Unit 51 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Lemhi Elk Zone · 945 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 51 is in the Lemhi 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 fair odds to very long odds.
What hunting Unit 51 is like
Unit 51 spans a wide elevation range, from valley floors near 4,800 feet up to peaks above 12,000 feet, and the country in between is mixed, with substantial steep ground breaking up the more rolling terrain. At lower and mid elevations sagebrush dominates the cover, with conifer becoming a bigger part of the mix higher up, giving elk places to disappear into timber once pressure builds. Much of the hunting here is foot country, and the mean slope across the unit means a hunter should expect real elevation gain and loss on almost any route, not just in the high peaks. Portions of the Salmon-Challis and Targhee National Forests fall within the unit, and any designated wilderness inside those boundaries is closed to motorized travel, which keeps some of the roughest ground quiet.
About 92 percent of Unit 51 is generally open to public hunting, a mix of BLM, National Forest, and Idaho state endowment land, which gives a hunter a large base to work with — though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased, so that access should never be assumed automatic. Private land makes up roughly 8 percent of the unit and requires written permission before stepping onto it. The scale of public ground here is real, but the steep, timbered high country and gentler sage flats lower down both come with their own access and effort tradeoffs.
Unit 51 sits in the Lemhi Elk Zone alongside Units 29, 37, and 37A, and general season hunters choose between the zone's A tag and B tag, each running on its own dates and weapon rules. Controlled hunts here layer in additional opportunity on top of the general seasons, spreading harvest across summer, fall, and winter windows with different weapons and legal-animal rules for each.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 51 is in the Lemhi Elk Zone (Units 29, 37, 37A and 51); 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 51. Residents buy the tag over the counter; nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Portion of Unit 51 | August 1 – August 29 | Antlerless only | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 29, 37, 37A and 51 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Muzzleloader Valid area: Units 29, 37, 37A and 51 | November 25 – December 9 | Antlerless only | Migration Transition, Winter Range |
A tag · Any weapon · August 1 – August 29
This early season falls across the Late Summer/Velvet phase and the Pre-Rut Transition phase, and it's built for a hunter carrying an antlerless tag rather than one hunting bulls. Cover at this time of year runs heavy to sagebrush at the lower elevations where this season is valid, with pockets of grass and meadow breaking it up, so glassing open sage slopes for groups of cows and calves is the practical approach. The mean slope across the unit means even the gentler lower ground has real relief to it, so plan routes with that climbing in mind. This is an any-weapon season, but the tag is antlerless only, so every animal taken must be a cow or calf.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This is the archery window, and it runs long enough to cover the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, and Primary Rut phases, making it the season with the most changing elk behavior. In the first week or two, bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to the same ground they used all summer, so sitting water sources or glassing sage and timber edges for a stalk can pay off before the rut really turns on. As the season moves into rut onset and primary rut, cover shifts from lower-elevation sagebrush toward the conifer that becomes more common at higher elevations, and hunters willing to work into that mixed, steep terrain have more country to search. Any elk is legal here, making this the season where a hunter can fill either a bull or cow tag with archery gear.
A tag · Muzzleloader · November 25 – December 9
By the time this muzzleloader season opens, elk are in the Migration Transition phase and moving into Winter Range, and the hunt is antlerless only. Snowfall picks up through November and into December, with December bringing notably more snow and colder lows, both of which push elk out of the highest conifer and toward lower sagebrush benches where feed is easier to reach. A hunter after a cow or calf should focus effort on those lower-elevation transition areas and be ready to adjust as the weather deepens through the season. Access on foot gets tougher as snow accumulates, so routes should be planned for the conditions rather than the terrain alone.
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 51 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 51-1X · Any weapon Extra antlerless tag | January 1 – February 15 | Antlerless only | Long odds | — |
| Controlled hunt 51-1 · Any weapon Outside the National Forest System Boundary on or within 1 mile of private irrigated agricultural lands | August 1 – August 29 | Antlered or antlerless | Long odds | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition |
| Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | October 16 – November 5 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 30 | Antlered only | Long odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon | December 10 – December 31 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Winter Range |
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 51-1X · Any weapon · January 1 – February 15
This late-winter controlled hunt runs into February with no named phase attached to it, and it's built for an antlerless tag only. By this point in the calendar elk have long since settled onto winter range, and a hunter should expect to find them concentrated on lower-elevation sagebrush ground rather than scattered through the high country. Cold conditions and accumulated snow make travel slower, so sticking to accessible lower ground and being patient with glassing is the more realistic strategy than pushing into the steeper terrain. Hunt 51-1X draws at long odds for residents, so it's a bonus opportunity rather than a primary plan.
Controlled hunt 51-1 · Any weapon · August 1 – August 29
Covering the same Late Summer/Velvet and Pre-Rut Transition phases as the early general season, this controlled hunt is valid only outside the National Forest System boundary, on or within a mile of private irrigated agricultural land, and it allows either an antlered or antlerless animal. Early on, bulls are still in velvet and holding near their summer range, and the same water-sitting and glassing tactics that work elsewhere in this window apply here too, adapted to the edge habitat near agricultural ground. Because the valid area is narrow and tied to private irrigated land, a hunter needs written permission to access most of it. Hunt 51-1 draws at long odds for residents.
Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
This early-fall hunt falls in the Late Rut/Early Post-Rut phase and is limited to antlered elk. Light October snowfall generally won't change strategy much, but the motorized hunting rule applies here, so mechanized travel is restricted and a hunter should plan on covering ground on foot through the unit's mixed terrain, including the steeper pockets where bulls may be holding after the rut winds down. Working the transition zones where conifer cover meets open sagebrush can be productive as bulls settle back into more normal patterns. Hunt 51 for this window draws at very long odds for residents, making it a tough one to count on.
Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon · October 16 – November 5
By the time this hunt opens, elk are easing out of the rut and into the Post-Rut Recovery phase before shifting into Migration Transition, and the tag is antlerless only. October's light snow gives way to accumulating November snowfall, and colder lows through the period start nudging elk out of higher conifer toward lower sagebrush country. The motorized hunting rule applies, so travel is on foot or by non-motorized means, which matters given the mixed and often steep ground here. Hunt 51 for this window draws at fair odds for residents, making it one of the more attainable controlled tags in the unit.
Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 30
Running through the Migration Transition phase, this hunt targets antlered elk as they begin shifting off summer and fall range. November's snowfall and colder lows start pushing animals toward lower elevations, and the motorized hunting rule applies, so a hunter should expect to cover the unit's mixed and steep terrain on foot or by non-motorized travel. Working the edges where sagebrush gives way to conifer can put a hunter in the path of elk on the move. Hunt 51 for this window draws at long odds for residents.
Controlled hunt 51 · Any weapon · December 10 – December 31
This late-season hunt falls entirely within the Winter Range phase, when elk have settled into their winter pattern, and the tag is antlerless only. December brings the heaviest snowfall of the seasons listed here along with the coldest lows, concentrating elk on lower-elevation sagebrush ground where feed is more accessible. A hunter should expect deep-winter travel conditions and focus effort on those lower benches rather than the high country. Hunt 51 for this window draws at fair odds for residents, giving it reasonably good odds relative to the unit's other controlled hunts.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–12,200 ft, typically around 7,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 47% gentle · 27% moderate · 24% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~865 sq mi
- National forests
- Salmon-Challis National Forest and Targhee 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
- Sagebrush84%
- Other cover13%
- Grass and meadow3%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush82%
- Conifer16%
- Grass and meadow2%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush60%
- Conifer38%
- Grass and meadow1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 92% of Unit 51 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest and Idaho state endowment land.
- BLM45%
- National Forest45%
- Idaho state endowment land2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private8%
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 77°F, lows around 47°F
- September — highs around 67°F, lows around 39°F
- October — highs around 52°F, lows around 28°F, about 0.4 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 38°F, lows around 18°F, about 3.3 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 28°F, lows around 10°F, about 8 in of snowfall
Unit 51 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 51 over the counter?
Yes. Residents buy general elk tags over the counter without applying or waiting on a draw. The tag purchased is a Lemhi Elk Zone A tag or B tag, and Unit 51 is covered by the zone's A tag seasons listed for this unit.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 51?
Nonresident general elk tags are allocated through a random draw, and the applicant must apply for a specific tag — in this case a Lemhi Elk Zone A tag or B tag — at the time of applying. The tag cannot be chosen after the draw results come out, so a nonresident should decide on the A tag or B tag season before submitting an application.
How hard is it to draw one of the controlled hunts in Unit 51?
Draw difficulty varies a lot by hunt. Hunt 51-1X and one version of Hunt 51 draw at long odds for residents, the October 1–14 antlered hunt draws at very long odds, and the October 16–November 5 and December 10–31 antlerless hunts draw at fair odds for residents.
Which elk zone covers Unit 51?
Unit 51 is part of the Lemhi Elk Zone, which also includes Units 29, 37, and 37A. General season tags for the zone are sold as an A tag or a B tag, each with its own season dates, and only the windows valid in Unit 51 apply to hunters here.
Which Unit 51 elk season falls during the rut?
The A tag archery season, running August 30 through September 30, is the one general or controlled season here that falls during the rut, spanning the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases. Every other season listed for Unit 51, including the muzzleloader and controlled hunts, falls outside that window.
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.