Unit 37 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Lemhi Elk Zone · 703 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 37 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 4 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds from good odds to long odds.
What hunting Unit 37 is like
Unit 37 sits on the Salmon-Challis National Forest, running from valley bottoms near 4,600 feet up to peaks above 12,700 feet, though the typical hunting elevation is closer to 6,800 feet. The terrain is best described as rolling to moderately steep, with about half the ground gentle and roughly a third moderate; only a small share qualifies as truly steep or rugged, so most of the unit is walkable and huntable on foot for a hunter willing to put in the miles. Sagebrush dominates the cover at every elevation band, from the low country up through the mid elevations, with conifer timber becoming a real factor only in the higher country. Any designated wilderness within the unit is closed to motorized travel, which keeps some pockets quieter but also means those areas are foot- or stock-access only.
About 90 percent of Unit 37, roughly 635 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across a mix of BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and a State Wildlife Management Area, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should not be assumed open. The remaining private land, just under 10 percent of the unit, requires written permission before it can be hunted. That leaves a large but not guaranteed base of public ground, with the bulk of hunting pressure and opportunity concentrated on national forest and BLM acres.
Unit 37 falls within the Lemhi Elk Zone alongside Units 29, 37A and 51, and general tags here are sold by zone rather than by unit. Residents buy the zone's A tag over the counter with no draw; nonresidents must apply through a random draw in which they choose a specific zone tag, either the A tag or B tag, at the time they apply rather than after drawing. Beyond the general season, several controlled hunts add additional antlerless and antlered opportunity with their own random-draw odds bands.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 37 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 37. 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 August-through-October window is an antlerless-only opportunity that spans everything from the Late Summer velvet phase through Post-Rut Recovery, so the elk on the ground shift considerably over its span without any of that mattering to tag legality. Cows and calves can be found working the sagebrush-dominated lower and mid elevations, and the rolling-to-moderate terrain across most of the unit makes it practical to still-hunt or glass open sage flats for animals rather than fight steep ground. By October, light snowfall and cooling lows start pushing elk to shift their patterns, which can concentrate antlerless groups in more predictable pockets. Public land access covers most of the unit, but a hunter should not assume every parcel, especially state endowment ground, is open without checking status first.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Archery season opens right at the tail end of the Pre-Rut Transition phase and runs through Rut Onset and into the Primary Rut, making it the best-timed general season for calling and rut activity in Unit 37. In the first week or two, bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to the same country they used through summer, so sitting a water source or glassing open sagebrush slopes for a spot-and-stalk opportunity works well before things heat up. As the rut builds through September, the mix of sagebrush lower down and timbered higher elevations gives a bowhunter options to still-hunt timber edges or work open ground with optics. Any elk is legal under this tag, and the season covers Units 29, 37, 37A and 51.
A tag · Muzzleloader · November 25 – December 9
By the time the muzzleloader season opens in late November, elk have moved well into the Migration Transition phase and are pushing toward the Winter Range phase, with meaningful snow accumulating and lows dropping into the teens and single digits. This is an antlerless-only hunt, and cows and calves are typically shifting out of higher timbered ground toward lower sagebrush benches as snow depth builds through November and December. Cold, snow-covered terrain rewards a hunter willing to glass open lower-elevation sage country where animals concentrate rather than push into deep timber. Access holds up across most of the unit, but deepening snow can make some higher ground harder to reach as the season progresses.
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 37 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 36A-1X · Any weapon Covers only part of this unit; Extra antlerless tag; Portion of Unit only | January 1 – January 31 | Antlerless only | Long odds | — |
| Controlled hunt 37 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 31 | Antlered only | — | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 37 · Any weapon | November 1 – November 20 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 37 · Any weapon Youth only | November 1 – December 31 | Antlerless only | Youth only | Migration Transition, Winter Range |
| Controlled hunt 37 · Any weapon | December 10 – December 31 | Antlerless only | Good odds | 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 36A-1X · Any weapon · January 1 – January 31
This January controlled hunt is an extra antlerless tag valid only in its own portion of Unit 37, not unit-wide, so a drawn hunter needs to confirm the specific area before heading out. It falls well outside the phases tracked for rut timing, landing deep in winter, and the legal animal is antlerless only. Cows and calves at this time of year are typically holding on lower, open ground rather than higher terrain, and the same sagebrush-dominated lower elevations that hold elk in early winter are the places to focus. Resident draw odds for this hunt run long, so it should be treated as a bonus opportunity rather than a primary plan.
Controlled hunt 37 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 31
Running the entire month of October, this controlled hunt covers the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase into Post-Rut Recovery, putting a drawn hunter into the tail end of breeding activity and the settling-down period that follows. Only antlered bulls are legal, and October's modest snowfall with lows near freezing rarely disrupts the hunt outright but can shift late-season movement. Bulls in this window are past the peak rut push and starting to recover, so covering ground through the rolling sagebrush and timber mix and glassing likely pockets pays off better than aggressive calling. This hunt is a random draw with a limited number of tags, and it covers the full unit rather than a portion of it.
Controlled hunt 37 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 20
Opening in November, this antlerless-only controlled hunt lands squarely in the Migration Transition phase, when elk are shifting off summer and early-fall ground toward winter areas. Snowfall picks up through the month with lows dropping into the high teens, conditions that push cows and calves toward lower, more open sagebrush terrain where they are easier to locate and approach. A hunter drawn for this tag should focus effort on lower-elevation flats and benches rather than higher timbered country, since migration is already underway. Resident draw odds for this hunt run fair, making it a realistic option to plan around.
Controlled hunt 37 · Any weapon · December 10 – December 31
Running from mid-December through the end of the month, this antlerless-only controlled hunt falls entirely in the Winter Range phase, when elk have settled onto their wintering ground. Heavy snowfall and lows near the low teens by this point concentrate cows and calves on lower sagebrush elevations, since deeper snow in the higher timber pushes animals down. A hunter should expect to find antlerless elk on open, lower-elevation ground rather than spread through the unit, and travel plans should account for accumulated snow limiting access to some roads and higher terrain. Resident draw odds for this hunt run good, making it one of the more attainable controlled tags in Unit 37.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–12,700 ft, typically around 6,800 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 49% gentle · 33% moderate · 16% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~635 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
- Sagebrush78%
- Other cover18%
- Grass and meadow3%
- Riparian2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush97%
- Other cover1%
- Conifer1%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush76%
- Conifer22%
- Other cover2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 90% of Unit 37 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- BLM49%
- National Forest38%
- Idaho state endowment land3%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Private10%
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 79°F, lows around 46°F
- September — highs around 69°F, lows around 39°F
- October — highs around 55°F, lows around 29°F, about 0.7 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 39°F, lows around 18°F, about 4.5 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 30°F, lows around 10°F, about 9.5 in of snowfall
Unit 37 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 37 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy the Lemhi Elk Zone's A tag over the counter with no draw or application required. The zone covers Units 29, 37, 37A and 51, and Unit 37 falls under that same general tag.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 37?
Nonresidents obtain a general elk tag through a random draw rather than an over-the-counter purchase. When applying, the hunter selects a specific zone tag, either the Lemhi Zone's A tag or B tag, and that choice is locked in at application, not after the draw is complete.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 37 to draw?
Draw difficulty varies by hunt. Controlled hunt 36A-1X runs long odds for residents, Controlled hunt 37's November antlerless season runs fair odds, and its December antlerless season runs good odds; the October antlered hunt is also a limited random draw.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 37?
Unit 37 is part of the Lemhi Elk Zone, along with Units 29, 37A and 51. The zone's A tag and B tag carry different seasons and weapons, and a hunter chooses one when applying or purchasing.
How much of Unit 37 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 90 percent of the unit, roughly 635 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and a State Wildlife Management Area. The remaining private land, just under 10 percent, 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.