Unit 49 Deer Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · 795 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 very long odds.
What hunting Unit 49 is like
Unit 49 covers 795 square miles of mixed country, with substantial steep ground, ranging from about 4,800 feet up to 12,000 feet, though most hunting happens around the 6,500 foot mark. Nearly two-thirds of the terrain by area is moderate to steep, and hunters should expect a foot-and-glass approach on much of it. Lower elevations run to sagebrush and grass with pockets of riparian growth, mid elevations mix sagebrush with conifer and open grass, and the higher country shifts toward heavier timber alongside sagebrush and grass. Parts of the unit fall within the Salmon-Challis National Forest and the Sawtooth National Forest, and any designated wilderness inside the unit is closed to motorized travel, so getting into the best pockets often means going in on foot.
About 65 percent of Unit 49, roughly 517 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across a mix of BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area — the one figure a hunter can count on, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and access is never automatic. Private land makes up about a third of the unit and requires written permission, with a small unclassified share rounding out the rest. The Sharps fire burned about 65,000 acres near the middle of the unit in 2018; this fall that ground sits five to eight years post-fire, meaning thick brush, standing saplings, and increasing deadfall that both hide and slow down deer and hunters alike. Anyone heading into that burn scar, or anywhere else in the unit, should check for current fire closures before heading out.
Tag structure here follows the general pattern used across the state: residents buy general deer tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents go through a random draw in which they apply for a specific tag — either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag — chosen at the time of application, not afterward. On top of the general seasons, Unit 49 also offers a single controlled hunt with a limited number of tags awarded by pure random draw, giving hunters a late-season, rut-timed option beyond the general archery and rifle seasons.
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 |
| Regular deer tag · Any weapon | October 10 – October 31 | Antlered | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
Regular deer tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This is the long stretch of the year when bucks are still tied to summer patterns, moving through the Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern phase and into the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase by late September. Bucks bed in shade during the heat of the day, so the game is glassing shady pockets and north-facing slopes at first light, marking where a buck beds, and closing the distance while he's down for the day. Water isn't a hard requirement here — a seep or a passing rainstorm can be enough — so forbs and browse near cover matter more than tanks or streams. This tag covers antlered or antlerless deer, and once velvet sheds around the start of September the same glass-and-stalk pattern holds, though bucks may bed earlier and stay put later into the evening.
Regular deer tag · Any weapon · October 10 – October 31
By this point bucks are sliding into the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and then the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, and they get harder to catch moving in daylight. Most deer are still hanging near their summer ground early in the season, so glassing those same areas still pays off. Toward the back half of October some bucks start drifting toward rutting ground, so it's worth watching the country between summer range and where deer are likely to rut. Only antlered deer are legal on this tag, and the shift toward nocturnal movement means mornings and evenings are the times to be glassing.
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 49 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal deer | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 49 · Any weapon | November 10 – November 24 | Antlered only | Very long odds | 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 49 · Any weapon · November 10 – November 24
This hunt opens in the tail end of the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase and runs into the heart of the Primary Rut, when bucks are actively seeking and following does. November brings real snowfall and lows near freezing, and weather moving through can push deer down out of the high country onto ground that's easier to glass and reach — fresh snow is also a good time to cut fresh buck tracks. The smart play is finding does first, since bucks are likely to be with them or nearby. Only antlered deer are legal, tags are limited and awarded by pure random draw, and residents drawing this hunt face very long odds on a first-choice application.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–12,000 ft, typically around 6,500 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 26% gentle · 36% moderate · 37% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~517 sq mi
- National forests
- Salmon-Challis National Forest and Sawtooth National Forest
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
- Sagebrush58%
- Other cover20%
- Grass and meadow14%
- Riparian4%
- Conifer4%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush58%
- Conifer21%
- Grass and meadow20%
- Riparian1%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush43%
- Conifer39%
- Grass and meadow17%
- 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 49. 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.
- Sharps fire, 2018 — about 65,000 acres in the unit (13%), toward the middle of the unit.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 65% of Unit 49 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- BLM31%
- National Forest27%
- Idaho state endowment land7%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- National Park Service<1%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private33%
Idaho state endowment land is generally open to hunting unless posted closed or leased — check the parcel before planning around it.
Hunting is allowed on some National Park Service land (a national preserve, for example) but not in national monuments or historical parks — check where it is allowed.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 80°F, lows around 46°F
- September — highs around 70°F, lows around 39°F
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.5 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 42°F, lows around 20°F, about 8.2 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 32°F, lows around 13°F, about 18.7 in of snowfall
Unit 49 deer hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy a deer tag for Unit 49 without applying for anything?
Yes. Residents purchase general deer tags over the counter, with no draw and no application required. This applies to the archery and any-weapon general seasons listed for the unit.
How do nonresidents get a general tag in Unit 49?
Nonresidents go through a random draw, and they apply for a specific tag as part of that application — either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag. The tag choice is made when applying, not after the draw is complete.
Is the November controlled hunt easy to draw?
No. Controlled hunt 49, the any-weapon hunt running November 10 to November 24, carries very long odds for resident first-choice applicants. It is a pure random draw with a limited number of tags and no points system involved.
Which of the general seasons falls during the rut?
Neither general season lines up with the Primary Rut phase — the archery season runs through summer and early fall transition, and the October any-weapon season covers the nocturnal buck and early pre-rut staging phases. Only the November controlled hunt overlaps the rut itself.
How much of Unit 49 can a hunter actually plan on hunting?
About 65 percent of the unit, roughly 517 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through a mix of BLM, National Forest, state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area. That is the only figure a hunter can rely on going in, since even open endowment parcels can be posted closed or under lease, and the remaining private land requires written permission.
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.