Unit 19A Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · McCall Elk Zone · 462 sq mi
General season — resident tags over the counter
Residents buy general elk tags over the counter — no draw, no points. General elk is sold by zone: Unit 19A is in the McCall Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. It also has 3 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds from good odds to very long odds.
What hunting Unit 19A is like
Unit 19A sits in the McCall Elk Zone with elevations running from roughly 1,900 feet up to 9,300 feet, and the ground in between is mixed, with substantial steep ground underfoot. Across the elevation bands the cover leans heavily sagebrush, with a solid block of conifer timber mixed through, and only thin ribbons of grass, meadow and riparian ground at mid and higher elevations. About 12% of the unit lies inside the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness, where no motorized travel is allowed, which makes that portion foot-and-stock country by default. The rest of the unit still asks for legwork given the moderate-to-steep slopes that dominate the terrain.
Almost the entire unit, about 99%, is generally open to public hunting, covering National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment ground, including the Payette National Forest. That is a dependable amount of open access, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and individual tracts should be treated case by case. Private land is a small sliver of the unit, only about 1.1%, and it takes written permission to hunt it.
General elk tags here are sold by the McCall Elk Zone, which also covers Units 23, 24 and 25, and a hunter picks either the zone's A tag or its B tag, each running a different season and set of weapons and legal animals. Residents buy either tag over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents go through a random draw in which the specific A or B tag is chosen at the time of application, not afterward. Alongside the general seasons, Unit 19A also carries three controlled hunts drawn by pure random draw, each with a limited number of tags and its own resident first-choice odds band.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 19A is in the McCall Elk Zone (Units 19A, 23, 24 and 25); a hunter chooses its A tag or its B tag, and each carries its own seasons. The windows below are the ones valid in Unit 19A. Residents buy the tag over the counter; nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 19A, 23, 24 and 25 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Portion of McCall Zone; Spike bulls only | October 5 – October 14 | Spike bull only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Portion of McCall Zone | October 15 – November 3 | Antlered only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This archery season opens as bulls finish shedding velvet during the Pre-Rut Transition phase and runs on through the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases, covering the heart of the September rut. Early on, bulls are still hanging near where they spent the summer, and sitting water or glassing open pockets of sagebrush and grass for a spot-and-stalk works well before cover thickens into timber. The A tag archery season is valid across Units 19A, 23, 24 and 25, and any elk is legal, giving archery hunters the most flexibility of any season here.
A tag · Any weapon · October 5 – October 14
By the time this any-weapon window opens, elk have slid into the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, with the rut winding down and animals settling into more subdued patterns. Only spike bulls are legal under this A tag, so hunters need to be sure of antler configuration before committing to a shot, and the mixed timber and sagebrush cover at mid elevations is worth focusing on as elk start pulling back from open ground. October snowfall is light and lows dip into the upper 20s, conditions that start pushing elk but rarely shut down access.
B tag · Any weapon · October 15 – November 3
This B tag season opens in the tail end of the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase and carries through the Post-Rut Recovery phase into the Migration Transition phase, meaning elk move from settling down after the rut to beginning their shift toward winter range. Only antlered elk are legal, and the long window rewards hunters willing to work the timber and sagebrush transition zones as animals start relocating. Snowfall builds through October and turns heavier in November, with lows dropping into the upper teens by the season's end, which can be the difference-maker in pushing elk out of the high country and into more predictable travel routes.
Controlled elk 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 19A is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 19A-1 · Any weapon Covers only part of this unit | August 30 – October 31 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut, Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 19A · Any weapon | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 19A · Any weapon | October 15 – November 8 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
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 19A-1 · Any weapon · August 30 – October 31
Covering only part of the unit, this antlerless controlled hunt spans an unusually long stretch, from the Pre-Rut Transition phase through Post-Rut Recovery, so cow and calf elk move through several behavioral stages while the tag stays valid. Focus on the sagebrush-and-timber mix where cows and calves concentrate rather than chasing bull sign, and use the open terrain shares to plan approach and retrieval before committing to a stalk. Only antlerless animals may be taken, and the hunt draws at good odds for residents, making it one of the more attainable controlled tags in Unit 19A. Light October snowfall late in the season can help move animals into more open ground.
Controlled hunt 19A · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
This short, antlered-only controlled hunt falls entirely within the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, catching bulls as breeding activity tapers off and they begin to settle into post-rut patterns. The compressed window means hunters need to cover ground efficiently across the unit's moderate-to-steep terrain, working timber edges where bulls are recovering from the rut. It draws at very long odds for residents, so it is a hunt built more around a quality bull opportunity than a numbers game. October's modest snowfall and cool lows don't change tactics much but can still help move animals.
Controlled hunt 19A · Any weapon · October 15 – November 8
This antlerless controlled hunt opens in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase and runs through Post-Rut Recovery into the Migration Transition phase, tracking cow and calf elk as they finish settling after the rut and begin shifting toward winter range. Hunters should work the sagebrush and timber cover at mid and lower elevations as the season progresses, since animals are on the move toward lower ground by its close. Only antlerless elk are legal, and the hunt draws at good odds for residents. Snowfall increases from October into November and lows drop into the upper teens, weather that tends to help push elk into more accessible terrain.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 1,900–9,300 ft, typically around 6,300 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 16% gentle · 48% moderate · 31% steep · 5% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~457 sq mi
- National forests
- Payette National Forest
- Designated wilderness
- Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness (12%) — 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
- Sagebrush54%
- Conifer40%
- Grass and meadow5%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush57%
- Conifer39%
- Riparian2%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush54%
- Conifer41%
- Grass and meadow3%
- Riparian1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 99% of Unit 19A is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest94%
- BLM4%
- Idaho state endowment land<1%
- Private1%
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 74°F, lows around 41°F
- September — highs around 64°F, lows around 34°F
- October — highs around 50°F, lows around 27°F, about 2.1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 37°F, lows around 18°F, about 16.7 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 30°F, lows around 11°F, about 31.9 in of snowfall
Unit 19A elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 19A over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy either the McCall Elk Zone's A tag or B tag over the counter with no application or draw required. The choice between A and B tag comes down to preferred season dates, weapon and legal animal, since the two tags differ in all three.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 19A?
Nonresidents must go through a random draw for a general elk tag in the McCall Elk Zone. When applying, the nonresident selects a specific tag, either the zone's A tag or its B tag, and that choice is locked in at application rather than picked after the draw.
How hard is it to draw one of Unit 19A's controlled hunts?
Draw difficulty varies by hunt. Controlled hunt 19A-1, an antlerless hunt covering only part of the unit, draws at good odds for residents, as does the antlerless controlled hunt 19A running October 15 to November 8, while the antlered controlled hunt 19A running October 1 to October 14 draws at very long odds for residents.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 19A?
Unit 19A is part of the McCall Elk Zone, which also includes Units 23, 24 and 25. General elk hunters in Unit 19A choose between the zone's A tag and B tag, each carrying its own season, weapon restriction and legal animal.
How much of Unit 19A is open to public hunting?
About 99% of the unit, roughly 457 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land, including the Payette National Forest. Only about 1.1% of the unit is private land requiring 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.