Unit 55 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · South Hills Elk Zone · 1,014 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 55 is in the South Hills 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 55 is like
Unit 55 sits mostly in rolling country, with some steeper breaks rather than true rugged ground — the numbers show gentle to moderate slopes across the great majority of the unit, with only a small share qualifying as steep. Elevations run from around 4,100 feet up to 10,300 feet, with most of the hunting happening around 5,500 feet. Cover at mid elevations is dominated by sagebrush with pockets of grass and meadow, while higher up conifer timber and some aspen mix into the sagebrush base, giving elk both open feeding ground and timbered cover to retreat into. Much of the unit falls within the Sawtooth National Forest, and hunters willing to get off roads on foot will find the terrain manageable compared to steeper Idaho units.
About 51 percent of Unit 55 is generally open to public hunting through a mix of BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and a State Wildlife Management Area, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased, so that ground isn't a sure thing. A small sliver, under 2 percent, falls under National Park Service management, and hunters need to confirm where hunting is actually permitted there rather than assume access. Private land makes up close to 47 percent of the unit, and written permission is required before stepping onto it, meaning public ground carries real weight in planning any hunt here.
Elk tags in Unit 55 run through the South Hills Elk Zone, shared with Units 46, 47, 54, 56 and 57. Residents can buy a general elk tag over the counter with no draw involved, while nonresidents must apply through a random draw for the zone's A tag or B tag specifically — the choice of tag is made at the time of applying, not after the draw. The zone's B tag is capped and sold first-come, first-served once the draw period passes, so it can sell out. Beyond the general season, three controlled hunts offer additional opportunity in Unit 55, each drawn independently and each with its own antlerless or antlered restriction and its own odds.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 55 is in the South Hills Elk Zone (Units 46, 47, 54, 55, 56 and 57); 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 55. 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 55, 56 and 57 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This archery season opens as bulls are finishing the Pre-Rut Transition and pushes through Rut Onset into the heart of the Primary Rut, making it the one general season here that lines up with the rut. Early on, bulls are stripping velvet and still holding near summer ground, so sitting water sources or glassing sagebrush flats and timber edges for a spot-and-stalk look pays off. As the season progresses into peak rut, activity picks up across the unit's rolling terrain. This is an any-elk tag, open to residents over the counter or nonresidents who applied for the A tag specifically, and it's valid across Units 55, 56 and 57.
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 55 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 55-2 · Any weapon | August 1 – August 29 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition |
| Controlled hunt 55-1 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 31 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 55-2 · Muzzleloader | November 1 – November 14 | Antlered only | Long 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 55-2 · Any weapon · August 1 – August 29
This early-season controlled hunt falls across the Late Summer and Pre-Rut Transition phases, well before any rut activity begins, and it's for antlerless elk only. Hunters should focus on locating cow and calf groups using the sagebrush-dominated mid elevations, where grass and meadow openings offer feeding ground, or push into the higher country where conifer timber gives elk shade and cover during the tail end of summer. The unit's mostly gentle to moderate slopes make it reasonable to cover ground on foot while searching these open sagebrush and grass areas for elk. Drawn hunters in Controlled hunt 55-2 face good resident draw odds for this any-weapon, antlerless-only tag, but success still depends on finding elk before pressure builds from other hunts starting later in the fall.
Controlled hunt 55-1 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 31
By October, elk have moved through the Late Rut and into Post-Rut Recovery, meaning bulls are past the peak breeding activity but still recovering and reorienting to fall patterns. Hunting antlered-only under Controlled hunt 55-1 means covering the sagebrush flats and timber pockets at higher elevations where bulls may be regrouping after the rut's demands, using the unit's rolling terrain to glass and still-hunt without the steep obstacles found in more rugged units. This any-weapon hunt draws at very long odds for residents, so hunters fortunate enough to pull the tag should expect a full month to work the unit methodically. Sawtooth National Forest ground offers a reliable public base for this effort given the private land scattered through the lower elevations.
Controlled hunt 55-2 · Muzzleloader · November 1 – November 14
Running into mid-November, this muzzleloader hunt falls during the Migration Transition phase, when elk are shifting off summer and early-fall ranges toward lower ground as conditions change. Snowfall averages a little over an inch and a half for the month with lows near 26°F, enough to start nudging elk movement without locking up access. Hunters chasing antlered elk under Controlled hunt 55-2 should watch transition routes between higher timbered elevations and the sagebrush-grass ground below, since animals are actively relocating rather than holding to summer patterns. This hunt draws at long odds for residents and runs a shorter two-week window, so success depends on being positioned along likely movement corridors early.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,100–10,300 ft, typically around 5,500 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 65% gentle · 28% moderate · 6% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~516 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
- Other cover61%
- Sagebrush22%
- Grass and meadow17%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush74%
- Grass and meadow13%
- Other cover12%
- Conifer1%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush73%
- Conifer17%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Aspen2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 51% of Unit 55 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- BLM35%
- National Forest12%
- Idaho state endowment land4%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- National Park Service2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private47%
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 86°F, lows around 55°F
- September — highs around 75°F, lows around 46°F
- October — highs around 61°F, lows around 36°F
- November — highs around 46°F, lows around 26°F, about 1.7 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 36°F, lows around 19°F, about 5 in of snowfall
Unit 55 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 55 over the counter?
Yes, residents can purchase a general elk tag for the South Hills Elk Zone, which covers Unit 55, without going through any draw or application process. This applies to the zone's A tag; the B tag is capped and sold first-come, first-served once available. No points or prior application are required for residents.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 55?
Nonresidents must enter a random draw and apply for a specific tag — either the South Hills Elk Zone's A tag or its B tag — at the time they submit their application. The tag choice is locked in when applying, not selected afterward once drawn. There is no option to enter the draw generally and choose a season later.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 55 to draw?
Draw difficulty varies significantly by hunt. Controlled hunt 55-2's August any-weapon antlerless season carries good resident draw odds, its November muzzleloader hunt carries long odds, and Controlled hunt 55-1's October any-weapon antlered hunt carries very long odds. All are pure random draws with a limited number of tags and no points system involved.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 55?
Unit 55 falls within the South Hills Elk Zone, which also includes Units 46, 47, 54, 56 and 57. The zone offers an A tag and a B tag with different seasons and weapons, and a hunter selects one or the other. Beyond the zone tags, three separate controlled hunts add further antlerless and antlered opportunities specific to Unit 55.
How much of Unit 55 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 51 percent of the unit, roughly 516 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and a State Wildlife Management Area. Endowment parcels can be closed or leased, so hunters should verify status rather than assume every acre is accessible. The remaining ground is split between a small share of National Park Service land, where hunting is only allowed in certain areas, and private land making up close to 47 percent that requires 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.