Unit 59A Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Beaverhead Elk Zone · 403 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 59A 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 fair odds to very long odds.
What hunting Unit 59A is like
Unit 59A sits within the Targhee National Forest, ground that runs from broad, gentle basins up into steeper breaks as elevation climbs. Most of the country is rolling, with some steeper breaks rather than truly rugged ground, which keeps foot travel realistic across much of the unit. Lower elevations lean heavily to grass and meadow with sagebrush mixed in, mid elevations are dominated by sagebrush with a bit of grass and a small amount of timber, and the higher country carries the most timber alongside sagebrush and some grass and meadow. Elk have room to move between open feed and cover as the seasons change, and hunters willing to work the elevation bands on foot can find that movement useful.
About 84 percent of the unit, roughly 340 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM, and Idaho state endowment land, though endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should be treated as a maybe rather than a given. The remaining share, around 15 percent, is private and requires written permission before it can be hunted. That mix means a hunter can plan around a large, dependable public base, but should still expect some boundary-checking and some ground that stays off-limits without prior arrangement.
Unit 59A belongs to the Beaverhead Elk Zone, along with Units 30, 30A, 58, and 59, and general elk tags are sold by that zone rather than by unit. Residents buy general elk tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents go through a random draw in which they apply for a specific zone tag, either the A tag or the B tag, choosing at the time of application rather than after the draw. The zone's A tag carries an any-weapon antlerless-only season, an archery any-elk season that lands in the rut, and a muzzleloader antlerless-only season, and on top of that three controlled hunts offer additional antlered or antlerless opportunity with their own random-draw odds.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 59A 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 59A. 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
This early-season antlerless hunt opens while elk are still finishing up in velvet and easing into the pre-rut transition, before any rut activity begins. The tag is antlerless only, so the focus is finding cow and calf groups rather than chasing bulls, and the lower-elevation grass and meadow flats mixed with sagebrush are a sensible place to start since that cover dominates the lower band. Working the edges between open grass and sagebrush on foot, and covering ground across the generally open public land, gives an antlerless hunter the best shot at connecting before conditions change later in the season.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
The archery season is the one that lines up with the rut, running through the tail of the pre-rut transition into rut onset and the full primary rut. In the first week or two, bulls are shedding velvet and haven't strayed far from their summer haunts, so sitting water sources or glassing open sagebrush country for a stalk can pay off before the rut fully takes hold. As the season moves deeper into rut onset and primary rut, hunters can expect elk activity to shift with the breeding behavior typical of those phases, and the mix of sagebrush, grass, and pockets of timber across elevation bands gives both spot-and-stalk and still-hunting approaches room to work. Any elk is legal under this tag, which adds flexibility compared to the antlerless-only seasons bracketing it.
A tag · Muzzleloader · October 15 – October 31
By muzzleloader season the rut has passed its peak, spanning the late rut and early post-rut phase before sliding into post-rut recovery, and this tag is antlerless only. Cooler temperatures and light snowfall start to show up in October, which can nudge animals off the highest ground toward the sagebrush and grass mid- and lower-elevation bands where cover and feed overlap. An antlerless hunter does well to focus effort on those transition areas between open sagebrush and timber, working the public land on foot rather than pushing into the steeper high country. With lows dropping toward freezing, layering for weather becomes part of the plan even though the terrain itself doesn't change.
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 59A 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 58-1 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 30 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 59-1 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 30 | Antlerless only | Fair 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
Controlled hunt 30-1 runs during the late rut and early post-rut phase and is limited to antlered elk, with the Motorized Hunting Rule applying across Units 58, 59, and 59A. October brings modest snowfall and lows near freezing, conditions that can start pushing bulls toward more sheltered timber pockets at the higher elevations. This is a very long odds draw for residents, so it's a hunt to plan around rather than count on, but a tag holder should expect to cover ground on foot given the motorized restriction and focus effort where timber meets open sagebrush.
Controlled hunt 58-1 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 30
Controlled hunt 58-1 falls entirely within the migration transition phase in November, when elk are shifting range ahead of winter, and it's an antlered-only tag with the Motorized Hunting Rule in effect. November brings heavier snowfall and colder lows than earlier seasons, which can help push bulls out of the highest timber and sagebrush country toward more accessible ground. Residents face very long odds in the draw, and hunters who do land the tag should be ready to move on foot and follow that seasonal shift rather than sit and wait. Scouting the transition areas between elevation bands ahead of time is worthwhile given the compressed two-week window is not in play here but the migration itself is.
Controlled hunt 59-1 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 30
Controlled hunt 59-1 also sits in the November migration transition phase and is antlerless only, with the Motorized Hunting Rule applying. Cold lows and the heaviest snowfall of the seasons covered here can move animals out of higher timber and sagebrush toward lower ground, and an antlerless hunter should concentrate on those lower- and mid-elevation transition zones where grass, meadow, and sagebrush dominate. This hunt draws at fair odds for residents, making it the more attainable of the unit's controlled tags, but success still depends on covering ground on foot and following the seasonal movement rather than expecting elk to hold in one place.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,900–11,400 ft, typically around 6,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 50% gentle · 30% moderate · 19% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~340 sq mi
- National forests
- 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
- Grass and meadow62%
- Sagebrush32%
- Other cover6%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush69%
- Grass and meadow25%
- Conifer5%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush49%
- Conifer38%
- Grass and meadow12%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 84% of Unit 59A is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest43%
- BLM39%
- Idaho state endowment land2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private15%
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 79°F, lows around 48°F
- September — highs around 68°F, lows around 40°F
- October — highs around 53°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 38°F, lows around 19°F, about 4.3 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 28°F, lows around 11°F, about 8.9 in of snowfall
Unit 59A elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 59A over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy a general elk tag for the Beaverhead Elk Zone, which covers Unit 59A, over the counter with no application or draw needed. The tag comes with the zone's A tag season options that are valid in this unit, such as the any-weapon antlerless season, the archery season, or the muzzleloader antlerless season.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag that covers Unit 59A?
Nonresidents must go through a random draw for the Beaverhead Elk Zone's general elk tag, and they apply for a specific tag, either the A tag or the B tag, at the time they submit their application. The tag choice is made when applying, not after the draw results are known.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 59A to draw?
The three controlled hunts tied to Unit 59A have different resident first-choice odds. Controlled hunt 30-1 and controlled hunt 58-1 are both very long odds draws, while controlled hunt 59-1, an antlerless-only November hunt, draws at fair odds for residents.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 59A?
Unit 59A is part of the Beaverhead Elk Zone, which also includes Units 30, 30A, 58, and 59. General elk tags for the zone come in an A tag and a B tag with different seasons, and a hunter picks one when buying or applying for a tag.
How much of Unit 59A is public land a hunter can count on?
About 84 percent of the unit, close to 340 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM, and Idaho state endowment land. The remaining roughly 15 percent is private land that requires written permission before it can be hunted.
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.