Unit 29 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Lemhi Elk Zone · 707 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 29 is in the Lemhi Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. It also has 2 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds fair odds.
What hunting Unit 29 is like
Unit 29 sits in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, country that runs from rolling to moderately steep across most of its ground, with a mean slope in the mid-teens of degrees and only a small share truly rugged. Elevations range from below 4,000 feet up to over 11,000 feet, and cover shifts with that climb: sagebrush dominates the lower and mid elevations along with grass and meadow openings, conifer becomes the dominant cover higher up, and mid-elevation slopes still carry a quarter conifer mixed through the sage. Foot travel and glassing work well here given the open sagebrush country at lower elevations, though the higher timbered slopes demand more effort to move through and see into.
About 80 percent of the unit, roughly 567 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land, which is the figure a hunter can plan around, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and access still takes legwork. The remaining fifth is private and requires written permission. The Hayden fire burned about 24,000 acres through the middle of the unit in 2023, and this fall marks the two-to-four-year mark after that burn, a window when the open ground left behind makes for easier glassing and better feed, drawing elk to work the edges between the burn and the standing timber morning and evening. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags for Unit 29 are sold through the Lemhi Elk Zone, shared with Units 37, 37A and 51, and the zone offers an A tag and a B tag with different seasons and weapons — a hunter picks one. Residents buy these general tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents enter a random draw in which they apply for a specific zone tag, chosen at the time of application rather than after draw results. Beyond the general seasons, Unit 29 also carries its own controlled hunts, awarded through a separate pure random draw with a limited number of tags each.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 29 is in the Lemhi Elk Zone (Units 29, 37, 37A and 51); 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 29. Residents buy the tag over the counter; nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 29, 37 and 37A | August 1 – October 31 | Antlerless only | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut, Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 29, 37, 37A and 51 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Muzzleloader Valid area: Units 29, 37, 37A and 51 | November 25 – December 9 | Antlerless only | Migration Transition, Winter Range |
A tag · Any weapon · August 1 – October 31
This long any-weapon window is an antlerless-only season, spanning everything from velvet through post-rut recovery. A cow or calf tag holder can work the sagebrush flats and meadow openings at lower and mid elevations where elk cover is easiest to glass, and can also work the Hayden fire's edges, where the two-to-four-year-old burn draws elk to feed in early morning and again near dark along the line between burned and standing timber. Late in the season, October's modest snowfall and cooling lows can start nudging animals to move, but the antlerless hunter's focus stays on locating groups in the open sage and meadow ground rather than chasing rutting behavior. Only antlerless elk are legal under this tag.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
The archery season opens during the pre-rut transition and runs through rut onset into the heart of the primary rut, making it the best stretch of the fall for calling and rutting activity. Early on, bulls are just stripping velvet and still holding close to summer range, so sitting water sources or glassing the sagebrush and meadow openings for a spot-and-stalk works well before animals commit fully to the rut. As the season progresses into rut onset and primary rut, that same open lower-to-mid elevation cover, along with the edges of the Hayden fire, gives archers places to spot bulls before closing the distance on foot. Any elk is legal, so archers can pursue bulls or fill on a cow or calf depending on strategy.
A tag · Muzzleloader · November 25 – December 9
By the time the muzzleloader season opens, elk have moved into the migration transition and are pushing toward winter range, with real snow starting to pile up and lows dropping into the low 20s and teens through November and December. An antlerless hunter should focus on lower-elevation sagebrush and meadow ground where elk concentrate as they shift off the high timber, using the accumulating snow to help push animals down and concentrate them in more open, huntable terrain. The steep timbered high country becomes tougher to move through as snow deepens, so working the lower bands pays off. Only antlerless elk are legal under this tag.
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 29 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 29 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | October 1 – October 31 | Antlered only | — | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 29 · Any weapon Youth only; Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | October 1 – November 20 | Antlerless only | Youth only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 29 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 20 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | 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 29 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 31
This controlled hunt falls across the late rut and post-rut recovery phases, after breeding activity has wound down, and it is limited to antlered bulls under the Motorized Hunting Rule. Hunters drawn for Hunt 29 do best working the timbered higher elevations and the mid-elevation conifer-sage mix, using the terrain's moderate slopes to work into pockets where bulls have settled after the rut. October's light snowfall and cooling temperatures can start pushing bulls to lower cover, so working the edges between conifer and sagebrush pays off. Only antlered elk are legal under this hunt.
Controlled hunt 29 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 20
Running through the migration transition in November, this controlled hunt is an antlerless-only youth and general draw hunt under the Motorized Hunting Rule, drawing at fair odds in the resident draw for Hunt 29. With snowfall building and lows dropping into the 20s, elk are shifting off the high timbered country toward lower sagebrush and meadow ground, and hunters should concentrate effort there rather than in the steeper high country. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies, so vehicle access follows the designated routes within the hunt area. Only antlerless elk are legal under this hunt.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,900–11,300 ft, typically around 7,000 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 34% gentle · 41% moderate · 23% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~567 sq mi
- National forests
- Salmon-Challis 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
- Sagebrush71%
- Other cover17%
- Grass and meadow6%
- Conifer4%
- Riparian2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush71%
- Conifer25%
- Grass and meadow2%
- Riparian1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer59%
- Sagebrush39%
- Grass and meadow1%
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 29. 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.
- Hayden fire, 2023 — about 24,000 acres in the unit (5%), toward the middle of the unit.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 80% of Unit 29 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest51%
- BLM27%
- Idaho state endowment land3%
- Private20%
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 76°F, lows around 48°F
- September — highs around 65°F, lows around 40°F
- October — highs around 51°F, lows around 31°F, about 1.6 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 37°F, lows around 21°F, about 7.5 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 28°F, lows around 14°F, about 14 in of snowfall
Unit 29 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 29 over the counter?
Yes. Residents purchase a general elk tag for the Lemhi Elk Zone, which covers Unit 29, over the counter with no draw or application required. They still choose between the zone's A tag and B tag based on the season and weapon they want to hunt.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 29?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for the Lemhi Elk Zone's general elk tag, and they apply for a specific tag, either the A tag or the B tag, at the time they submit their application. The tag choice is locked in when applying, not selected afterward.
How hard is it to draw the controlled hunts in Unit 29?
Controlled hunt 29's November 1–20 antlerless season draws at fair odds for residents in the first-choice draw. The other controlled hunts in the unit do not have a published resident first-choice band available here. All controlled hunts are pure random draws with a limited number of tags and no points involved.
Which elk zone covers Unit 29 and what tags apply?
Unit 29 falls in the Lemhi Elk Zone, along with Units 37, 37A and 51. The zone offers an A tag and a B tag, each with its own season and weapon restrictions, and a hunter selects one for the year.
How much of Unit 29 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 80 percent of the unit, roughly 567 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land. The remaining fifth is private land requiring written permission, and even the public endowment parcels can occasionally be posted closed or under lease.
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.