Unit 58 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Beaverhead Elk Zone · 594 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 58 is in the Beaverhead 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.
What hunting Unit 58 is like
Unit 58 spans a wide elevation range, from valley bottoms near 4,800 feet up to peaks over 12,000 feet, and most of the country in between is rolling, with some steeper breaks rather than sheer walls. At lower and mid elevations the ground is dominated by sagebrush, opening into a mix of conifer timber and sagebrush higher up, with small pockets of grass and meadow near the top. Foot travel works across most of the unit, and the higher country holds enough timber to break up sightlines and give elk somewhere to disappear during daylight.
About 89 percent of Unit 58, roughly 531 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across BLM, Salmon-Challis National Forest, Targhee National Forest, Idaho state endowment land, and Wildlife Management Area ground, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should never be assumed open. A small unclassified share and a thin private share round out the rest of the unit; the private acres require written permission before setting foot on them. Designated wilderness within the unit is closed to motorized travel, which matters for anyone planning routes around the controlled hunts.
Elk tags here run through the Beaverhead Elk Zone, shared with Units 30, 30A, 59, and 59A. Residents buy general zone tags over the counter, choosing between the zone's A tag options, while nonresidents enter a random draw in which they apply for a specific tag choice up front rather than picking one after the fact. On top of the general seasons, three controlled hunts open additional opportunity in Unit 58 and neighboring units, each drawn independently and each with its own limited number of tags.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 58 is in the Beaverhead Elk Zone (Units 30, 30A, 58, 59 and 59A); 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 58. 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 Units 58, 59 and 59A | August 1 – August 29 | Antlerless only | Late Summer / Velvet, Pre-Rut Transition |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 30, 30A, 58, 59 and 59A | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Muzzleloader Valid area: Units 30, 30A, 58, 59 and 59A | October 15 – October 31 | Antlerless only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
A tag · Any weapon · August 1 – August 29
Early August finds elk still settled into late-summer patterns, holding in the sagebrush flats and mid-elevation slopes before the pre-rut transition gets underway later in the season. This is an antlerless-only window, so the job is finding cow-calf groups rather than working bulls, and the open, gentle-to-moderate terrain at lower elevations makes it possible to glass sagebrush basins and pattern where animals are watering and feeding. Public ground covers most of the unit, but access still needs to be worked out parcel by parcel given the mix of ownership. A tag filled here is for an antlerless elk only, and still hunting or spot-and-glass tactics across the open sage country tend to produce the best looks.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This is the archery window, and it opens during the tail end of the pre-rut transition before running through rut onset and into the primary rut by month's end. Early on, bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to the same ground they used all summer, which makes sitting water sources or glassing from a vantage and closing the distance on a spot-and-stalk a solid approach. As the season progresses into the peak of the rut, hunters can expect elk activity to shift with breeding behavior, though the terrain itself — a mix of sagebrush and timber pockets at higher elevations — still rewards careful glassing and quiet approaches. Any elk is legal under this tag, giving archers the most flexibility of any season in the unit.
A tag · Muzzleloader · October 15 – October 31
By mid-October the rut has wound down and elk are settling into post-rut recovery, with early-season snow starting to accumulate and nighttime lows dropping into the high 20s. This muzzleloader season is antlerless-only, so the focus is locating cow-calf groups rather than tracking rutting activity, and the light snowfall can help reveal recent travel routes through the sagebrush and timber edges. Elevation bands still holding conifer cover offer thermal protection as temperatures drop, and antlerless groups may be found working the edges between open sage and timber. Covering ground methodically across the unit's public land base, while watching weather-driven movement, is the practical approach for filling this tag.
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 58 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 30-1 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Units 58, 59 and 59A | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 58 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 30 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 58-1 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 30 | Antlered only | Very 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 30-1 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
This short October controlled hunt falls entirely within the late rut and early post-rut window, when bull activity is winding down but antlered animals are still legal and huntable. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies across Units 58, 59, and 59A for this hunt, so vehicle access is restricted and hunters should plan on covering the rolling-to-steep terrain on foot once away from open routes. Early-season snow can begin during this period, which may help with spotting fresh sign in the mixed sagebrush and timber country at higher elevations. Draw odds for Idaho residents on first choice are very long, so this hunt should be treated as a long-shot opportunity rather than a plan to count on.
Controlled hunt 58 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 30
November brings the migration transition, as elk move off summer and early-fall range in response to shortening days and accumulating snow, with monthly snowfall averaging around 5.6 inches and lows near 19°F. This hunt is antlerless-only, so the strategy is intercepting cow-calf groups along their movement corridors between higher timbered ground and lower sagebrush wintering areas, rather than targeting bulls. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies here as well, so hunters should expect to cover ground on foot in the unit's rolling terrain once past restricted routes. Resident draw odds for this hunt are good, making it one of the more attainable controlled tags in Unit 58.
Controlled hunt 58-1 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 30
Like its antlerless counterpart, this November hunt falls during the migration transition, when antlered elk are shifting off higher ground as snow builds toward winter range. Only antlered animals are legal here, and hunters should focus on the same migration corridors between conifer-timbered high country and lower sagebrush basins, since bulls move with the same seasonal pressure driving the herd. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies, limiting vehicle access and putting a premium on foot travel through the unit's mixed terrain. Draw odds for residents on first choice are very long, so this hunt is best approached as a rare opportunity rather than a reliable plan.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–12,200 ft, typically around 7,100 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 53% gentle · 23% moderate · 22% steep · 2% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~531 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
- Sagebrush98%
- Other cover2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush93%
- Conifer5%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush61%
- Conifer36%
- Grass and meadow2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 89% of Unit 58 is public land a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- BLM47%
- National Forest41%
- Idaho state endowment land1%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Unclassified ownership8%
- Private3%
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 29°F, about 1.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 38°F, lows around 19°F, about 5.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 28°F, lows around 11°F, about 10 in of snowfall
Unit 58 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 58 over the counter?
Yes. Residents purchase general elk tags for the Beaverhead Elk Zone, which includes Unit 58, over the counter with no application or draw required. They choose between the zone's A tag options, each with its own season and weapon restriction.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 58?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for general elk tags, and unlike residents they must apply for a specific tag choice — a named zone's A tag, for example — at the time of application. The tag is not chosen after the draw; it is picked as part of the application itself.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 58 to draw?
Draw difficulty varies widely by hunt. Controlled hunt 58 carries good odds for resident first-choice applicants, while Controlled hunt 58-1 and Controlled hunt 30-1 both carry very long odds, since all three are pure random draws with a limited number of tags.
Which elk zone covers Unit 58?
Unit 58 falls within the Beaverhead Elk Zone, which also covers Units 30, 30A, 59, and 59A. General elk tags for the zone are valid across these units according to each tag's specific season and area restrictions.
How much of Unit 58 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 89 percent of the unit, roughly 531 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across BLM, National Forest, state endowment, and Wildlife Management Area land. That said, individual state endowment parcels can be posted closed or under lease, so access should never be assumed guaranteed.
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.