Unit 60 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Island Park Elk Zone · 438 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 60 is in the Island Park 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 good odds to very long odds.
What hunting Unit 60 is like
Unit 60 sits in gentle, rolling country, with roughly nine-tenths of its ground classed as gentle terrain and almost none of it steep or rugged. Elevations run from about 5,000 feet up to 7,800 feet, and cover shifts with that rise: sagebrush dominates the low ground, a mix of sagebrush and conifer takes over at mid elevations, and conifer becomes the majority cover higher up, with small pockets of riparian and aspen scattered through all three bands. It is a unit that rewards walking and glassing more than technical mountain hunting, with the open sage flats and rolling timber making for good visibility on foot.
About 65 percent of the unit, roughly 287 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through National Forest, BLM, state endowment land and a State Wildlife Management Area, including ground within the Targhee National Forest. That is the figure a hunter can plan around, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should never be assumed open without checking. Private land makes up about 29 percent of the unit and requires written permission, with a small unclassified share rounding out the rest.
Elk tags here run through the Island Park Elk Zone rather than the unit alone. Residents buy general elk tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for a specific zone tag — an A tag or a B tag — through a random draw, choosing which tag to apply for before the draw rather than after. Beyond the general season, Unit 60 also carries a run of controlled hunts split between hunt 60-1 and hunt 60-2, each a pure random draw with a limited number of tags and its own resident first-choice odds.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 60 is in the Island Park Elk Zone (Units 60, 60A, 61, 62 and 62A); 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 60. 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: Island Park Zone | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Archery season opens as bulls are finishing the pre-rut transition and moving into rut onset and the primary rut itself, making this the best stretch of the fall calendar for calling and rutting activity. Early on, bulls are still shedding velvet and holding close to their summer haunts, so sitting water sources or glassing the sagebrush flats and mid-elevation timber for a spot-and-stalk can pay off. The A tag under the Island Park Zone covers any elk, giving archery hunters flexibility as the rut builds through September. Gentle terrain here means covering ground on foot is realistic, but bulls can still be tucked into conifer cover as the month progresses.
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 60 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 60-1 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | — | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 60-1 · Any weapon | October 10 – October 24 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 60-1 · Any weapon | October 25 – November 14 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 60-2 · Any weapon | November 1 – November 15 | Antlered or antlerless | Long odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 60-2 · Any weapon | November 15 – November 30 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 60-2 · Any weapon | November 16 – November 30 | Antlered or antlerless | 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 60-1 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
This hunt opens right at the tail end of the rut, in the late rut and early post-rut phase, when bull activity is winding down from its September peak. October brings modest snowfall and lows near freezing, which can start nudging elk out of the highest conifer stands and toward mid-elevation cover. The tag is for antlered elk only, so hunters should focus effort where timber meets sagebrush at mid elevations, still hunting or still-glassing the gentler slopes that make up most of the unit. With no rut vocalization to lean on this late, patient glassing and slow movement through cover are the more dependable approach.
Controlled hunt 60-1 · Any weapon · October 10 – October 24
This antlerless hunt spans the tail of the late rut and into the post-rut recovery phase, a stretch where elk activity settles into more routine patterns. Cool October weather with light snowfall and lows near freezing can start easing animals down out of higher conifer country toward the sagebrush and mixed cover at mid elevations. Hunters carrying this antlerless tag do best working the gentle, open terrain that defines most of Unit 60, using the rolling ground to glass sagebrush flats and the edges of timber. The Good odds draw band on this hunt reflects a reasonable number of tags relative to resident first-choice applicants.
Controlled hunt 60-1 · Any weapon · October 25 – November 14
Running from post-rut recovery into the migration transition, this antlerless season covers a period when elk are shifting off summer and early fall range. Snowfall increases into November, with lows dropping into the high teens, conditions that typically push animals toward lower sagebrush country and away from the highest conifer stands. Hunters holding this antlerless tag should concentrate on lower and mid-elevation ground where cover and terrain funnel elk as they move with the weather. This hunt also draws at Good odds for residents on the first choice.
Controlled hunt 60-2 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 15
Covering the migration transition phase, this hunt lands in November when elk are shifting off higher ground as snow accumulates and lows fall into the high teens. Either an antlered or antlerless elk is legal, giving hunters flexibility to fill the tag with whatever presents itself along migration routes through the gentle terrain and mixed sagebrush-conifer cover. Watching lower-elevation sagebrush and the edges of timber where elk funnel during this shift is the practical approach. This hunt draws at Long odds for residents on the first choice, reflecting a tighter number of tags.
Controlled hunt 60-2 · Any weapon · November 15 – November 30
This antlerless-only hunt falls entirely within the migration transition phase, late in the season when November snowfall and lows in the high teens are actively pushing elk toward lower ground. Hunters should focus on sagebrush-dominated lower elevations and the fringes of conifer cover at mid elevations, where migrating animals tend to concentrate. The gentle, rolling terrain across most of the unit makes it practical to cover ground and intercept elk on the move. This hunt draws at Fair odds for residents on the first choice.
Controlled hunt 60-2 · Any weapon · November 16 – November 30
The latest hunt of the year, this one also falls in the migration transition phase, with November snowfall and lows in the high teens well established by this point. Either an antlered or antlerless elk may be taken, and hunters should expect elk pushed well down into lower-elevation sagebrush and the lower edges of conifer cover as winter approaches. The gentle terrain that defines most of Unit 60 still allows for covering ground on foot to find animals that have shifted off higher range. This hunt draws at Very long odds for residents on the first choice, the tightest of the controlled hunts here.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,000–7,800 ft, typically around 6,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 87% gentle · 11% moderate · 2% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~287 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
- Sagebrush61%
- Other cover24%
- Conifer9%
- Riparian5%
- Aspen1%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush44%
- Conifer36%
- Riparian10%
- Other cover8%
- Grass and meadow1%
- Aspen1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer53%
- Sagebrush43%
- Aspen1%
- 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 65% of Unit 60 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- National Forest39%
- BLM12%
- Idaho state endowment land11%
- State Wildlife Management Area4%
- Unclassified ownership6%
- Private29%
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 78°F, lows around 46°F
- September — highs around 67°F, lows around 38°F
- October — highs around 52°F, lows around 28°F, about 1.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 37°F, lows around 18°F, about 11.1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 27°F, lows around 10°F, about 25.5 in of snowfall
Unit 60 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 60 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy a general elk tag over the counter for the Island Park Elk Zone, which covers Unit 60, without applying through any draw. The choice is between the zone's A tag and B tag, each carrying its own season.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 60?
Nonresidents cannot simply buy a general tag over the counter; they must apply through a random draw. When applying, they select a specific zone tag, either the Island Park Zone A tag or B tag, and that choice is locked in before the draw, not after.
How hard are the controlled hunts in Unit 60 to draw?
Draw difficulty varies by hunt: Controlled hunt 60-1's antlerless seasons both carry Good odds for residents on the first choice. Controlled hunt 60-2 ranges from Long odds in its early November either-sex season to Fair odds for its late-November antlerless season and Very long odds for its final either-sex season.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 60?
Unit 60 falls within the Island Park Elk Zone, which also includes Units 60A, 61, 62 and 62A. General elk tags for this zone come as an A tag or a B tag with different seasons, and in Unit 60 only the A tag's archery window, August 30 through September 30, is valid.
Which Unit 60 elk seasons fall during the rut?
The A tag archery season, running August 30 through September 30, spans the rut onset and primary rut phases and is the only general or controlled season here that falls within the September rut. All of the controlled hunts, both 60-1 and 60-2, run in October and November, after the primary rut has ended.
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.