Unit 49 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Pioneer Elk Zone · 795 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 49 is in the Pioneer 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 good odds to very long odds. The zone's B tag is capped: a limited number, sold first-come, first-served.
What hunting Unit 49 is like
Unit 49 covers 795 square miles of mixed country, with substantial steep ground worked in among gentler benches — mean slope runs close to 19 degrees, and elevation climbs from 4,800 feet up to 12,000 feet at its highest points. Lower and mid elevations lean heavily to sagebrush with grass and meadow openings, while higher country shifts toward conifer timber mixed with sagebrush and grass. Much of the unit is foot country, and pockets of designated wilderness are closed to motorized travel, so getting into the steeper, more remote ground means walking or riding stock in.
About 65 percent of the unit — roughly 517 square miles — is generally open to public hunting, spread across Salmon-Challis National Forest, Sawtooth National Forest, BLM, Idaho state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area. That's a dependable base to plan around, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and are only generally open, not guaranteed. About a third of the unit is private land requiring written permission, and a small unclassified slice rounds out the rest. The Sharps fire burned around 65,000 acres through the middle of the unit in 2018; this fall places it five to eight years out, a stretch when burns are still productive but have grown thick with brush and saplings that hide animals well, and increasing deadfall from tipped-over burned timber — hunters working that ground should expect slower, noisier travel, and should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags in Unit 49 are sold through the Pioneer Elk Zone, shared with Units 36A and 50. Residents buy general zone tags over the counter with no draw required. Nonresidents enter a random draw for a specific zone tag — either the A tag or the B tag — chosen at the time of application, not afterward. The zone's B tag is capped, sold first-come, first-served until the limited supply runs out. Alongside the general zone tags, Unit 49 also has its own controlled hunts, drawn separately by pure random chance with no points involved.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 49 is in the Pioneer Elk Zone (Units 36A, 49 and 50); 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 49. 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 36A, 49 and 50 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Muzzleloader Valid area: Units 36A, 49 and 50 | November 1 – November 9 | Antlerless only | Migration Transition |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 36A, 49 and 50 | November 10 – November 30 | Antlerless only | Migration Transition |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Archery season opens right at the tail end of the Pre-Rut Transition and carries hunters through Rut Onset and into the Primary Rut by its close. Early on, bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to the areas where they spent summer, making glassing and spot-and-stalk tactics or sitting water sources a solid approach, especially around sagebrush-grass benches at lower and mid elevations where open sightlines help. As the season progresses into the rut, activity should pick up across the unit's mixed terrain. This is the only general season with any-elk legality, and the archery-only weapon restriction rewards hunters willing to work the steeper, quieter ground away from roads.
A tag · Muzzleloader · November 1 – November 9
By the time the muzzleloader season opens, elk are well into the Migration Transition, shifting off summer range as conditions push them toward lower ground. This tag is antlerless only, so the focus is finding cow-calf groups working sagebrush flats and grass-meadow openings at lower and mid elevations rather than climbing after bulls. November brings real weather into the mix — snowfall averaging around 8 inches and lows near 20°F — which can push animals downslope and make travel on steep terrain slower and more demanding. Sticking to accessible public ground in the lower elevation bands, where cover is more open, gives the best chance of finding elk still moving through.
B tag · Any weapon · November 10 – November 30
The B tag any-weapon season runs through the back half of November, squarely in the Migration Transition, and like the muzzleloader season it's restricted to antlerless elk. Cold and snow are established by this point, averaging around 8 inches for the month with lows near 20°F, and that weather keeps pushing elk toward lower sagebrush and meadow ground where forage is easier to find. Hunters should concentrate effort on the lower and mid-elevation bands rather than fighting deep snow and steep ground higher up. Any legal weapon is allowed, which gives more flexibility for filling a cow or calf tag late in the year.
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 49 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 49 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 49 · Any weapon Youth only | October 10 – October 31 | Antlerless only | Youth only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 49 · Any weapon | October 15 – October 31 | Antlered only | — | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 49 · Muzzleloader | November 1 – November 14 | 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 49 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
This early-October controlled hunt falls in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, when the intensity of September has faded but bulls are still worth working for. It's an any-weapon, antlered-only hunt, and drawing it as a resident first-choice applicant comes with very long odds, so it's not something to count on. Hunters who do draw should expect to work the unit's steep, foot-access country hard, since bulls settling into post-rut patterns can be found across the mixed terrain from sagebrush benches to timbered higher ground.
Controlled hunt 49 · Any weapon · October 15 – October 31
Running from mid to late October, this any-weapon controlled hunt spans the tail of the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase into the Post-Rut Recovery, when rut activity has largely wound down. Antlered elk only are legal, and success likely depends on covering ground methodically across the unit's steep and moderate terrain, since bulls are no longer as vocal or predictable as during the rut. The Sharps fire scar, five to eight years removed from the burn, offers thick brush and increasing deadfall that can hold bulls but makes travel slow. This hunt has no listed resident draw odds attached to it here.
Controlled hunt 49 · Muzzleloader · November 1 – November 14
The muzzleloader controlled hunt opens November 1 and runs into mid-month, placing it fully in the Migration Transition as elk shift toward lower ground ahead of winter. It allows either antlered or antlerless elk, giving drawn hunters flexibility, and resident applicants face good odds in the first-choice draw for this hunt. November snowfall averaging around 8 inches and lows near 20°F should be factored into travel plans, since steep terrain gets harder to move through once snow accumulates. Working the lower and mid-elevation sagebrush and meadow country, where migrating elk tend to funnel, is a reasonable strategy as the season progresses.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–12,000 ft, typically around 6,500 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 26% gentle · 36% moderate · 37% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~517 sq mi
- National forests
- Salmon-Challis 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
- Sagebrush58%
- Other cover20%
- Grass and meadow14%
- Riparian4%
- Conifer4%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush58%
- Conifer21%
- Grass and meadow20%
- Riparian1%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush43%
- Conifer39%
- Grass and meadow17%
- Other cover1%
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 49. 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.
- Sharps fire, 2018 — about 65,000 acres in the unit (13%), toward the middle of the unit.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 65% of Unit 49 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- BLM31%
- National Forest27%
- Idaho state endowment land7%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- National Park Service<1%
- Unclassified ownership2%
- Private33%
Idaho state endowment land is generally open to hunting unless posted closed or leased — check the parcel before planning around it.
Hunting is allowed on some National Park Service land (a national preserve, for example) but not in national monuments or historical parks — check where it is allowed.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 80°F, lows around 46°F
- September — highs around 70°F, lows around 39°F
- October — highs around 56°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.5 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 42°F, lows around 20°F, about 8.2 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 32°F, lows around 13°F, about 18.7 in of snowfall
Unit 49 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 49 over the counter?
Yes. Residents buy a general elk tag for the Pioneer Elk Zone, which covers Unit 49 along with Units 36A and 50, over the counter with no draw or application required. They still choose between the zone's A tag and B tag, which carry different seasons and weapons.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 49?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for a specific Pioneer Elk Zone tag, choosing either the A tag or the B tag at the time they apply. The tag is selected during application, not afterward, and there are no points of any kind involved in Idaho's elk draws.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 49 to draw?
Odds vary widely by hunt. The October 1–14 any-weapon antlered hunt carries very long odds for resident first-choice applicants, while the November 1–14 muzzleloader hunt carries good odds; the October 15–31 any-weapon hunt and the youth antlerless hunt do not have a stated resident draw band here.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 49?
Unit 49 falls in the Pioneer Elk Zone alongside Units 36A and 50. General tags for this zone come in an A tag, valid for archery and muzzleloader seasons, and a capped B tag valid for a November any-weapon antlerless season, with hunters choosing one or the other.
How much of Unit 49 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 65 percent of the unit, roughly 517 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across Salmon-Challis National Forest, Sawtooth National Forest, BLM, Idaho state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area. State endowment parcels are only generally open, since individual tracts can be posted closed or under lease, and about a third of the unit remains 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.