
Lincoln	1	52 52A 53	Magic Valley	MT

From IDFG Game Units layer, Hunt Planner unit pages and Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Unit guide

County index

Five years of Idaho lion harvest

Across the unit rows, hunters took 469 mountain lions in 2025 (mountain lion, summed here); Unit 1, Unit 10A, Unit 8A and Unit 6 led.

Year	Harvest (sum of rows)	Rows
2021	650	99
2022	689	99
2023	540	99
2024	560	99
2025	469	99

Unit	Harvest	Hunters
Unit 1	36	–
Unit 10A	34	–
Unit 8A	20	–
Unit 6	19	–
Unit 39	17	–
Unit 5	16	–
Unit 2	14	–
Unit 3	14	–
Unit 14	14	–
Unit 4	13	–

IDFG publishes harvest by game management unit and controlled hunt only (Hunt Planner harvest statistics); no county harvest exists.

From mountain lion harvest 2021, mountain lion harvest 2022, mountain lion harvest 2023, mountain lion harvest 2024, mountain lion harvest 2025 and Hunt Planner harvest statistics (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Harvest statistics

Idaho lion limits, line by line

For mountain lions the brochures set the numbers below; the row count shows how often each bag appears.

Source line	Limit
Season bag	One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected

From species row source (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Mountain Lion license prices

Resident prices are the annual price with the Price Lock price beside it; nonresident prices are labelled as of December 1, 2024, as the brochure prints them.

License	For	Fee
Hunting license adult 18+	Resident	$15.75 ($12.75 Price Lock)
Hunting license includes 3-day fishing	Nonresident	$185.00 (as of Dec. 1, 2024)
Junior hunting license 10-17	Resident	$8.25 ($7.25 Price Lock)
Combination hunting & fishing adult	Resident	$38.75 ($33.50 Price Lock)
Combination hunting & fishing	Nonresident	$264.00 (as of Dec. 1, 2024)
Sportsman's Package adult or youth	Resident	$144.60 ($124.25 Price Lock)
Bear or lion tag	Resident	$13.75 ($11.50 Price Lock)
Mountain lion tag	Nonresident	$204.50 (as of Dec. 1, 2024)
Hound hunter permit	Resident	$15.00 ($12.75 Price Lock)
Hound hunter permit	Nonresident	$301.75 (as of Dec. 1, 2024)

Paperwork for mountain lions starts here: A hunting license is required to hunt (including predatory and unprotected wildlife); a trapping license to trap gray wolf; a tag for every big game species.

All license prices

Youth rules

From license and tag fees, nonresident fees and license requirements (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Idaho rules for lion hunters

What IDFG expects of lion hunters in the field, from reporting to private land.

Rule	Text
Reporting	Lion hunters: present skull and hide within 10 days of kill at a regional office, checkpoint or to a conservation officer.
Technology	Lion hunters: the technology restriction does not cover wolves, lions or predators.
Hound hunting	Lion hunters: hound hunter permit required where hounds are allowed; dog-prohibited dates are printed unit by unit.
Hunting Passport	Lion hunters: Hunting Passport (8+ junior or adult) lets a person hunt without hunter education when accompanied by an adult license holder within normal conversation range; mentors may not accompany more than two mentored hunters.
Residency	Lion hunters: proof of residency is required to buy resident licenses (brochure page 118).

Rules in full

From Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 10, Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 7, Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 69, Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 122 and Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 119 (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Open land for lion hunters

Places whose own source names mountain lions come first; the rest sit inside units where lion rows run, or carry the group flag in their program.

Wildlife Management Area · 122,922 acres

Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area lists mountain lion (IDFG WMA page); Unit 11.

Wildlife Management Area · 32,550 acres

Snow Peak Wildlife Management Area lists mountain lion (IDFG WMA page); Unit 7 and Unit 9.

Wildlife Management Area · 7,272 acres

Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area lists mountain lion (IDFG WMA page); Unit 1 and Unit 2.

BLM Field Office · 790,729 acres

Inside Unit 28, Unit 36A and Unit 36B, named in the lion rows: Challis Field Office.

National Forest Ranger District · 781,579 acres

Red River Ranger District, in Unit 15, Unit 16 and Unit 16A, overlaps the lion units.

National Forest Ranger District · 777,997 acres

Public ground in Unit 8, Unit 10 and Unit 10A, part of the lion map: North Fork Ranger District.

BLM Public Lands · 11,681,144 acres

Inside Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3, named in the lion rows: BLM Public Lands in Idaho.

National Forest · 4,396,027 acres

Salmon-Challis National Forest, in Unit 20A, Unit 21 and Unit 21A, overlaps the lion units.

Every place

State WMAs

From Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Snow Peak Wildlife Management Area and Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area (Idaho Department of Fish and Game); data read November 11, 2026, checked November 12, 2026.

Shooting light for mountain lions

Every time carries PT or MT; Idaho County is split by the Salmon River and is left out of this lion table.

Legal light for mountain lions follows this IDFG line: "Big game animals may be hunted only from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset." Times are rounded to the minute.

Date	Clearwater County centre (PT)	Valley County centre (MT)	Custer County centre (MT)
Jul 1, 2026	4:22 a.m. PT to 9:10 p.m. PT	5:29 a.m. MT to 10:02 p.m. MT	5:26 a.m. MT to 9:55 p.m. MT
Sep 15, 2026	5:49 a.m. PT to 7:27 p.m. PT	6:50 a.m. MT to 8:26 p.m. MT	6:45 a.m. MT to 8:20 p.m. MT
Dec 21, 2026	6:54 a.m. PT to 4:27 p.m. PT	7:47 a.m. MT to 5:34 p.m. MT	7:39 a.m. MT to 5:30 p.m. MT
Jan 15, 2027	6:53 a.m. PT to 4:49 p.m. PT	7:47 a.m. MT to 5:55 p.m. MT	7:39 a.m. MT to 5:52 p.m. MT

Hours rule from Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules p. 96; time zones from 49 CFR 71.9; times worked out with the NOAA solar formula for each county centre; checked November 12, 2026. Legal hours for every county.

Packing list for Idaho lion

Chosen to suit the game listed on this page.

Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Snow boots

Lion hunters cut tracks on fresh snow.

Check Amazon

Headlamp

A piece of kit that earns its weight here: headlamp.

Check Amazon

Handheld GPS

A piece of kit that earns its weight here: handheld gps.

Check Amazon

Hand warmers

Long cold waits under a treed cat.

Check Amazon

Side by side

Gear lists

A golden-leafed tree on a grassy rise in the Boise foothillsPhoto: Ben Christenson (CC BY 2.0)

Snow patches and lakes among the White Cloud PeaksPhoto: Roy Luck (CC BY 2.0)

Highway 75 west of Challis below colorful cliffsPhoto: cifraser1 (CC BY 2.0)

Mountain Lion, answered

When is the Idaho lion report due?

For mountain lions: present skull and hide within 10 days of kill at a regional office, checkpoint or to a conservation officer.

What are legal hours for mountain lions in Idaho?

For mountain lions, IDFG says: big game animals may be hunted only from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. See the lion legal light table above for times on the key dates.

Can I hunt mountain lions with dogs in Idaho?

For mountain lions: Any weapon; hounds with hound hunter permit outside dog-prohibited dates. Each unit row prints its own dog-prohibited dates, for example Units 1: Dogs prohibited: July 1 – December 1; April 1 – June 30; December 2 – March 31.

How did Idaho lion hunters do in 2025?

The 2025 mountain lion unit rows add up to 469 mountain lions (computed here from 99 rows).

Does the Idaho technology rule cover mountain lions?

For mountain lions: new restrictions on technology for hunting or scouting big game and game birds August 30-December 31 (not wolves, lions or predators).

Does Idaho require orange for mountain lions?

No statewide lion orange rule applies: hunter orange is recommended, required only while hunting pheasants where the Upland Game Bird Permit is required (including IDFG properties and leases) and on sponsored hunts such as organized youth hunts; minimum 36 square inches above the waist.

What is the daily limit on mountain lions in Idaho?

For mountain lions, the brochure line reads: One mountain lion per tag; females with spotted kittens protected.

How long is the Idaho lion season?

The lion rows open July 1, 2026 and the last one ends June 30, 2027. July 2026 – June 2027: July 1, 2026. Today (November 12, 2026) falls inside an open lion window.

Where do general lion seasons apply?

General lion tags are sold over the counter to residents, with no application. General season deer, elk (A/B zone tags, some capped), black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf and turkey tags are sold over the counter to residents.

Which permits apply to lion hunting in Idaho?

A lion hunter in Idaho needs a hunting license ($15.75 resident, $12.75 with Price Lock; $185.00 nonresident as of December 1, 2024) and a black bear / second bear / mountain lion / second lion tag ($13.75 resident, $204.50 nonresident).

Which Idaho hunting units open to mountain lions?

Lion rows tied to units name 99 hunting units reaching 44 counties; the most lion rows fall in Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3.

Mountain Lion seasons, limits and tags in Idaho, 2026-27

Quick read on Idaho mountain lions

Lion hound seasons across Idaho

Idaho lion dates, row by row

Mountain Lion units across Idaho

Five years of Idaho lion harvest

Idaho lion limits, line by line

Mountain Lion license prices

Idaho rules for lion hunters

Open land for lion hunters

Shooting light for mountain lions

Packing list for Idaho lion

Snow boots

Headlamp

Handheld GPS

Hand warmers

After mountain lions, try these

Black Bear

Gray Wolf

Bobcat

Deer

Mountain Lion, answered

When is the Idaho lion report due?

What are legal hours for mountain lions in Idaho?

Can I hunt mountain lions with dogs in Idaho?

How did Idaho lion hunters do in 2025?

Does the Idaho technology rule cover mountain lions?

Does Idaho require orange for mountain lions?

What is the daily limit on mountain lions in Idaho?

How long is the Idaho lion season?

Where do general lion seasons apply?

Which permits apply to lion hunting in Idaho?

Which Idaho hunting units open to mountain lions?