Unit 67 Deer Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · 412 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 4 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds from fair odds to very long odds.
What hunting Unit 67 is like
Unit 67 spans a broad elevation range, from around 5,000 feet up to 10,000 feet, and the terrain reflects it: about a quarter of the ground is gentle, a third moderate, and better than four in ten acres classed as steep, with a small share of truly rugged country on top. That mix means a hunter can find easier walking near the lower sagebrush flats but should expect the steep component to define most day plans once climbing into timber. Cover shifts hard with elevation — lower ground runs heavy to sagebrush with a quarter in conifer, while mid and upper elevations turn mostly to timber, with sagebrush as the secondary cover and only thin slivers of aspen, riparian, and grass and meadow scattered through. Much of this is foot-and-glass country, and the presence of the Targhee National Forest within the unit means a hunter can string together a lot of walking without crossing back onto private ground.
About 84% of Unit 67, roughly 346 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through a combination of National Forest, BLM, and Idaho state endowment land — the endowment parcels are open unless posted closed or leased, so it pays to check status rather than assume. A smaller unclassified slice, about 3.5%, is neither reliably public nor private, and private land makes up about 13% of the unit, requiring written permission to hunt. None of this is easy access by default; steep ground and the checkerboard of ownership mean scouting matters as much as the maps suggest.
Tag structure in Unit 67 runs on two tracks. Residents buy general regular deer or white-tailed deer tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for one specific general tag — either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag — through a random draw, choosing which tag to pursue at the time of application rather than after draw results. Layered on top are controlled hunts, drawn separately by pure random draw with a limited number of tags each, covering extra antlerless white-tailed opportunity and a separate any-weapon buck hunt.
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 | 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 · Any weapon | October 10 – October 24 | Antlered | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| White-tailed deer tag · Any weapon | October 10 – October 31 | Antlered or antlerless | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| White-tailed deer tag · Archery | November 1 – December 19 | Antlered or antlerless | Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut, Late Rut / Winter Consolidation |
| Regular deer tag · Archery White-tailed deer only | November 20 – December 19 | Antlered: white-tailed deer only; antlerless: white-tailed deer only | Primary Rut, Late Rut / Winter Consolidation |
Regular deer tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This early season catches bucks still living out their summer pattern, moving through the tail end of the Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern phase before easing into the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase. Scouting is the whole game here — glass at first light to locate a buck, mark where he beds for the day, and either close the stalk at midday while he's down or watch him again in the evening light and come back at dawn. Bucks favor shady pockets and north-facing slopes to bed through the heat, and they need surprisingly little water, so a small seep or a passing rainstorm can be enough to hold a buck nearby. Once velvet sheds, the same routine holds but bucks tend to bed earlier and stay down longer, so checking small crevices and draws near a buck's last known position often turns him back up. This tag is limited to antlered deer only, valid for mule deer or white-tailed deer.
White-tailed deer tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Running the same calendar as the regular deer archery season, this hunt covers the Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern phase sliding into the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase, with bucks still bachelored and predictable around summer range. The approach is identical: glass early to find a buck, watch him bed in shade or on a north slope, then either stalk him at midday or return the next morning after an evening watch. Water is not the limiting factor it might seem — a small seep or a rain shower can hold a mature buck nearby — so focus glassing on shaded, north-facing cover rather than obvious water sources. Into late September, deer are still close to where they were spotted through the summer, so working the same country pays off. This white-tailed deer tag allows taking either an antlered or antlerless deer.
Regular deer tag · Any weapon · October 10 – October 24
By this stretch of October bucks are settling into the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, growing steadily more nocturnal even though most haven't yet left their summer country. That shift makes movement harder to find in daylight, rewarding hunters who cover ground methodically through the steep, timbered mid-elevations rather than waiting on a single glassing point. Early-season snowfall is light in this window, with lows near 30°F, so weather is not yet forcing deer to move. This regular deer tag is valid for an antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer.
White-tailed deer tag · Any weapon · October 10 – October 31
This longer October hunt opens in the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and runs into the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, so the hunt changes character partway through. Early on, bucks are increasingly nocturnal and still holding near summer range, rewarding hunters who still-hunt timbered mid-elevation cover rather than count on daylight movement. By the back half of the season deer may start shifting toward rutting ground, so glassing the country between known summer haunts and likely rut country can pay off as the month closes. Snowfall stays light through this stretch, with lows near 30°F, and this white-tailed deer tag allows taking either an antlered or antlerless deer.
White-tailed deer tag · Archery · November 1 – December 19
Spanning nearly seven weeks, this hunt opens in the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase and carries all the way through the Primary Rut and into Late Rut / Winter Consolidation, making it the season that covers the most ground behaviorally. Early on, glassing the corridor between summer range and rut country is the way to intercept migrating deer, and once the rut arrives in November, finding does is the surest way to find bucks nearby. Weather turns real here — November brings meaningful snowfall with lows near 20°F, and December adds much heavier snow with lows near 13°F, and that weather can push deer down out of the high country onto ground that's easier to glass and reach. Fresh snow is worth using to cut buck tracks in early morning hours. This white-tailed deer tag allows taking either an antlered or antlerless deer through the entire stretch.
Regular deer tag · Archery · November 20 – December 19
This late-season archery hunt runs entirely through the rut, opening in the Primary Rut phase and closing out in Late Rut / Winter Consolidation. Deer are being pushed by weather at this point — November snowfall with lows near 20°F and much heavier December snow with lows near 13°F tend to drive animals out of high country onto lower, more accessible and more glassable ground. The rut strategy is straightforward: find does, since bucks will most likely be nearby, and use fresh snow to pick up tracks early and late in the day. This regular deer tag is restricted to white-tailed deer only, both for antlered bucks and antlerless animals.
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 67 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal deer | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 60A-1X · Archery Extra antlerless tag; Archery only, White-tailed deer only | August 30 – September 30 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern, Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Controlled hunt 60A-1X · Any weapon Extra antlerless tag; White-tailed deer only | October 10 – October 31 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| Controlled hunt 67 · Any weapon | October 10 – November 30 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging, Primary Rut, Late Rut / Winter Consolidation |
| Controlled hunt 60A-1X · Archery Extra antlerless tag; Archery only, White-tailed deer only | November 20 – December 19 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Primary Rut, Late Rut / Winter Consolidation |
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 60A-1X · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This early controlled hunt falls across the Summer Range / Bachelor Pattern phase and into the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase, but it's an antlerless-only tag, so the objective is simply locating deer rather than picking apart bucks. Working the sagebrush-to-timber transition at lower and mid elevations, where cover is denser and animals have shade and forage close together, is a sound way to find deer through the heat of late summer. This is a white-tailed deer only, archery-only tag for an extra antlerless opportunity, and the resident draw odds run fair for hunt 60A-1X.
Controlled hunt 60A-1X · Any weapon · October 10 – October 31
Covering the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase and the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, this October any-weapon hunt is another antlerless-only opportunity, so the task is finding deer rather than sorting antlers. Light October snowfall with lows near 30°F hasn't yet forced animals out of higher cover, so covering the mid-elevation timber and edges where deer concentrate is the more productive approach. This white-tailed deer only tag adds antlerless opportunity beyond the general season, and the resident draw for hunt 60A-1X runs fair odds.
Controlled hunt 67 · Any weapon · October 10 – November 30
This long controlled hunt runs from the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase all the way through Late Rut / Winter Consolidation, giving a hunter the full arc of the fall to work with. Early on, bucks are nocturnal and hard to catch moving, so covering ground in the steep mid-elevation timber pays off, and by late October deer may be shifting toward rut country, worth glassing the in-between ground. Once the rut hits in November, weather — meaningful snowfall with lows near 20°F — starts pushing deer down to lower, more glassable terrain, and finding does becomes the key to finding bucks, with fresh snow useful for picking up tracks. This is an antlered-only tag, and hunt 67's resident draw runs very long odds.
Controlled hunt 60A-1X · Archery · November 20 – December 19
This late archery controlled hunt runs through the Primary Rut and into Late Rut / Winter Consolidation, the same window when deer are most responsive to the rut but also most affected by weather — November and December bring heavy snowfall with lows dropping to near 13°F, which tends to push deer down onto lower, more accessible ground. Since this is an antlerless-only tag, the approach is to locate concentrations of deer on that lower ground rather than track individual bucks. This is a white-tailed deer only, archery-only extra antlerless tag, and the resident draw for hunt 60A-1X runs fair odds.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–10,000 ft, typically around 6,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 23% gentle · 33% moderate · 41% steep · 3% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~346 sq mi
- National forests
- Targhee 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
- Sagebrush33%
- Other cover31%
- Conifer27%
- Aspen5%
- Riparian4%
- Grass and meadow1%
Mid elevations
- Conifer66%
- Sagebrush24%
- Aspen8%
- Grass and meadow2%
Higher elevations
- Conifer57%
- Sagebrush33%
- Grass and meadow8%
- Aspen3%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 84% of Unit 67 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest81%
- BLM3%
- Idaho state endowment land<1%
- Unclassified ownership3%
- Private13%
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 78°F, lows around 47°F
- September — highs around 68°F, lows around 40°F
- October — highs around 53°F, lows around 30°F, about 1.6 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 39°F, lows around 20°F, about 10.4 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 29°F, lows around 13°F, about 22.2 in of snowfall
Unit 67 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter buy a deer tag for Unit 67 over the counter?
Yes, if the hunter is an Idaho resident. Residents purchase the general regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag over the counter with no draw or application required.
How do nonresidents get a general deer tag in Unit 67?
Nonresidents enter a random draw and must choose either the regular deer tag or the white-tailed deer tag at the time they apply. The specific tag is selected during application, not after draw results are announced.
How hard are the controlled hunts to draw in Unit 67?
It varies by hunt. The three 60A-1X antlerless white-tailed hunts carry fair odds for resident first-choice applicants, while the antlered-only Controlled hunt 67 carries very long odds.
Which deer tags are valid in Unit 67?
The general regular deer tag covers mule deer or white-tailed deer except where a season restricts it to white-tailed only, and the general white-tailed deer tag is for white-tailed deer exclusively. Controlled hunt 60A-1X tags are extra antlerless white-tailed opportunities, and Controlled hunt 67 is an antlered-only tag.
Which Unit 67 seasons fall during the rut?
The White-tailed deer tag archery season running November 1 through December 19, the Regular deer tag archery season running November 20 through December 19, Controlled hunt 67, and the Controlled hunt 60A-1X archery season in November-December all overlap the Primary Rut phase. Seasons in August, September, and most of October fall outside the rut window.
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.