Unit 23 Deer Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · 745 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. It also has 1 controlled hunt, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds long odds.
What hunting Unit 23 is like
Unit 23 sits in country that runs from low river bottoms up to nearly 9,400 feet, and most of it is foot-hunting ground: 24 percent gentle terrain, 46 percent moderate, and a combined 30 percent steep and rugged, with a mean slope near 19 degrees. Timber dominates the mid elevations at 76 percent conifer, while sagebrush opens up more at the higher band, and lower elevations mix conifer, sagebrush, and grass with a bit of riparian. The Nezperce National Forest and the Payette National Forest cover much of the higher ground, and a small sliver, about 2.5 percent of the unit, falls inside the Hells Canyon Wilderness, which is closed to motorized travel and rewards hunters willing to walk in and stay a while.
About 76 percent of Unit 23, roughly 563 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM, and Idaho state endowment land, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased so that figure is a starting point, not a guarantee. The remaining 24 percent is private and requires written permission. On the northwest side, the Rattlesnake Creek fire burned about 8,200 acres in 2018, roughly 2 percent of the unit; this fall it falls five to eight years out, when burns are thick with brush and deadfall and hide animals well rather than opening things up. Hunters headed there, or anywhere in the unit, should check for current fire closures before heading out.
Tags here split by species and weapon. Residents buy the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag over the counter with no draw; nonresidents apply for one of those same tags through a random draw, choosing which tag when they apply rather than after drawing. On top of the general seasons sits Controlled hunt 23, a pure random draw with a limited number of antlered-only tags and long odds for a resident's first choice, running deep into the rut through late November.
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 · Archery Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | August 30 – September 30 | Antlered or antlerless | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| White-tailed deer tag · Archery Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | August 30 – September 30 | Antlered or antlerless | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Regular deer tag · Any weapon White-tailed deer only; Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required; Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | October 10 – October 31 | Antlered; antlerless: white-tailed deer only | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| White-tailed deer tag · Any weapon Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | October 10 – November 20 | Antlered or antlerless | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut |
Regular deer tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This archery season opens while bucks are still in velvet and loosely bachelored up, a pattern that holds through summer and into early-to-mid September before shifting into the velvet-shed transition by month's end. Success here comes down to glassing: find a buck at first light, mark where he beds in shade or on a north-facing slope through the heat of the day, and either stalk him at midday or watch him into the evening and come back the next morning. A buck that seems to vanish is usually still nearby, tucked into a small crevice or draw. The regular deer tag covers antlered or antlerless mule deer or white-tailed deer through this stretch, with chronic wasting disease testing required.
White-tailed deer tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Running the same August 30 to September 30 window as the regular archery season, this hunt covers the same velvet and early-transition behavior — bucks bachelored up, feeding into the morning, then bedding tight through the day. The approach is identical: glass early to locate a buck, watch where he beds, and either close the distance at midday or hold off and return the following morning after an evening sit. This tag is white-tailed deer only, antlered or antlerless, and requires chronic wasting disease testing.
Regular deer tag · Any weapon · October 10 – October 31
By the time this any-weapon season opens in October, bucks are turning increasingly nocturnal, and most are still holding near their summer range through the Early Fall Migration phase before pre-rut staging begins near the season's end. Glassing the ground between summer haunts and the corridors deer use heading toward rutting areas is the best bet as the month closes out. This regular deer tag season is antlered only for mule deer or white-tailed deer, with antlerless legal for white-tailed deer only, and testing for chronic wasting disease is required.
White-tailed deer tag · Any weapon · October 10 – November 20
This long white-tailed season opens with bucks going nocturnal and holding on summer range, shifts into pre-rut staging as deer start drifting toward rutting corridors, and by November runs straight into the primary rut. Weather in November, with snowfall around 5.3 inches and lows near 25°F, can push deer down out of the high country onto ground that's easier to glass and reach; fresh snow is worth checking for fresh tracks, and finding does is the surest way to find rutting bucks nearby. The tag allows antlered or antlerless white-tailed deer, and chronic wasting disease testing is required.
Controlled deer hunts (2026)
Controlled hunts have a limited number of tags and are drawn by pure random draw — Idaho uses no points, so years of applying do not improve the odds. First choices are drawn before second choices. A hunt marked as covering part of Unit 23 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal deer | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 23 · Any weapon Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Required | October 10 – November 24 | Antlered only | Long odds | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut |
Resident draw is a band in words from the 2026 first-choice results: good, fair, long or very long odds. It is not a published percentage, and nonresident odds differ. Youth-only hunts are shown without a band.
Controlled hunt 23 · Any weapon · October 10 – November 24
Controlled hunt 23 spans the same arc as the fall progresses — nocturnal bucks on summer range through October, a shift into pre-rut staging, and a full run through the primary rut by late November. Weather in November, with snowfall near 5.3 inches and lows around 25°F, can shove deer out of high country onto more open, glassable ground, and fresh snow is a good cue to look for fresh buck tracks; finding does usually means finding the bucks working them. This hunt is antlered only, requires chronic wasting disease testing, and draws only a limited number of tags each year — a resident's first choice draws at long odds.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 1,700–9,400 ft, typically around 5,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 24% gentle · 46% moderate · 26% steep · 4% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~563 sq mi
- National forests
- Nezperce National Forest and Payette National Forest
- Designated wilderness
- Hells Canyon Wilderness (2%) — 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
- Conifer59%
- Sagebrush21%
- Grass and meadow12%
- Other cover6%
- Riparian1%
Mid elevations
- Conifer76%
- Sagebrush19%
- Grass and meadow4%
Higher elevations
- Conifer48%
- Sagebrush41%
- Grass and meadow8%
- Riparian1%
- Other cover1%
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 23. 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.
- Rattlesnake Creek fire, 2018 — about 8,200 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its northwest side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 76% of Unit 23 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest66%
- BLM6%
- Idaho state endowment land3%
- Private24%
Idaho state endowment land is generally open to hunting unless posted closed or leased — check the parcel before planning around it.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 79°F, lows around 49°F
- September — highs around 69°F, lows around 43°F
- October — highs around 54°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.3 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 41°F, lows around 25°F, about 5.3 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 34°F, lows around 19°F, about 13.9 in of snowfall
Unit 23 deer hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy a deer tag for Unit 23 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag over the counter with no draw and no application required. Both tags carry their own seasons and legal-animal rules that must be checked before heading out.
How do nonresidents get a general tag in Unit 23?
Nonresidents go through a random draw for a general deer tag, and they apply for a specific tag — either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag — at the time they submit their application. The tag choice is made when applying, not after the draw results come out.
How hard is Controlled hunt 23 to draw?
Controlled hunt 23 is a pure random draw with a limited number of antlered-only tags, and a resident's first choice faces long odds. There are no points involved in Idaho's deer draws, so the odds reset each year rather than improving over time.
Which deer tags are valid in Unit 23?
The regular deer tag covers mule deer or white-tailed deer unless a specific season restricts it, while the white-tailed deer tag is valid for white-tailed deer only. Unit 23 also has Controlled hunt 23, a separate any-weapon, antlered-only hunt with its own limited tags.
How much of Unit 23 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 76 percent of the unit, roughly 563 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM, and Idaho state endowment land. The remaining 24 percent is private and requires written permission, and even the open ground includes endowment parcels that can occasionally be posted closed or leased.
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.