Open Now — Active Seasons
🎯 Black Bear
✅ 31d left
All Legal — OTC (Limited)
📆 Apr 1 – Jun 30
📍 Most units statewide — some units have specific quota/season restrictions
🪪 OTC spring bear tag. Most units OTC for residents; NR tags limited in some zones. Baiting legal with IDFG permit. Hound hunting legal.
Idaho spring black bear is excellent — high bear densities in the Clearwater, Salmon, and Panhandle regions. Post-denning green-up hunting April–May. Baiting legal in most units with permit. Black bear can also be taken on general elk/deer tags in some circumstances — check regulations.
📌 Best regions: Clearwater (Units 10, 12, 14), Panhandle (1–5), Salmon (22, 24, 29)
🎯 HuntScore™ 79 — Good
✓ Post-denning foraging✓ Huckleberry patches key in summer✓ Baiting legal = high success rates
Official regs →
Opening Soon — Next 45 Days
🎯 Gray Wolf
📅 32d away
All Legal — OTC (Quota)
📆 Jul 1 – Mar 31
📍 Statewide — central and northern Idaho units with established packs
🪪 OTC wolf tag — no draw required. Tag purchase required. One wolf per hunter per season. Season may close by unit when quota is reached.
⚠️ Wolf management zones: check IDFG for current quotas and unit closures — some zones reach harvest quotas and close mid-season. Idaho wolf management is active. Pack territories shift annually. Hunt in winter after snowfall for tracking. Howl response locates packs at dusk.
⚠️ Quota-managed — season can close before end date
📌 Best regions: Clearwater (Units 10–17), Selway (28), Frank Church (20–27), Lolo Zone
🎯 HuntScore™ 63 — Fair
✓ Winter tracking post-snow✓ Howl survey at dusk for pack location✓ Clearwater / Selway — highest pack densities
Official regs →
📋 Draw Calendar
🔔 ACTIVE NOW: Spring Chinook / Steelhead License Season
Through Jun 30
While not hunting, Idaho spring Chinook and steelhead seasons are major outdoor events — many hunters combine them. Check IDFG for current salmon run forecasts.
🔔 ACTIVE NOW: Leftover License Sale
Through May 31
Unfilled controlled hunt licenses sold on first-come basis at IDFG offices. Some premium units sell out immediately — check online auction system.
Idaho controlled hunt applications open November 30. Preference points accumulate. General OTC elk and deer tags are available year-round at IDFG offices and vendors — no draw required for most units. Leftover controlled hunt licenses sold April at IDFG offices.
🧬 CWD Zones
Idaho CWD presence is limited compared to neighboring states but growing. Southeastern Idaho near the WY border has documented positive detections. IDFG recommends voluntary sampling at check stations for deer and elk harvested in affected zones. Monitor idfg.idaho.gov for updated zone maps each season.
Affected species: Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Elk
Southeastern ID (Bannock, Bear Lake, Caribou counties)
CWD-positive detections in deer — voluntary testing encouraged
Clearwater and southern ID border zones
Surveillance ongoing near WY/MT border areas
🗺️ HuntScore™ Unit Intelligence
Historical draw odds, success rates, and field conditions per unit. Verify all data with state fish & game before hunting. Draw odds are historical — actual odds may vary.
Unit 1
Difficult
Panhandle — Hells Canyon Corridor
🦌 Bighorn Sheep + Elk + Whitetail
Season: Various
Bonus pts needed: 20–30+ preference points for sheep; OTC elk/whitetail general
Success rate: 90%+ sheep (tag holders); 25% elk general
Hells Canyon (Unit 1) is home to the largest Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in North America. Elk and whitetail OTC hunting alongside some of the continent's most rugged terrain. 7,900-ft elevation change from river to ridgeline.
Unit 27
Extremely Difficult
Middle Fork Salmon — Frank Church Wilderness
🦌 Elk
Season: Sept 1 – Oct 31
Bonus pts needed: 5–12 preference points for controlled hunts
Success rate: 45–70% (with outfitter)
Middle Fork unit in Frank Church Wilderness — 2.3 million acres of the most remote country in the lower 48. Float trip or horse access required for most areas. 350"+ bulls documented. The definition of wilderness elk hunting. Licensed outfitters serve this area.
Unit 66
Easy–Moderate
Owyhee Plateau — Desert Pronghorn
🦌 Pronghorn
Season: Aug 15 – Sept 15
Bonus pts needed: 1–2 NR preference points for most Owyhee units
Success rate: 85–95%
Owyhee County is Idaho's best pronghorn country — sagebrush plateau with excellent road access from Boise. Rut late August: bucks highly visible and territorial. Long-range shooting across open desert. Most accessible draw hunt in ID.
Unit 10A
Moderate
Dworshak / Clearwater Drainage
🦌 Elk
Season: Sept 1 – Nov 20 (archery + general)
Bonus pts needed: OTC — no draw required (general)
Success rate: 15–25% (DIY general)
Unit 10A covers the Dworshak Reservoir drainage and lower Clearwater. Good elk numbers with road and trail access. OTC general tag available. Pack-in wilderness option for less pressure. Timber harvest units = great early-season food sources.
📎 Official Resources
⚖️ Legal Compliance Required
- Verify all regulations with state fish & game before hunting.
- HuntScore™ scores are forecasts, not guarantees of animal activity or harvest success.
- Draw odds are historical — actual odds may vary year to year.
- PeakScout does not replace hunter safety education or state licensing requirements.
- Idaho tribal treaty rights: Nez Perce Tribe, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Kootenai Tribe, and Coeur d'Alene Tribe have treaty hunting and fishing rights in specific zones within Idaho. These areas are not always clearly marked. Research tribal boundaries before hunting in central and north-central Idaho. Wolf management zones in Idaho have quotas — some units close mid-season when harvest quotas are reached. Verify current wolf zone status at idfg.idaho.gov before hunting.