Unit 38 Deer Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · 2,006 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 fair odds.
What hunting Unit 38 is like
Unit 38 is gentle, rolling country with almost none of the steep or rugged ground found elsewhere in Idaho — the mean slope across the unit is only about two degrees. That makes it foot-friendly terrain, but gentle topography does not mean easy hunting: without canyons or ridgelines to funnel deer or break up sightlines, finding animals comes down to glassing patiently and covering ground on foot rather than relying on terrain features to pin deer down. Elevation across the unit is modest as well, running from a low of 2,100 feet to a high of 3,500 feet, so there is no true high country to push deer downhill as winter sets in.
About 37 percent of the unit — roughly 744 square miles — is generally open to public hunting through a mix of BLM, Idaho state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should not be assumed open. The remaining majority of the unit, around 62 percent, is private and requires written permission. Two fires from 2025 have reshaped parts of the landscape this fall: the Range fire burned about 27,000 acres on the unit's southeast side, and a second, unnamed fire burned about 8,900 acres on the east side. Both are within their first year after burning, meaning deer distribution in those areas may differ noticeably from where animals were seen in summer, and hunters should check for current fire closures before heading out.
Tag options here split cleanly between a regular deer tag valid for mule deer or white-tailed deer and a white-tailed-deer-only tag, each with matching archery and short-range weapons seasons. Residents buy either general tag over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for one specific tag — regular or white-tailed — through a random draw, choosing which tag to apply for before the draw rather than after. A single controlled hunt, 38-2, adds a short-range-weapons option during the rut for hunters willing to enter a pure random draw with no points involved.
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 | August 30 – September 30 | Antlered or antlerless | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| White-tailed deer tag · Archery | August 30 – September 30 | Antlered or antlerless | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Regular deer tag · Short-range weapons Very limited access | October 10 – October 31 | Antlered | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| Regular deer tag · Short-range weapons Very limited access | October 10 – November 24 | Antlerless | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut |
| White-tailed deer tag · Short-range weapons | October 10 – October 31 | Antlered | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| White-tailed deer tag · Short-range weapons | October 10 – November 24 | Antlerless | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut |
Regular deer tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Archery season opens while bucks are still in velvet and loosely bachelored, spending the day bedded in shade before feeding into the morning and again in the evening. In this gentle, rolling country, summer scouting and patient glassing matter more than terrain tricks — there are no canyons or benches to pin deer down, so locating a buck and watching where he beds is the game. First light and last light are for finding bucks; the stalk itself often comes at midday while a buck is bedded, or the following morning after an evening watch. Velvet sheds through the season but habits change little, aside from bucks bedding earlier and staying down longer, so a buck that seems to vanish is usually still tucked into a nearby draw or crevice. The regular deer tag covers either mule deer or white-tailed deer here, and either antlered or antlerless animals are legal.
White-tailed deer tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Running the same August 30 to September 30 window as the regular archery season, this white-tailed-deer-only hunt finds bucks still bachelored and in velvet through early-to-mid September, bedding in shade and feeding on forbs and browse morning and evening. Glassing shady pockets and north-facing exposures in this low-relief unit is the most reliable way to locate a bedded buck before closing the distance at midday. As velvet sheds later in the season, bucks tend to bed earlier and hold tight until after dark, so persistence in checking small draws and cover pockets near summer haunts pays off into late September. This tag is limited strictly to white-tailed deer, with either antlered or antlerless animals legal.
Regular deer tag · Short-range weapons · October 10 – October 31
By October bucks are shifting into a more nocturnal pattern, mostly still holding near their summer range early in the month before some begin drifting toward rutting ground as the season closes. Access is very limited in this window, so covering the open ground available and glassing the country between summer haunts and likely staging areas is the practical approach. Only antlered regular-tag deer are legal here, and the tag is valid for mule deer or white-tailed deer.
Regular deer tag · Short-range weapons · October 10 – November 24
This antlerless season runs from October 10 into the heart of the rut on November 24, spanning the shift from nocturnal fall patterns through pre-rut staging and into the primary rut itself. Hunters carrying this tag should work the open, gently rolling ground available across the unit, keeping in mind that access is very limited and much of the surrounding country remains private. The regular deer tag here is antlerless only, taking either mule deer or white-tailed deer does or fawns.
White-tailed deer tag · Short-range weapons · October 10 – October 31
Matching the regular short-range season in timing, this October 10 to October 31 white-tailed-only hunt catches bucks turning nocturnal and mostly holding near summer range, with some beginning to stage toward rutting areas by month's end. Glassing the gap between known summer locations and probable rut destinations is the best use of time in this flat, open terrain. Only antlered white-tailed bucks are legal under this tag.
White-tailed deer tag · Short-range weapons · October 10 – November 24
This antlerless white-tailed season stretches from October 10 through November 24, covering the nocturnal fall shift, pre-rut staging, and the primary rut itself. Hunters should focus on the gently rolling, open ground that is generally accessible across the unit, since much of the surrounding land remains private and requires permission. The tag is limited to antlerless white-tailed deer only.
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 38 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal deer | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 38-2 · Short-range weapons Short range weapons only, Very limited access | October 10 – November 24 | Antlered only | Fair 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 38-2 · Short-range weapons · October 10 – November 24
Controlled hunt 38-2 covers the same long stretch from October 10 through November 24, running from the early nocturnal fall pattern through pre-rut staging and into the full rut by mid-to-late November. Early in the season bucks stay close to summer range before drifting toward rutting ground, and once the rut arrives in November they follow the does, so finding groups of does is the surest way to find a rutting buck nearby. Weather fronts can push deer out of what little higher ground exists onto more open, glassable terrain, and fresh snow makes for good buck tracking. This short-range-weapons-only hunt allows antlered bucks alone, access is very limited, and residents drawing it face fair odds in the random draw.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 2,100–3,500 ft, typically around 2,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 2% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~744 sq mi
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.
Across the unit
- Other cover50%
- Grass and meadow36%
- Sagebrush14%
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 38. 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.
- Range fire, 2025 — about 27,000 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its southeast side.
- Unnamed fire, 2025 — about 8,900 acres in the unit, mostly on its east side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 37% of Unit 38 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- BLM32%
- Idaho state endowment land4%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private62%
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 91°F, lows around 58°F
- September — highs around 81°F, lows around 50°F
- October — highs around 66°F, lows around 39°F
- November — highs around 50°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 40°F, lows around 24°F, about 2.3 in of snowfall
Unit 38 deer hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy a deer tag for Unit 38 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can purchase either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag over the counter with no application or draw required, as long as tags remain available for the season in question.
How do nonresidents get a general deer tag for Unit 38?
Nonresidents enter a random draw and must choose a specific tag — either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag — when they apply, not after the draw results are known. There is no point system involved in this draw.
How hard is it to draw the controlled hunt in Unit 38?
Controlled hunt 38-2 is a pure random draw with a limited number of tags, and residents applying first choice face fair odds. No points carry over between years since Idaho does not use a points system for deer.
Which deer tags can be used in Unit 38?
The regular deer tag is valid for mule deer or white-tailed deer unless a specific season restricts it further, while the white-tailed deer tag is valid only for white-tailed deer. Both tags have separate archery and short-range weapons seasons with their own dates and legal-animal rules.
How much of Unit 38 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 37 percent of the unit, roughly 744 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through BLM, Idaho state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area. The rest, around 62 percent, is private and requires written permission, and even the endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased in places.
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.