Unit 47 Elk Hunting, Idaho

Unit 47 is gentle and rolling country, with mean slope under seven degrees and the overwhelming majority of the ground classed as gentle terrain. At lower elevations sagebrush dominates the cover, with small pockets of grass, meadow, and riparian growth; moving up through the mid elevations, grass and meadow expand into a larger share of the mix; higher up, sagebrush still leads but is joined by scattered timber and aspen. This is foot-and-glass country more than climbing country, where elk have room to move across open flats and low ridges rather than being pinned into steep drainages.

About three-quarters of the unit, roughly 256 of its 346 square miles, is BLM or Idaho state endowment land generally open to public hunting, though state endowment parcels can be closed or leased and should never be assumed open without checking. The remaining quarter is private and requires written permission. That mix of open ground gives a hunter a real base to work with, but finding elk on it still takes legwork given how much of the unit is broad, gently sloped habitat rather than terrain that funnels animals into predictable pinch points.

Elk hunting here runs entirely through controlled hunts rather than a general season; there is no over-the-counter or draw-in-advance general elk tag valid in Unit 47. All three controlled hunts tied to this unit — archery, muzzleloader, and any weapon — carry antlered-only legal animal requirements and are awarded by pure random draw, with no point system of any kind involved and tags going out to first choices before second choices are considered.

Lower elevations

• Sagebrush86%
• Other cover8%
• Grass and meadow5%
• Riparian2%

Mid elevations

• Sagebrush78%
• Grass and meadow18%
• Other cover3%

Higher elevations

• Sagebrush88%
• Grass and meadow8%
• Conifer2%
• Aspen2%

• BLM69%
• Idaho state endowment land5%

• Private26%

Idaho state endowment land is generally open to hunting unless posted closed or leased — check the parcel before planning around it.

Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 47 over the counter?

No. Unit 47 has no general elk season in the data, so elk hunting here is only available through the controlled hunts tied to hunt area 46-1. A resident still needs to apply and be drawn for one of those controlled hunts rather than buying a tag off the shelf.

How do nonresidents get an elk tag that covers Unit 47?

Nonresidents cannot hunt Unit 47 through a general zone tag purchase, since this unit's elk hunting runs through controlled hunts rather than a general season. A nonresident applying for general elk tags elsewhere in the South Hills Elk Zone would need to choose a specific A or B tag at the time of application, but that path does not apply to Unit 47 itself.

How hard is it to draw a controlled elk hunt in Unit 47?

All three controlled hunts here are pure random draws with no points involved. The archery and muzzleloader hunts carry long odds for resident first-choice applicants, while the any weapon hunt carries very long odds.

Which elk zone covers Unit 47?

Unit 47 falls within the South Hills Elk Zone, which also includes Units 46, 54, 55, 56, and 57. That zone framework governs general tags elsewhere in the zone, though Unit 47 itself is hunted only through its controlled hunts.

How much of Unit 47 can a hunter count on for public access?

Roughly 74 percent of the unit, about 256 of its 346 square miles, is BLM or Idaho state endowment land generally open to hunting. The state endowment portion can still be closed or leased on individual parcels, so a hunter should verify status rather than assume every acre is open.