Unit 6 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Panhandle Elk Zone · 1,053 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 6 is in the Panhandle Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. It also has 1 controlled hunt, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds very long odds.
What hunting Unit 6 is like
Unit 6 sits between the Clearwater National Forest and the St. Joe National Forest, and the terrain reflects that mix: roughly half the ground is moderate, but nearly three in ten acres qualify as steep, so this is mixed country with substantial steep ground rather than a gentle walk-up hunt. Elevations run from around 2,100 feet up to 6,800 feet, with most hunting happening near the 3,600-foot mid-range. Conifer cover dominates the unit at 74%, with sagebrush, grass and meadow, and riparian strips making up the rest — enough timber that this is largely a foot-and-glass unit where hunters work ridgelines and pockets of open ground to find elk moving between cover types.
About 55% of Unit 6, roughly 576 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest and Idaho state endowment land, with the state parcels open unless specifically posted closed or leased. That leaves 45% in private ownership, where written permission is required before stepping on it, so a hunter needs to know boundaries well before the season starts. Public ownership here is real but not a guarantee of solitude or easy access, given the steep ground and the checkerboard of private inholdings.
Elk tags in Unit 6 come through the Panhandle Elk Zone, which also covers Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 7 and 9. Residents buy general elk tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for a specific A tag or B tag through a random draw, choosing which tag and season they want at the time of application. Alongside the general seasons, a controlled hunt offers a long-running any-weapon season with very long odds in the resident first-choice draw, plus youth-only controlled hunts for antlerless elk.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 6 is in the Panhandle Elk Zone (Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9); 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 6. 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 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9 | August 30 – September 30 | Antlered only | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| B tag · Archery Valid area: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9 | September 6 – September 12 | Antlered only | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 1, 2, 3, portion of 4A, 5, 6 | September 15 – September 21 | Any elk | Primary Rut |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9 | October 10 – October 24 | Antlered only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9 | October 25 – October 29 | Antlered only | Post-Rut Recovery |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7 and 9 | December 10 – December 16 | Antlered only | Winter Range |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This is the long haul of the archery season, opening as bulls finish shedding velvet during the Pre-Rut Transition and running through Rut Onset into the heart of the Primary Rut by month's end. Early on, bulls are still tied to summer haunts, and sitting water or glassing timbered slopes for a spot-and-stalk works well before the rut fully kicks in. The A tag is archery-only and antlered-only for this window, so hunters need a clean look at antlers before releasing an arrow. As the month progresses, elk activity shifts with the rut, rewarding hunters who cover ground through the unit's mix of conifer and open pockets.
B tag · Archery · September 6 – September 12
This short B tag archery window falls squarely across Rut Onset and into the Primary Rut, making it a compact chance to catch bulls as breeding activity ramps up. It's antlered-only, so scouting for mature bulls in the timber and along edges where conifer gives way to sagebrush or meadow pays off. Because the season is only a week long, hunters who already know likely elk haunts in Unit 6 will get more out of the short window than those still searching on opening day.
A tag · Archery · September 15 – September 21
Landing entirely within the Primary Rut, this second A tag archery season is the most rut-focused hunt on the calendar for this unit, though it only reaches part of the broader zone's range. Any elk is legal here, widening options for hunters willing to take a cow or a bull during peak breeding activity. Bulls are most vocal and mobile during this stretch, so working through the timber and toward any open grass or riparian pockets can put a hunter in the right place as animals move with the rut.
B tag · Any weapon · October 10 – October 24
This any-weapon B tag season opens as the rut winds down, spanning the Late Rut and Early Post-Rut phase before sliding into Post-Rut Recovery. Bulls are past peak breeding activity and starting to settle into more predictable patterns, though they remain antlered-only under this tag. The longer window and any-weapon status make this a solid stretch for covering the unit's steep, timbered ground methodically rather than relying on rut behavior alone.
A tag · Any weapon · October 25 – October 29
A short late-October any-weapon window, this A tag season falls entirely within Post-Rut Recovery, when elk have settled well away from breeding activity. Antlered animals only are legal, and with the rut behind them, elk behavior is quieter and more pattern-based than during the September hunts. Five days is a tight window, so hunters benefit from already having a read on where elk are holding in the unit's conifer-heavy terrain.
A tag · Archery · December 10 – December 16
This December archery season falls in the Winter Range phase, a cold-weather hunt for antlered elk only. Snowfall averaging around 9.3 inches for the month and lows near 23°F push elk toward lower, more sheltered ground, and hunters should expect winter conditions to shape both access and elk location. It's a specialized, short window for archers willing to hunt Unit 6 in true winter weather.
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 6 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 1-2 · Any weapon Chronic Wasting Disease Transport Rules Apply; : Season overlaps some archery and muzzleloader hunts | August 30 – December 1 | Antlered or antlerless | Very long odds | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut, Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition, Winter Range |
| Controlled hunt 6 · Archery Youth only; Archery only | August 30 – September 30 | Antlerless only | Youth only | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Controlled hunt 6 · Any weapon Youth only | October 10 – December 1 | Antlerless only | Youth only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition, 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 1-2 · Any weapon · August 30 – December 1
This controlled hunt runs from late August all the way through the start of December, spanning nearly the entire elk calendar from Pre-Rut Transition through Winter Range, and allows either antlered or antlerless elk under any weapon. Early in the season the same velvet-stripping, water-sitting tactics apply as bulls stay near summer range, while the long season length means hunters can also work the rut phases and the eventual push toward winter range as November and December bring snow and colder lows. Chronic Wasting Disease transport rules apply for anyone who draws this hunt. It carries very long odds in the resident first-choice draw, so it's a hunt to apply for with realistic expectations, but the extended season and broader legal harvest make it a uniquely flexible tag for those who draw it.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 2,100–6,800 ft, typically around 3,600 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 19% gentle · 52% moderate · 28% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~576 sq mi
- National forests
- Clearwater National Forest and St. Joe 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.
Across the unit
- Conifer74%
- Sagebrush19%
- Grass and meadow4%
- Other cover2%
- Riparian1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 55% of Unit 6 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and BLM.
- National Forest41%
- Idaho state endowment land10%
- BLM3%
- Private45%
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 81°F, lows around 51°F
- September — highs around 70°F, lows around 44°F
- October — highs around 54°F, lows around 35°F, about 0.1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 29°F, about 2.7 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 33°F, lows around 23°F, about 9.3 in of snowfall
Unit 6 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 6 over the counter?
Yes, residents can buy a general elk tag for the Panhandle Elk Zone, which covers Unit 6, over the counter without applying or entering a draw. They still choose between the zone's A tag or B tag based on which season and weapon they want to hunt.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 6?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for the Panhandle Elk Zone's general tags, and they apply for a specific A tag or B tag at the time of application rather than choosing after the draw. The tag and season are locked in before the draw happens, so nonresidents should decide in advance which window they want.
How hard is it to draw the controlled hunt in Unit 6?
Controlled hunt 1-2, the any-weapon season running August 30 through December 1, carries very long odds in the resident first-choice draw. There are also youth-only controlled antlerless hunts in the unit, but no point system exists in Idaho to improve those odds over time.
Which elk zone covers Unit 6?
Unit 6 falls within the Panhandle Elk Zone, along with Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 7 and 9. General tags are sold by zone rather than by individual unit, with an A tag and a B tag each carrying different seasons.
How much of Unit 6 is open to public hunting?
About 55%, or roughly 576 square miles, of Unit 6 is generally open to public hunting across National Forest and Idaho state endowment land. The remaining 45% is private and requires written permission, so hunters need to know exact boundaries before heading out.
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.