Unit 48 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone · 610 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 48 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 6 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds from good odds to very long odds. The zone's B tag is capped: a limited number, sold first-come, first-served.
What hunting Unit 48 is like
Unit 48 is steep and broken country, running from around 4,800 feet up to nearly 11,700 feet, with almost half the ground classed as steep and only a small sliver rugged. Elevation dictates cover: sagebrush dominates the lower band alongside grass, meadow, and some riparian strips, conifer takes over through the middle elevations mixed with sagebrush, and the highest country is a mix of timber, grass and meadow, and sagebrush. Sawtooth National Forest anchors much of the unit, and its designated wilderness is closed to motorized travel, which keeps the backcountry as foot-and-horseback hunting for anyone willing to work for distance from roads.
About 83 percent of Unit 48, roughly 508 square miles, is National Forest, BLM, or Idaho state endowment land that is generally open to public hunting, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or under lease so that access should never be assumed automatic. The remaining 17 percent is private and requires written permission. The Glendale fire burned about 7,500 acres, roughly 2 percent of the unit, on the southeast side in 2024; this fall that ground sits in the two-to-four-year window after the burn, and hunters working that area should check for current fire closures before heading in.
Elk tags here run through the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone, which also covers Units 43, 44, 45, and 52. Residents buy general elk tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents must apply through a random draw for a specific zone tag — either the A tag or the capped B tag — chosen at the time of application, not after the draw. Beyond the general season, a slate of controlled hunts split the fall calendar by weapon and by antlered or antlerless legal animals, several of which are limited to only part of the unit rather than the whole thing.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 48 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 48. 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
This is the rut-season archery hunt, spanning the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, and Primary Rut phases across late August through September. Early on, bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to their summer haunts, making water sources and glassing points productive for spot-and-stalk work in the sagebrush and timber mix that defines this unit's mid and lower elevations. As the season progresses into the rut, the steep, broken terrain rewards hunters who can cover ground quietly and use the timber for cover while working toward vocal or active elk. This is an any-elk tag valid in Units 43 and 48, bought over the counter by residents or applied for as a specific zone tag by nonresidents.
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 48 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 48-3 · Any weapon Covers only part of this unit | August 1 – August 29 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition |
| Controlled hunt 48 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 48 · Any weapon | October 15 – November 10 | Antlered only | Long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 48-1 · Any weapon Covers only part of this unit | October 15 – November 14 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 48-2 · Any weapon Covers only part of this unit | October 15 – November 14 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 48 · Muzzleloader | November 15 – November 30 | Antlered or antlerless | Good odds | 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 48-3 · Any weapon · August 1 – August 29
Controlled hunt 48-3 is an antlerless-only hunt run during the Late Summer/Velvet and Pre-Rut Transition phases, from the start of August through the end of the month, and it covers only part of the unit rather than the whole area. Cow and calf elk during this stretch are still working the range in the patterns typical of late summer, so hunters should focus on the cover types available at whatever elevation they draw into — sagebrush and grass lower down, conifer and sagebrush through the middle bands. This hunt carries good odds in the resident first-choice draw, and the antlerless-only tag means every animal taken must be a cow or calf. Given the steep and broken ground across much of the unit, scouting access points into the specific hunt area ahead of time pays off.
Controlled hunt 48 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
This short, any-weapon controlled hunt falls entirely in the Late Rut/Early Post-Rut phase, running from October 1 to October 14, and it is an antlered-only tag with very long odds in the resident draw. By this point bulls have moved past the peak breeding activity, and hunters can expect cooler conditions with light snowfall around an inch and lows near 30°F, which can start nudging elk movement. The unit's steep terrain and mixed conifer-sagebrush cover at mid-elevation make for demanding but rewarding hunting for those willing to glass draws and work timber edges. Any elk taken under this tag must be antlered.
Controlled hunt 48 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 10
Covering the Late Rut/Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, and Migration Transition phases from October 15 through November 10, this antlered-only controlled hunt spans a long stretch of shifting elk behavior as animals settle out of the rut and begin drifting toward lower ground. Snowfall builds through the period, from around an inch in October to nearly 13 inches by November with lows dropping to near 20°F, and that weather can push elk out of the high timber and grass-meadow country into more accessible mid-elevation cover. The unit draws at long odds for residents, and the extended season length gives hunters more days to work the steep, broken terrain as conditions change. Only antlered elk are legal under this tag.
Controlled hunt 48-1 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 14
Controlled hunt 48-1 is an antlerless-only hunt covering only part of the unit, running the same long window as the general controlled hunt from October 15 to November 14 and spanning the Late Rut/Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, and Migration Transition phases. Snowfall increases from about an inch in October to nearly 13 inches in November with lows near 20°F, conditions that typically move animals off the highest ground toward the conifer and sagebrush mid-elevations. Hunters chasing cow or calf elk in this specific hunt area should be ready to adjust to elk shifting with the weather rather than relying on early-season locations. The hunt carries good odds in the resident draw, and only antlerless elk may be taken.
Controlled hunt 48-2 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 14
Controlled hunt 48-2 mirrors 48-1 in timing and structure, an antlerless-only hunt covering only part of the unit from October 15 to November 14, spanning the Late Rut/Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, and Migration Transition phases. As snowfall climbs from roughly an inch to nearly 13 inches between October and November and lows drop to near 20°F, cow and calf elk can be expected to move with the changing conditions toward lower, more sheltered cover. Hunters should plan around the steep and broken terrain typical of the unit and be prepared to relocate effort as the season and weather progress. This tag draws at good odds for residents and is restricted to antlerless elk only.
Controlled hunt 48 · Muzzleloader · November 15 – November 30
The muzzleloader hunt runs November 15 through November 30, entirely within the Migration Transition phase, when elk are on the move with the season's heaviest snowfall of the year, around 13 inches, and lows near 20°F pushing animals toward lower elevations and out of the highest timber and meadow country. This late timing and weather can concentrate elk in more predictable travel corridors through the mid and lower elevation bands, rewarding hunters who can get into position along likely movement routes despite the cold. The tag allows either antlered or antlered elk to be taken, giving flexibility that the earlier controlled hunts do not offer. It carries good odds in the resident draw, making it one of the more attainable controlled tags in Unit 48.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–11,700 ft, typically around 7,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 18% gentle · 35% moderate · 45% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~508 sq mi
- National forests
- 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
- Sagebrush67%
- Grass and meadow10%
- Conifer8%
- Other cover8%
- Riparian6%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush47%
- Conifer43%
- Grass and meadow9%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer40%
- Grass and meadow31%
- Sagebrush27%
- Other cover2%
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 48. 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.
- Glendale fire, 2024 — about 7,500 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its southeast side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 83% of Unit 48 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest69%
- BLM12%
- Idaho state endowment land2%
- Private17%
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 74°F, lows around 47°F
- September — highs around 65°F, lows around 40°F
- October — highs around 51°F, lows around 30°F, about 1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 38°F, lows around 20°F, about 12.9 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 30°F, lows around 13°F, about 27.9 in of snowfall
Unit 48 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 48 over the counter?
Yes, residents can buy a general elk tag over the counter for the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone, which covers Unit 48, without applying through any draw. The zone offers an A tag and a capped B tag with different seasons, and the resident simply chooses which one to buy.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 48?
Nonresidents must apply through a random draw for a general elk tag, and unlike residents they apply for a specific tag — either the zone's A tag or its capped B tag — at the time of application. The tag is locked in when applying, not chosen afterward if drawn.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 48 to draw?
Odds vary by hunt: Controlled hunt 48-3, 48-1, 48-2, and the muzzleloader hunt all carry good odds in the resident first-choice draw, while the October 1-14 any-weapon hunt carries very long odds and the October 15-November 10 any-weapon hunt carries long odds. None of these are guaranteed, and Idaho's elk draws use no points system of any kind.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 48?
Unit 48 falls within the Smoky - Bennett Elk Zone, along with Units 43, 44, 45, and 52. General tags are sold by zone rather than by unit, with an A tag and a capped B tag each carrying their own season.
How much of Unit 48 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 83 percent of the unit, roughly 508 square miles, is National Forest, BLM, or Idaho state endowment land generally open to public hunting. The remaining 17 percent is private land requiring 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.