Unit 27 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Middle Fork Elk Zone · 1,536 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 27 is in the Middle Fork Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. The zone's A tag and B tag are capped: a limited number, sold first-come, first-served.
What hunting Unit 27 is like
Unit 27 is steep and broken country, cut deep through the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness, which covers about 95% of the unit. Elevations run from around 3,000 feet up to over 10,000 feet, and mean slope pushes nearly 28 degrees, so this is foot-and-horseback hunting almost everywhere: no motorized access once inside the wilderness boundary. Cover shifts with elevation, from sagebrush-dominated lower slopes with pockets of conifer and grass, through a more even mid-elevation mix of sagebrush and timber, to higher country where conifer stands and grass/meadow openings break up the sage. Land here is managed across the Boise, Payette, and Salmon-Challis National Forests.
Almost all of Unit 27, about 100 percent, is generally open to public hunting, mostly National Forest ground along with some state endowment and wildlife management land, though that openness does not mean easy hunting given the terrain and the remoteness of the wilderness interior. Several fires have reshaped parts of the unit in recent years. The Boundary fire (2021) burned about 62,000 acres on the southwest side and is now five to eight years out, meaning thick regrowth and brush over five feet tall with increasing deadfall. The Birch fire (2024) and Norton fire (2022), both toward the middle of the unit, are two to four years post-fire, a stage that opens up glassing and can hold elk feeding on fresh grass and brush near dawn and dusk. The Kiwah fire (2018) on the west side is also five to eight years out and carries the same thick, hard-to-see-through regrowth. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags for Unit 27 come through the Middle Fork Elk Zone, shared with Units 20A and 26. Residents buy the zone's A or B tag over the counter with no application; nonresidents enter a random draw in which they apply for a specific tag — the zone's A tag or B tag — choosing it at the time of application, not after drawing. Both tags are capped, sold on a first-come, first-served basis until they are gone, and both restrict harvest in Unit 27 to brow-tined bulls only.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 27 is in the Middle Fork Elk Zone (Units 20A, 26 and 27); 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 27. Residents buy the tag over the counter; nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Unit 27; Brow-tined bulls only | September 15 – September 30 | Brow-tined bull only | Primary Rut |
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Unit 27; Brow-tined bulls only | October 1 – October 31 | Brow-tined bull only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Unit 27; Brow-tined bulls only | November 1 – November 18 | Brow-tined bull only | Migration Transition |
B tag · Any weapon · September 15 – September 30
This B tag season runs September 15 through September 30, landing squarely in the Primary Rut phase, when bulls are most vocal and active. In this steep, wilderness-dominated unit that means working high timber and sage edges where bulls are pushing cows, though the broken terrain and lack of motorized access make covering ground slow and physical. Only brow-tined bulls are legal, so hunters need a good look before committing to a shot. The rut activity of this window is the best argument for booking the early B tag despite the difficulty of getting into the country.
A tag · Any weapon · October 1 – October 31
The A tag season covers all of October, spanning the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase into the Post-Rut Recovery phase, so bull activity tapers off as the month goes on and elk settle into more subdued post-rut patterns. Snowfall picks up to around 3.2 inches with lows near 27°F, enough to start moving animals but not yet a hard push toward lower ground. Hunters still need to grind through steep, broken terrain across the National Forest ground that makes up nearly all of the unit, and the two- to four-year-old Birch and Norton fire scars toward the middle of the unit are worth a look since the open ground there makes glassing easier and holds feed. Only brow-tined bulls are legal under this tag.
B tag · Any weapon · November 1 – November 18
By the November B tag season, running November 1 through 18, elk are in the Migration Transition phase, shifting off summer range as conditions push them toward lower elevations. Snowfall averages around 17.5 inches for the month with lows near 18°F, cold enough to trigger real movement, and hunters willing to work the lower-elevation sagebrush and grass pockets against timbered cover may catch elk on the move. The terrain remains steep and largely roadless within the wilderness, so plan on foot or stock travel and expect winter conditions to add to the physical demands. As with the other general seasons here, only brow-tined bulls are legal.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,000–10,400 ft, typically around 7,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 5% gentle · 27% moderate · 63% steep · 5% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1,533 sq mi
- National forests
- Boise National Forest, Payette National Forest and Salmon-Challis National Forest
- Designated wilderness
- Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness (95%) — 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
- Sagebrush55%
- Conifer29%
- Grass and meadow16%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush50%
- Conifer38%
- Grass and meadow13%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush40%
- Conifer36%
- Grass and meadow24%
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 27. 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.
- Boundary fire, 2021 — about 62,000 acres in the unit (6%), mostly on its southwest side.
- Birch fire, 2024 — about 18,000 acres in the unit (2%), toward the middle of the unit.
- Kiwah fire, 2018 — about 16,000 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its west side.
- Norton fire, 2022 — about 11,000 acres in the unit (1%), toward the middle of the unit.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 100% of Unit 27 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- National Forest100%
- Idaho state endowment land<1%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Private<1%
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 42°F
- September — highs around 65°F, lows around 35°F
- October — highs around 50°F, lows around 27°F, about 3.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 36°F, lows around 18°F, about 17.5 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 29°F, lows around 11°F, about 36.7 in of snowfall
Unit 27 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident hunter buy an elk tag for Unit 27 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy either the Middle Fork Elk Zone's A tag or B tag over the counter with no application or draw required. The choice is between the two tags, each with its own season and both limited to brow-tined bulls in Unit 27.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 27?
Nonresidents go through a random draw for the Middle Fork Elk Zone's general tags rather than buying over the counter. They apply for a specific tag, either the zone's A tag or B tag, at the time of application, and that choice is locked in before the draw, not made afterward.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 27?
Unit 27 falls in the Middle Fork Elk Zone, along with Units 20A and 26. The zone offers an A tag and a B tag, each with different seasons, and both are capped, sold first-come, first-served until they sell out.
Which Unit 27 elk seasons fall during the rut?
The September 15 through September 30 B tag season falls within the Primary Rut phase, making it the rut-timed option in Unit 27. The October A tag season and the November B tag season both fall outside the September rut window, covering later phases instead.
How much of Unit 27 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 100 percent of Unit 27, roughly 1,533 square miles, is generally open to public hunting, made up of National Forest land along with some state endowment and wildlife management ground. That openness is not the same as easy access, since almost the entire unit lies within the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness and the terrain is steep and broken throughout.
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.