Unit 64 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Palisades Elk Zone · 358 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 64 is in the Palisades Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. It also has 2 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds from good odds to fair odds.
What hunting Unit 64 is like
Unit 64 sits in country better described as gentle and rolling than rugged, with roughly three-quarters of the ground classed as gentle terrain and only a sliver of steep or rugged slope anywhere in the unit. Elevations run from about 4,800 feet up to 9,000 feet, and the higher country is where timber takes over: conifer cover dominates the upper band, mixed with sagebrush, while the mid elevations open up into sagebrush flats with pockets of conifer, aspen, and grass and meadow. It is foot country more than technical mountain hunting, with enough open sage and rolling ground to glass, but the timbered high elevations reward hunters willing to work on foot and cover ground methodically. Some of the higher ground falls in designated wilderness, which is closed to motorized vehicles and rewards a pack-in approach.
Only about 30 percent of Unit 64, roughly 106 of its 358 square miles, is generally open to public hunting, spread across National Forest (including the Targhee National Forest), Idaho state endowment land, and BLM ground. State endowment parcels are open unless posted closed or leased, so it pays to check status before committing to a spot. The remaining 70 percent is private and closed without written permission, which makes legal access, not terrain, the real limiting factor in this unit — a hunter should plan around where the public ground actually lies rather than assume the whole unit is fair game.
Tags here run through the Palisades Elk Zone, shared with Units 65 and 67. Residents buy general zone tags over the counter with no draw, while nonresidents apply for a specific A or B tag through a random draw, choosing that tag at the time they apply. Beyond the general season, Unit 64 also holds its own controlled hunts, drawn separately by pure random draw with a limited number of tags issued each year.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 64 is in the Palisades Elk Zone (Units 64, 65 and 67); 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 64. 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 64, 65, 67 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 64, 65, 67 | October 15 – October 21 | Antlered only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Archery season opens as bulls are finishing up the pre-rut transition and moving into rut onset and then primary rut by the tag's second half, making this the best window to catch bulls still vocal and responsive. Early on, bulls are shedding velvet and haven't strayed far from summer haunts, so sitting water sources or glassing the open sagebrush at mid elevations for a spot-and-stalk works well before pushing into the timbered high country as the season progresses. The A tag is valid across Units 64, 65, and 67 and allows any elk, giving archery hunters flexibility if they're willing to still-hunt or call through the gentle, rolling terrain that dominates this unit. Access remains the main challenge, since most of the ground worth hunting sits on the roughly 30 percent that is public.
B tag · Any weapon · October 15 – October 21
By the time the B tag opens, elk have moved past the rut and into the late rut and early post-rut phase, sliding toward post-rut recovery through the week-long season. Bulls are past their most vocal stage, so hunters do better covering ground and glassing sagebrush benches and timber edges than trying to call them in. This tag is any weapon but antlered-only, valid across Units 64, 65, and 67, and the short window rewards hunters who already know where public access holds elk rather than those scouting cold. With most of the unit in private hands, success leans heavily on having a plan for the accessible National Forest, BLM, and state endowment ground before the week starts.
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 64 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 64-1 · Muzzleloader | October 1 – October 9 | Antlered only | Good odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 64-1 · Any weapon | October 15 – November 14 | Antlerless only | Fair odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery, 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 64-1 · Muzzleloader · October 1 – October 9
Controlled hunt 64-1's muzzleloader season falls entirely in the late rut and early post-rut phase, when bulls are winding down from breeding activity but haven't yet shifted into recovery mode. Hunters carrying an antlered-only tag do well working the timbered higher elevations and the edges of sagebrush country where bulls hole up after the rut's peak. This hunt draws a good resident draw odds rating, making it a reasonable option for a muzzleloader hunter who wants a dedicated antlered season without the crowds of the general B tag. The gentle, rolling terrain that defines most of Unit 64 makes for approachable if not easy stalking once elk are located.
Controlled hunt 64-1 · Any weapon · October 15 – November 14
This antlerless-only controlled hunt runs long, spanning the late rut and early post-rut, post-rut recovery, and migration transition phases, which means elk activity and location can shift meaningfully from opening day in mid-October through the mid-November close. Early in the season, hunters can work the sagebrush and conifer mix at mid elevations, but as the migration transition phase sets in through November, elk begin shifting range, so time spent scouting travel corridors between the higher timbered elevations and lower sagebrush benches pays off. November brings measurable snowfall and lows near 20°F, which can push elk lower and concentrate them on the accessible sagebrush ground if a hunter is willing to be out in the cold. With a fair resident draw odds rating, this cow-or-calf tag rewards hunters who stay flexible on location as the season and weather progress, focusing effort on the public land base that makes up about 30 percent of the unit.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,800–9,000 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 78% gentle · 18% moderate · 4% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~106 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
- Other cover95%
- Sagebrush5%
Mid elevations
- Other cover47%
- Sagebrush32%
- Conifer14%
- Aspen4%
- Grass and meadow3%
Higher elevations
- Conifer67%
- Sagebrush21%
- Aspen5%
- Other cover5%
- 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 30% of Unit 64 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, Idaho state endowment land and BLM.
- National Forest20%
- Idaho state endowment land9%
- BLM<1%
- Private70%
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 80°F, lows around 48°F
- September — highs around 70°F, lows around 40°F
- October — highs around 55°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.7 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 20°F, about 5.8 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 29°F, lows around 12°F, about 15.7 in of snowfall
Unit 64 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 64 over the counter?
Yes. Residents purchase a general Palisades Elk Zone tag over the counter with no draw or application required. They choose between the zone's A tag (archery, any elk) or B tag (any weapon, antlered only), both of which are valid in Unit 64 along with Units 65 and 67.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 64?
Nonresidents cannot simply buy a general tag; they must apply through a random draw. When applying, they select a specific tag — either the Palisades Elk Zone A tag or B tag — and that choice is locked in at the time of application, not after the draw.
How hard is it to draw the controlled hunts in Unit 64?
Controlled hunt 64-1's muzzleloader season carries a good resident draw odds rating, while its any-weapon antlerless season carries a fair rating. Both are pure random draws with a limited number of tags, and neither odds band should be read as a guaranteed draw.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 64?
Unit 64 falls within the Palisades Elk Zone, alongside Units 65 and 67. General tags are sold by zone rather than by unit, so the A tag and B tag seasons apply across all three units, not just Unit 64.
How much of Unit 64 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 30 percent of the unit, roughly 106 of its 358 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through National Forest, Idaho state endowment land, and BLM ground. The remaining 70 percent is private and requires written permission, making access the main constraint in this unit.
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.