Unit 36B Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Salmon Elk Zone · 586 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 36B is in the Salmon Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. It also has 1 controlled hunt, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds good odds. The zone's B tag is capped: a limited number, sold first-come, first-served.
What hunting Unit 36B is like
Unit 36B sits within the Salmon-Challis National Forest and the Sawtooth National Forest, country that runs from sagebrush flats at the lower elevations up through timbered mid and high country topping out near 10,400 feet. Terrain here is mixed, with substantial steep ground: gentle and moderate slopes cover roughly two-thirds of the unit, but a hunter should expect steep pitches often enough that this is foot-and-legs country, not a drive-and-glass unit. Lower elevations lean heavily to sagebrush with pockets of conifer and riparian draws, while the mid and higher country is dominated by timber mixed with sagebrush and open grass and meadow pockets, giving elk plenty of places to disappear.
About 93 percent of the unit is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land, which is the figure a hunter can actually count on, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should never be assumed open without checking. The remaining roughly 7 percent is private and requires written permission. The Rabbit Foot fire burned about 9,400 acres on the unit's north side in 2018, and this fall that ground sits five to eight years post-fire, meaning it has grown back thick with brush and saplings tall enough to hide animals, along with a build-up of deadfall from tipped-over burned timber. Hunters working that ground should expect slower, noisier travel and should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags here are sold by the Salmon Elk Zone, which also covers Units 21, 21A and 28; residents buy an A or B tag over the counter, while nonresidents apply for a specific A or B tag through a random draw at the time of application, never choosing afterward. The B tag is capped, with a limited number sold first-come, first-served. A controlled antlerless hunt, 36B-1, adds a late-season option in part of the unit outside the National Forest boundary.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 36B is in the Salmon Elk Zone (Units 21, 21A, 28 and 36B); 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 36B. 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 21, 21A, 36B | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 21, 21A, 28 and 36B | October 15 – November 8 | Antlered only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Archery season opens as bulls are finishing the Pre-Rut Transition and pushing into Rut Onset and then Primary Rut by the back half of the month. Early on, bulls are stripping velvet and still hanging near where they spent the summer, so sitting water sources or glassing open sagebrush and meadow pockets for a spot-and-stalk works well before things heat up. The A tag is valid in Units 21, 21A and 36B, is archery-only, and allows any elk, giving a hunter the widest legal choice of animal of any season here. As the rut phases progress through the month, covering ground through the timbered mid and higher elevations pays off as bulls become more vocal and active.
B tag · Any weapon · October 15 – November 8
By the time the B tag opens, elk have moved past the peak rut and into Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, sliding into Post-Rut Recovery and then the Migration Transition phase as the season closes in early November. This is any-weapon hunting for antlered elk only, valid across Units 21, 21A, 28 and 36B, and it rewards covering the mixed terrain methodically since animals are no longer as concentrated or predictable as during the rut. Snowfall picks up through October and into November, with lows dropping toward the high teens by the season's end, and accumulating snow can push elk to start shifting toward lower ground as the migration phase sets in. Hunters willing to work the steeper, timbered country and the burn edges from the Rabbit Foot fire, where thick regrowth offers cover, can find elk that have pulled off more open ground.
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 36B is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 36B-1 · Any weapon Covers only part of this unit; Portion of Unit only; Outside the National Forest Boundary | November 1 – December 31 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Migration Transition, Winter Range |
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 36B-1 · Any weapon · November 1 – December 31
Controlled hunt 36B-1 runs deep into the Migration Transition phase and on through the Winter Range phase, as elk settle into their late-season pattern outside the National Forest boundary in the portion of the unit where this hunt is valid. This is an antlerless-only, any-weapon season aimed at cow and calf elk, and it carries good odds in the resident first-choice draw. Snowfall builds steadily across November and December, with lows falling into the single digits by December, and that weather is what pushes elk down onto lower, more open ground during this stretch. A hunter focusing on sagebrush flats and lower-elevation cover in the open portion of the unit, working the terrain as snow accumulates, stands the best chance of connecting during this late window.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,700–10,400 ft, typically around 7,300 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 16% gentle · 48% moderate · 34% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~543 sq mi
- National forests
- Salmon-Challis National Forest and Sawtooth 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
- Sagebrush75%
- Conifer11%
- Other cover7%
- Grass and meadow5%
- Riparian2%
Mid elevations
- Conifer56%
- Sagebrush35%
- Grass and meadow8%
Higher elevations
- Conifer58%
- Sagebrush24%
- Grass and meadow18%
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 36B. 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.
- Rabbit Foot fire, 2018 — about 9,400 acres in the unit (3%), mostly on its north side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 93% of Unit 36B is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest61%
- BLM31%
- Idaho state endowment land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private7%
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 75°F, lows around 44°F
- September — highs around 65°F, lows around 37°F
- October — highs around 51°F, lows around 27°F, about 2.1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 37°F, lows around 18°F, about 9.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 28°F, lows around 10°F, about 17.4 in of snowfall
Unit 36B elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 36B over the counter?
Yes. Residents buy a general Salmon Elk Zone A or B tag over the counter without applying or drawing. The choice between the archery A tag and the any-weapon B tag simply depends on which season and weapon a hunter prefers.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for this unit?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for a general tag, and they must apply for a specific tag, either the Salmon Elk Zone A tag or B tag, at the time of application. The tag is chosen when applying, not after the draw results are known.
How hard is it to draw Controlled hunt 36B-1?
Controlled hunt 36B-1 is a pure random draw with a limited number of antlerless tags, and its resident first-choice odds are Good. Nothing is guaranteed, but that band reflects a comparatively favorable draw for residents applying first choice.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 36B?
Unit 36B falls in the Salmon Elk Zone along with Units 21, 21A and 28. The zone offers an A tag (archery, any elk) and a B tag (any weapon, antlered only, capped), each with its own season and valid area.
How much of Unit 36B is public land a hunter can count on?
About 93 percent of the unit, roughly 543 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land. The remaining share is private and requires written permission to access.
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.