Unit 20 Deer Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · 474 sq mi
General season — resident tags over the counter
Residents buy general deer tags over the counter — no draw, no points. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw.
What hunting Unit 20 is like
Unit 20 is mixed country with substantial steep ground, running from a low of 2,200 feet up to nearly 8,900 feet, most of it sitting around 6,000 feet. About 62% of the unit lies within the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness, and the rest touches the Bitterroot National Forest and Nezperce National Forest. Cover shifts with elevation: lower and mid slopes carry a mix of conifer, sagebrush, and grass or meadow, while higher elevations lean more toward sagebrush and conifer with less open grass. Wilderness ground is closed to motorized travel, which means most of this unit is foot or stock country, and the steep and rugged terrain that makes up close to 40% of the unit by area demands real fitness and planning.
Almost all of Unit 20, about 99%, is National Forest and generally open to public hunting, which is the figure a hunter can actually count on when planning where to go. That said, public ownership here does not mean easy access — wilderness travel restrictions and steep terrain make much of the unit work to reach. Two fires have reshaped parts of the landscape: the Dixie fire burned roughly 44,000 acres on the unit's west side in 2021, and the Elkhorn fire burned about 12,000 acres toward the middle of the unit in 2023. The Elkhorn burn, now two to four years old, is in its prime window for glassing and feed, while the Dixie burn, five to eight years out, has grown thick with brush and deadfall. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
Two general tags cover the fall in Unit 20, both running the same dates and both falling across the rut. Residents buy either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag over the counter with no draw required. Nonresidents go through a random draw, applying for one specific tag — either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag — as part of their application, since the tag is chosen at the time of applying rather than after the draw.
General-season deer (2026)
The Regular Deer tag is valid for mule deer or white-tailed deer unless a season says otherwise; the White-tailed Deer tag is white-tailed deer only. Residents buy general deer tags over the counter; nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw.
| Season | Dates | Legal deer | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular deer tag · Any weapon | September 15 – November 20 | Antlered or antlerless | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut |
| White-tailed deer tag · Any weapon Second white-tailed deer tag may not be used in Units 16A, 17, 19 and 20 | September 15 – November 20 | Antlered or antlerless | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut |
Regular deer tag · Any weapon · September 15 – November 20
This long season opens during the last days of velvet and runs clear through the primary rut, so the hunt changes character as it goes. Early on, bucks hold near their summer range, feeding into the morning before bedding in shade for most of the day — glassing shady pockets and north-facing slopes at first light, then working a stalk while a buck is bedded, is the way to connect. Through October bucks grow increasingly nocturnal but mostly stay put, and by late October some begin drifting toward rutting ground, so glassing the country between summer range and likely rutting areas can pay off. By November, with bucks rutting, weather moving into the higher country can push deer down onto lower, more glassable ground, and fresh snow makes for good buck-track hunting; finding does is the surest way to find a buck nearby. The regular deer tag is good for antlered or antlerless mule deer or white-tailed deer across this entire stretch, and the Elkhorn burn's two-to-four-year-old growth offers some of the better glassing in the unit for this season, while the older Dixie burn's thick brush and deadfall make for tougher, closer-quarters hunting.
White-tailed deer tag · Any weapon · September 15 – November 20
Running the identical stretch from September 15 through November 20, this white-tailed deer season follows the same seasonal arc as the rest of the fall — velvet shed, growing nocturnal behavior through October, migration staging late in the month, and the primary rut taking over by November. Early-season bucks feed into the morning and bed in shade for the day, rewarding hunters who glass shady draws and north-facing slopes at first light and are willing to stalk a bedded buck at midday. As October progresses bucks become harder to catch moving in daylight, though most remain near summer range until late-month migration begins pulling them toward rutting country. Once the primary rut arrives in November, weather can push deer out of high country onto easier, more glassable ground, and locating does is the most reliable way to find a buck nearby. This tag is limited to white-tailed deer, antlered or antlerless, and a second white-tailed deer tag may not be used in Unit 20.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 2,200–8,900 ft, typically around 6,000 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 17% gentle · 43% moderate · 34% steep · 5% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~471 sq mi
- National forests
- Bitterroot National Forest and Nezperce National Forest
- Designated wilderness
- Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness (62%) — closed to motorized vehicles
Habitat & cover
What grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of the unit.
Lower elevations
- Conifer46%
- Sagebrush37%
- Grass and meadow16%
- Other cover1%
Mid elevations
- Conifer46%
- Sagebrush30%
- Grass and meadow24%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush49%
- Conifer39%
- Grass and meadow11%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Recent fires
Wildfires in the last several seasons that burned a meaningful share of Unit 20. Fire perimeters show where a fire burned, not how hot — and closures change through the year, so check current fire closures and restrictions before you go.
- Dixie fire, 2021 — about 44,000 acres in the unit (14%), mostly on its west side.
- Elkhorn fire, 2023 — about 12,000 acres in the unit (4%), toward the middle of the unit.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 99% of Unit 20 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest.
- National Forest99%
- Private<1%
Fall weather
- August — highs around 75°F, lows around 38°F
- September — highs around 66°F, lows around 32°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- October — highs around 52°F, lows around 25°F, about 3.3 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 39°F, lows around 17°F, about 15.5 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 31°F, lows around 10°F, about 29.6 in of snowfall
Unit 20 deer hunting FAQ
Can a resident hunter buy a deer tag for Unit 20 without entering a draw?
Yes. Residents can buy either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag over the counter for Unit 20, with no application or draw required. Both tags run the same September 15 to November 20 season.
How does a nonresident get a general deer tag for Unit 20?
Nonresidents go through a random draw rather than buying over the counter. When applying, the nonresident must choose a specific tag — either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag — since the tag is selected at the time of application, not after the draw is complete.
What deer tags are valid in Unit 20?
Two general tags cover Unit 20: the regular deer tag, valid for antlered or antlerless mule deer or white-tailed deer, and the white-tailed deer tag, valid for antlered or antlerless white-tailed deer only. Both run September 15 through November 20 and both fall across the November rut.
Does either Unit 20 deer season fall during the rut?
Yes. Both the regular deer tag and the white-tailed deer tag seasons run through November 20, which covers the primary rut phase that runs November 11 to November 25.
How much of Unit 20 can a hunter count on for public access?
About 99% of the unit, roughly 471 square miles, is National Forest and generally open to public hunting. Much of that ground lies within the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness, which is closed to motorized vehicles, so reaching it typically means hunting on foot or with stock.
Data sources & methodology
- Idaho Fish and Game — Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons & Rules — general and controlled season dates, legal animals and the brochure's unit notes
- Idaho Fish and Game — Idaho Hunt Planner — unit boundaries, the national forests and wilderness areas in each unit, and controlled-hunt drawing results behind the odds bands
- Idaho Fish and Game — 2026 Nonresident General Tags and Tags Allocated to Outfitters — which general elk zone tags are capped
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- Daymet daily climate, 1991–2020 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) — fall weather
- National Interagency Fire Center — wildfire perimeters — recent fires, their size and where they burned
Controlled-hunt draw difficulty is a qualitative band from resident first-choice results, not published odds. Land shares are separate, non-overlapping categories. Confirm current dates and rules in the Idaho Big Game Seasons & Rules brochure before you hunt. Unit data last updated September 29, 2026.