Unit 40 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Owyhee Elk Zone · 2,261 sq mi
Controlled hunts only
Unit 40 has no general elk season for adults in the current data; elk hunting here is by controlled hunt. It also has 4 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds from long odds to very long odds.
What hunting Unit 40 is like
Unit 40 is a big block of rolling ground in the Owyhee country, running from low sagebrush flats up through mid-elevation grass and sagebrush to higher benches carrying sagebrush, timber, and grass. Slopes across the unit are gentle to moderate overall, with only a small share of steep or rugged ground, so most of the hunting here is foot country that rewards glassing and covering distance rather than climbing. A small sliver in the North Fork Owyhee Wilderness sits closed to motorized travel, adding a quieter pocket of country for hunters willing to walk in. Riparian and conifer cover show up only in small pockets at mid and high elevation, so most stalking and spotting happens across open sagebrush and grass.
About three-quarters of Unit 40 is generally open to public hunting, mostly BLM and Idaho state endowment land, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased so that ground is never a sure thing. The remaining quarter is private and requires written permission. Several fires have reshaped parts of the unit in recent years: the Jump fire burned about 18,000 acres on the northwest side in 2024, the Rosie fire burned about 5,600 acres on the south side in 2024, and the Flint fire and Striker fire each burned several thousand acres on the southwest and northeast sides respectively in 2025 and 2026. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading out.
Elk hunting in Unit 40 runs entirely through controlled hunts — there is no general season here. The zone's general tags belong to Units 41 and 42, so anyone wanting to hunt elk in Unit 40 has to draw one of its controlled hunts, each with its own season, weapon, and legal animal.
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 40 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 40-1 · Any weapon Caution: An archery only hunt is open at the same time | September 15 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Primary Rut, Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 40-1 · Archery | September 15 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Primary Rut, Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 40 · Any weapon | October 15 – November 24 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 40-1 · Any weapon | October 15 – November 24 | Antlerless only | Long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, 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 40-1 · Any weapon · September 15 – October 14
This any-weapon hunt opens right in the heart of the rut and runs through the tail end of it, giving hunters a shot at bulls that are still worked up and moving. The open sagebrush and grass across the lower and mid elevations make for good glassing, and the gentle rolling terrain lets hunters cover ground to find animals before closing the distance. Only antlered elk are legal, and hunters need to be aware that an archery-only hunt is running in the same window and same country. Draw odds for residents on this hunt run very long, so it is not a hunt to count on drawing.
Controlled hunt 40-1 · Archery · September 15 – October 14
Archery hunters drawing this tag get the same primary rut and late rut window as the any-weapon hunt, which means bulls are still active and vocal through much of the season. Working the edges of sagebrush flats and the small pockets of timber and riparian cover at mid-elevation gives archers places to set up close, since cover is otherwise thin across most of the unit. Only antlered elk are legal here as well, and the terrain's gentle-to-moderate slopes make for a demanding but walkable hunt on foot. Like its any-weapon counterpart, this tag carries very long odds for resident draw applicants.
Controlled hunt 40 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 24
By the time this any-weapon hunt opens in mid-October, elk are moving out of the rut and into recovery, with animals starting to drift toward migration corridors as the season runs into late November. Hunters can expect elk to be less locked into rut behavior and more focused on feeding, so glassing sagebrush and grass benches at all elevations remains the primary tactic. November brings modest snowfall and cold lows into the unit, which can push elk toward lower ground and concentrate them somewhat. Only antlered elk are legal, and the hunt carries very long odds for resident applicants in the draw.
Controlled hunt 40-1 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 24
This antlerless-only hunt covers the same October-to-late-November window as the any-weapon hunt, spanning the late rut into post-rut recovery and on into the migration transition period. Cow and calf elk during this stretch are shifting out of rut patterns and beginning to move toward wintering ground, so hunters should focus on the open sagebrush and grass country where elk feed and travel between elevation bands. November's modest snowfall and cold lows can help push animals toward lower, more accessible ground as the season progresses. Draw odds for residents on this tag run long, better than the unit's any-weapon controlled hunts but still not something to count on.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 2,200–8,400 ft, typically around 4,500 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 60% gentle · 34% moderate · 6% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~1,705 sq mi
- Designated wilderness
- North Fork Owyhee Wilderness (3%) — 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%
- Grass and meadow25%
- Other cover20%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush54%
- Grass and meadow41%
- Conifer2%
- Riparian2%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush65%
- Conifer22%
- Grass and meadow13%
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 40. 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.
- Jump fire, 2024 — about 18,000 acres in the unit (1%), mostly on its northwest side.
- Flint fire, 2026 — about 6,900 acres in the unit, mostly on its southwest side.
- Striker fire, 2025 — about 5,800 acres in the unit, mostly on its northeast side.
- Rosie fire, 2024 — about 5,600 acres in the unit, mostly on its south side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 75% of Unit 40 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- BLM66%
- Idaho state endowment land10%
- Private25%
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 83°F, lows around 53°F
- September — highs around 74°F, lows around 44°F
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 45°F, lows around 26°F, about 3.1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 37°F, lows around 20°F, about 7.8 in of snowfall
Unit 40 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 40 over the counter?
No. Unit 40 has no general elk season, so residents cannot walk into a shop and buy an over-the-counter tag for it. The only way to hunt elk here is by drawing one of the unit's controlled hunts, which are open to residents and nonresidents alike through the random draw.
How do nonresidents get a tag to hunt elk in Unit 40?
Nonresidents apply for one of Unit 40's controlled hunts through a random draw, since the unit has no general season tag available. There is no point system in Idaho, so every applicant enters the same random draw regardless of how many years they have applied.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 40 to draw?
The any-weapon and archery hunts running September 15 to October 14, along with the any-weapon hunt from October 15 to November 24, all carry very long odds for resident first-choice applicants. The antlerless-only hunt over that same October-to-November window runs long odds, somewhat better than the others but still far from a sure thing.
Which elk zone covers Unit 40?
Unit 40 falls within the Owyhee Elk Zone, which it shares with Units 41 and 42. That zone's general A and B tags have seasons that apply in those other units, but no general elk season is valid in Unit 40 itself.
How much of Unit 40 is public land a hunter can count on?
About seventy-five percent of the unit, roughly 1,705 square miles, is BLM or Idaho state endowment land generally open to public hunting. Endowment parcels can occasionally be posted closed or leased, so that ground is not a guarantee, and the remaining quarter of the unit is private land requiring written permission.
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.