Unit 31 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Brownlee Elk Zone · 598 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 31 is in the Brownlee 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 31 is like
Unit 31 sits on the Payette National Forest, with rolling to moderately steep country making up most of the ground; slopes average around 16.6 degrees, and while the mid and lower elevations run to grass, meadow, and sagebrush, the higher country adds sagebrush, timber, and grass in roughly even measure. It is a unit that rewards a hunter on foot willing to glass open slopes and work timber edges, with the higher elevations demanding the most sustained climbing and the lower country offering easier walking through open cover.
Roughly half the unit, about 300 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across Bureau of Land Management, National Forest, Idaho state endowment, and State Wildlife Management Area ground; endowment parcels can be closed or leased, so that share is a dependable rather than a guaranteed number. The other half is private and requires written permission. Fire has reshaped a large share of the landscape recently: the Tartar fire burned about 158,000 acres, roughly 41 percent of the unit, mostly on the southwest side, and is in its first year after burning this fall. Older burns include the Mineral fire on the west side, two to four years out, and the Keithly and Woodhead fires on the east and northeast sides, both five to eight years out. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags in Unit 31 are sold through the Brownlee Elk Zone, with an A tag and a B tag carrying different seasons and weapons; a hunter picks one. Residents buy either over the counter, while nonresidents enter a random draw in which they apply for the specific zone tag, A or B, they want up front. Controlled hunt 31 adds three more windows drawn separately by pure random draw, each with its own legal animal and odds band, plus a youth-only antlerless hunt in the same window as one of the draw hunts.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 31 is in the Brownlee Elk Zone; 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 31. 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: Private agricultural lands in Unit 31 | August 15 – September 30 | Antlerless only | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Unit 31 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Unit 31 | November 15 – November 30 | Antlerless only | Migration Transition |
B tag · Any weapon · August 15 – September 30
This antlerless season opens in mid-August and runs through the end of September, but it is only legal on private agricultural lands within Unit 31, so success depends entirely on securing permission from landowners working those fields. The season spans the velvet, pre-rut transition, rut onset, and primary rut phases, though none of that matters for tag purposes since only antlerless elk are legal. Cows and calves often work the grass and meadow ground near agricultural fields at lower elevations, and a hunter with access can glass those open flats in early morning or evening. No bull tactics apply here; the whole season is about locating antlerless animals on private ground and getting permission to be there.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Archery season opens August 30 and runs through September 30, covering the tail end of the pre-rut transition into the rut onset and primary rut phases, which makes it the best window in Unit 31 to catch bulls in full rut behavior. Early on, bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to summer ground, so sitting a water source or glassing open sagebrush and grass benches for a spot-and-stalk works well. As the season progresses into rut onset and primary rut, hunters can expect more vocal, active bulls across the mixed timber and sagebrush of the mid and higher elevations. Any elk is legal, giving archers the most flexibility of any season in the unit, and the terrain's moderate slopes keep still-hunting and stalking manageable.
B tag · Any weapon · November 15 – November 30
This late-season antlerless hunt runs November 15 through the end of the month, landing entirely in the migration transition phase as elk move toward winter range. Snowfall picks up modestly and lows drop toward the high 20s, which can push antlerless elk out of higher timber and sagebrush toward more open, lower ground where grass and meadow cover dominates. A hunter can focus on those lower-elevation flats and the edges of cover where animals are shifting through on their way to winter range. Tags are antlerless only, so the goal is simply locating cows and calves as they filter downward with the season's movement.
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 31 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 31 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered or antlerless | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 31 · Any weapon | October 15 – October 31 | Antlered only | Long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 31 · Any weapon Youth only | October 15 – November 14 | Antlerless only | Youth only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 31 · Any weapon | November 1 – November 14 | Antlerless only | Good 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 31 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
Controlled hunt 31's early window runs October 1 through October 14, sitting squarely in the late rut and early post-rut phase when bull activity is winding down but animals are still shifting off summer patterns. Any weapon is allowed and either antlered or antlerless elk are legal, giving drawn hunters the most flexibility of the controlled hunts. The unit's rolling to moderately steep terrain and mix of timber and sagebrush at higher elevations offer good country to work with a rifle or muzzleloader, and hunters can also work the edges of the recent Tartar fire, still in its first year, where animals may be passing through toward unburned pockets. This hunt draws at very long odds for residents, so it is a hunt to plan for rather than count on.
Controlled hunt 31 · Any weapon · October 15 – October 31
Running October 15 through October 31, this controlled hunt covers the tail of the late rut and early post-rut phase into the post-rut recovery phase, when bulls have settled down from the rut's peak activity. Only antlered bulls are legal here, so hunters need to focus effort on bull sign and bull-holding cover rather than general elk activity. The unit's higher-elevation timber and sagebrush, along with the older burns like the Keithly and Woodhead fires now five to eight years past fire and grown in thick with brush and deadfall, can hold bulls that are harder to spot but worth the extra work glassing edges and pockets of unburned timber. Long odds face resident applicants in the draw for this hunt.
Controlled hunt 31 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 14
This antlerless-only controlled hunt runs November 1 through November 14, falling in the migration transition phase as elk begin shifting toward winter range, with snowfall accumulating and lows near 28 degrees adding pressure to that movement. Hunters can concentrate on lower-elevation grass and meadow ground and the fringes of cover where migrating cows and calves are likely to funnel through. The cooling weather and thinning cover work in a hunter's favor for spotting animals on the move. This hunt carries good odds for resident applicants, making it one of the more attainable controlled draws tied to Unit 31.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 1,800–7,600 ft, typically around 3,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 30% gentle · 48% moderate · 22% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~300 sq mi
- National forests
- Payette 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
- Grass and meadow50%
- Other cover27%
- Sagebrush23%
Mid elevations
- Grass and meadow56%
- Sagebrush42%
- Conifer2%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush48%
- Conifer29%
- Grass and meadow22%
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 31. 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.
- Tartar fire, 2026 — about 158,000 acres in the unit (41%), mostly on its southwest side.
- Keithly fire, 2018 — about 18,000 acres in the unit (5%), mostly on its east side.
- Mineral fire, 2024 — about 15,000 acres in the unit (4%), mostly on its west side.
- Woodhead fire, 2020 — about 9,300 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its northeast side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 50% of Unit 31 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- BLM23%
- National Forest19%
- Idaho state endowment land6%
- State Wildlife Management Area2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private50%
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 86°F, lows around 55°F
- September — highs around 76°F, lows around 47°F
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 37°F
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 28°F, about 2.8 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 34°F, lows around 21°F, about 11.3 in of snowfall
Unit 31 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 31 over the counter?
Yes. Residents buy a general elk tag for the Brownlee Elk Zone, which covers Unit 31, over the counter with no draw or application required. They choose between the zone's A tag and B tag, each carrying different seasons and legal animals in Unit 31.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag valid in Unit 31?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for the Brownlee Elk Zone's general elk tag, and they must apply for the specific tag, either the A tag or the B tag, at the time of application. The tag is never chosen after the draw; it is selected up front.
How hard is it to draw one of the controlled hunts in Unit 31?
Draw difficulty varies widely by hunt. The October 1 to October 14 any-weapon hunt carries very long odds for residents, the October 15 to October 31 any-weapon hunt carries long odds, and the November 1 to November 14 antlerless hunt carries good odds; there is also a youth-only antlerless hunt in a separate window.
Which elk zone covers Unit 31, and what tags are sold there?
Unit 31 falls within the Brownlee Elk Zone, and general elk tags for the unit are sold as that zone's A tag or B tag. Each tag carries its own season, weapon, and legal-animal rules that apply specifically within Unit 31.
How much of Unit 31 can a hunter count on for public access?
About half the unit, roughly 300 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across Bureau of Land Management, National Forest, Idaho state endowment, and State Wildlife Management Area land. The remaining half is private and requires written permission, and even the endowment parcels can be closed or leased, so access should never be assumed automatic.
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.