Unit 43 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone · 700 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 43 is in the Smoky - Bennett 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 long odds to very long odds. The zone's B tag is capped: a limited number, sold first-come, first-served.
What hunting Unit 43 is like
Unit 43 sits in steep and broken country, with roughly half the ground classed as steep and slopes averaging over 24 degrees. Elevations run from around 4,200 feet up to 10,400 feet, and the elk range across a lower band of sagebrush and conifer mixed with grass and meadow and some riparian pockets, up through mid-elevation sagebrush and conifer, into high country dominated by conifer and open grass and meadow. Public land in the Boise National Forest and Sawtooth National Forest anchors most of the hunting, and this is largely foot country, where covering ground and glassing pays off given the mix of open slopes and timber.
About 97 percent of the unit, roughly 679 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should not be assumed open. Private land accounts for only about 2.5 percent of the unit and requires written permission. The Ross Fork fire burned about 7,900 acres, roughly 2 percent of the unit, on the northeast side in 2022; this fall it falls two to four years out from that burn, a window when the open ground it created can be some of the better hunting in the unit. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags in this unit are sold through the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone, shared with Units 44, 45, 48 and 52. Residents buy the zone's general tags over the counter, while nonresidents enter a random draw in which they apply for a specific zone tag, either the A tag or the B tag, chosen at the time of application. The zone's B tag is capped, sold first-come, first-served until it sells out. Beyond the general season, three controlled hunts cover Unit 43 and Unit 43-1, each a pure random draw with a limited number of tags and no points system involved.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 43 is in the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone (Units 43, 44, 45, 48 and 52); 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 43. 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 43, 48 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
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 only general elk season here that falls inside the rut. Early on, bulls are still finishing up stripping velvet and tend to hold close to where they spent the summer, so sitting water sources or glassing the sagebrush and grass openings for a spot-and-stalk works well before the rut fully kicks in. As the season progresses into Rut Onset and Primary Rut, hunters can expect more movement across the steep, broken terrain, with the mix of conifer timber and open slopes giving both cover and visibility. This tag is valid for any elk and covers both Unit 43 and Unit 48, with archers on foot best suited to the terrain here.
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 43 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 43 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 43 · Any weapon | October 15 – November 10 | Antlered only | Long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 43-1 · Any weapon Covers only part of this unit | October 15 – November 10 | 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 43 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
This short two-week hunt falls in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, when the rut is winding down and animals begin settling into more predictable patterns after weeks of breeding activity. October brings only light snowfall and lows near freezing, not enough to force any real movement, so hunters should expect to still work the timber and open slopes on foot much as they would earlier in the fall. This is an antlered-only hunt drawn through a pure random draw with very long odds for residents on the first choice, so it is a limited-tag opportunity in steep, broken country. The Ross Fork burn, two to four years removed from fire, is worth a look for the early morning and evening feeding it can concentrate.
Controlled hunt 43 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 10
Spanning Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, and into the Migration Transition phase, this longer hunt covers the widest range of elk behavior of any Unit 43 season. Early on it resembles the shorter October hunt, but as it stretches into late October and through the first days of November, snowfall picks up substantially and lows drop into the low 20s, and animals moving into the Migration Transition phase can begin shifting off summer range, so hunters willing to adjust as the weather changes may find elk relocating within the unit's steep terrain. The Ross Fork burn remains productive ground two to four years after fire, offering easier glassing and better feed than the surrounding timber. This is an antlered-only tag with long odds for residents in the initial draw.
Controlled hunt 43-1 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 10
This antlerless hunt runs the same dates as the antlered any-weapon hunt and covers only part of Unit 43, so hunters should confirm they are within its boundary before setting out. It spans the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, and Migration Transition phases, and by its later weeks snowfall increases notably with colder lows, which can push animals to shift within the unit's steep, broken terrain and timber. Hunters carrying this antlerless tag should focus on accessible ground within the hunt area, using the mix of conifer, sagebrush, and grass and meadow cover to locate elk as they move with the season. The draw for this tag carries long odds for residents on the first choice.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,200–10,400 ft, typically around 6,900 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 9% gentle · 39% moderate · 51% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~679 sq mi
- National forests
- Boise 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
- Sagebrush46%
- Conifer35%
- Grass and meadow15%
- Riparian2%
- Other cover2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush49%
- Conifer44%
- Grass and meadow7%
Higher elevations
- Conifer44%
- Grass and meadow32%
- Sagebrush24%
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 43. 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.
- Ross Fork fire, 2022 — about 7,900 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its northeast side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 97% of Unit 43 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest95%
- BLM1%
- Idaho state endowment land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private3%
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 78°F, lows around 47°F
- September — highs around 68°F, lows around 40°F
- October — highs around 54°F, lows around 30°F, about 1.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 21°F, about 11.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 32°F, lows around 14°F, about 28.1 in of snowfall
Unit 43 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 43 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy a general elk tag for the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone, which covers Unit 43, over the counter with no draw or application required. They still choose between the zone's A tag and B tag, each with its own season.
How do nonresidents get a general tag for this unit?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone's general tags rather than buying over the counter. When applying, they select a specific tag, either the zone's A tag or its B tag, since the tag is chosen at the time of application and not afterward.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 43 to draw?
All three controlled hunts here are pure random draws with a limited number of tags and no points involved. Resident first-choice odds are very long odds for the October 1-14 antlered hunt, and long odds for both the October 15-November 10 antlered hunt and the October 15-November 10 antlerless hunt in Unit 43-1.
Which elk zone covers Unit 43?
Unit 43 falls in the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone, which it shares with Units 44, 45, 48 and 52. General elk tags are sold by zone rather than by individual unit, with separate A and B tag seasons.
How much of Unit 43 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 97 percent of the unit, roughly 679 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land. That is not a guarantee of easy access everywhere, since endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased, and the remaining 2.5 percent 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.