Unit 69 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Tex Creek Elk Zone · 1,446 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 69 is in the Tex Creek 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 long odds.
What hunting Unit 69 is like
Unit 69 is rolling country, with some steeper breaks in a few places, running from around 4,400 feet up to 7,700 feet, most of it sitting near 6,000 feet. Sagebrush dominates the landscape, with grass and meadow patches, scattered conifer stands, and pockets of aspen and riparian growth along the drainages. There's no wilderness here and no rugged escape terrain to speak of — this is mostly foot-and-glass country where a hunter can cover ground on gentle to moderate slopes and use elevation to spot elk before closing the distance.
Only about 23 percent of the unit, roughly 334 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across a mix of Idaho state endowment land, BLM, a State Wildlife Management Area, and National Forest — individual parcels can still be posted closed, so nothing here is a sure thing. The remaining 77 percent is private and requires written permission. The Garden Creek fire burned about 5,500 acres on the unit's west side in 2025, and this fall marks its first year after burning — elk in that area may be using the burn only as a travel corridor between patches of unburned timber while green-up takes hold, and hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags here are sold through the Tex Creek Elk Zone, shared with Unit 69's other named unit, and a hunter picks either the zone's A tag or B tag, each with its own season and legal animal. Residents buy these tags over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for a specific A or B tag through a random draw, choosing which one they want at the time they apply. Beyond the general season, a handful of controlled hunts add antlerless and additional weapon opportunities, each drawn independently with no points involved.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 69 is in the Tex Creek Elk Zone (Units 66 and 69); 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 69. Residents buy the tag over the counter; nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| B tag · Archery Valid area: Units 66 and 69 | August 30 – September 14 | Antlerless or spike bull | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 66 and 69 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 66 and 69 | October 15 – October 21 | Antlered only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 66 and 69 | October 22 – October 31 | Antlerless only | Post-Rut Recovery |
B tag · Archery · August 30 – September 14
Archery hunters in this early stretch find bulls still shedding velvet and holding close to their summer haunts, moving through the Rut Onset and into the Primary Rut phases as the season closes. The B tag here allows an antlerless elk or a spike bull only, so still-hunting near water sources or glassing sagebrush flats and grass meadows for a stalk can put a hunter on target animals without needing a mature bull encounter. Access is limited to the roughly quarter of the unit open to public hunting, so scouting legal ground ahead of time matters.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This monthlong archery season covers the same velvet-stripping period through Rut Onset and into the heart of the Primary Rut, giving a hunter the most time in the field of any general season here. The A tag allows any elk, so both spot-and-stalk work on bulls near their summer range and still-hunting over water can pay off as the rut builds. Sagebrush and grass cover dominate the open ground, with conifer patches offering shade and cover for bedded elk, though public access still holds to the same limited share of the unit.
B tag · Any weapon · October 15 – October 21
By the time this short any-weapon season opens, the rut has passed its peak and elk are settling into the Late Rut and Post-Rut Recovery phases. The B tag is antlered-only here, so hunters need to be selective, working the open sagebrush and grass country along with timber edges where bulls may be recovering from the rut's exertions. With just a week to hunt, familiarity with the public ground beforehand is worth more than time spent scouting once the season opens.
A tag · Any weapon · October 22 – October 31
This late-October window falls in the Post-Rut Recovery phase and is built for filling an antlerless tag rather than chasing bulls. Cow and calf elk are likely still working the sagebrush and grass flats that make up most of the unit's cover, and a hunter can use the open, gently rolling terrain to glass and approach without needing steep ground to hide behind. Access remains the challenge, since most of the unit sits in private hands and only the public quarter can be hunted without permission.
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 69 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 69-1X · Short-range weapons Extra antlerless tag; Short range weapons only, Private land only | January 1 – February 15 | Antlerless only | Good odds | — |
| Controlled hunt 66-1 · Muzzleloader Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered or antlerless | Fair odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 66-2 · Any weapon Youth only; Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 30 | Antlerless only | Youth only | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 66-2 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | November 1 – November 15 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 66-1 · Any weapon | November 15 – November 30 | Antlered only | Long odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 66-2 · Any weapon | November 16 – November 30 | Antlerless only | Good odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 69-1X · Short-range weapons Extra antlerless tag; Short range weapons only, Private land only | December 1 – December 31 | Antlerless only | Good odds | 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 69-1X · Short-range weapons · January 1 – February 15
This midwinter controlled hunt runs from January through mid-February with no rut activity to speak of, and it's built strictly for filling an antlerless tag on private land. It allows short-range weapons only, and success depends on lining up permission ahead of time since this hunt is valid only where that private access exists. The rolling terrain keeps the hunting straightforward once a hunter has ground to work, with sagebrush flats likely holding wintering elk.
Controlled hunt 66-1 · Muzzleloader · October 1 – October 14
Run by muzzleloader only under the Motorized Hunting Rule, this hunt falls in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase when bulls are transitioning out of peak rut activity. Either an antlered or antlerless elk is legal, giving a hunter more flexibility than the general seasons around it, and the motorized rule affects how a hunter can move through the unit's more open, gently rolling ground. Fair odds in the resident draw make this a realistic option worth planning around.
Controlled hunt 66-2 · Any weapon · November 1 – November 15
This November hunt falls in the Migration Transition phase, when elk are shifting off summer and fall range toward lower ground, and it's an antlerless-only opportunity restricted to youth hunters under the Motorized Hunting Rule. Cows and calves moving through the sagebrush and grass-dominated lowlands are the target, and the gentle terrain makes for approachable hunting once legal access is secured. Snowfall picking up through the month can push animals further along their migration route.
Controlled hunt 66-1 · Any weapon · November 15 – November 30
Running the second half of November, this hunt spans the Migration Transition phase as elk move toward wintering ground, and it's antlered-only with long odds in the resident draw. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies, shaping how a hunter can access the rolling sagebrush and grass country here. With snowfall averaging around 8.6 inches for the month and lows near 22°F, elk movement toward lower elevations can concentrate animals in accessible pockets.
Controlled hunt 66-2 · Any weapon · November 16 – November 30
This antlerless-only hunt closes out November during the Migration Transition phase, when cows and calves are shifting toward winter range ahead of the season's heavier snow. Good odds in the resident draw make this an attainable tag, and hunters can work the sagebrush and grass flats that dominate the lower elevations as elk funnel through on their way to wintering ground. Snowfall around 8.6 inches and lows near 22°F for the month can help push animals into more predictable locations.
Controlled hunt 69-1X · Short-range weapons · December 1 – December 31
This December hunt falls in the Winter Range phase, when elk have settled onto their wintering ground, and it's an antlerless-only, short-range-weapons hunt restricted to private land. With snowfall averaging about 18.1 inches and lows near 14°F, animals are likely concentrated in accessible low-elevation sagebrush and grass areas, but a hunter must have permission lined up since public ground doesn't apply to this hunt. Good odds in the resident draw make it a solid option for anyone with private access already secured.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,400–7,700 ft, typically around 6,000 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 70% gentle · 27% moderate · 3% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~334 sq mi
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
- Sagebrush54%
- Other cover23%
- Grass and meadow9%
- Conifer8%
- Aspen4%
- Riparian2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Recent fires
Wildfires in the last several seasons that burned a meaningful share of Unit 69. Fire perimeters show where a fire burned, not how hot — and closures change through the year, so check current fire closures and restrictions before you go.
- Garden Creek fire, 2025 — about 5,500 acres in the unit, mostly on its west side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 23% of Unit 69 is public land a hunter can generally count on — Idaho state endowment land, BLM, State Wildlife Management Area and National Forest.
- Idaho state endowment land14%
- BLM4%
- State Wildlife Management Area4%
- National Forest2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private77%
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 50°F
- September — highs around 67°F, lows around 41°F
- October — highs around 52°F, lows around 31°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 39°F, lows around 22°F, about 8.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 29°F, lows around 14°F, about 18.1 in of snowfall
Unit 69 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 69 over the counter?
Yes. Residents buy a general elk tag over the counter for the Tex Creek Elk Zone, choosing either the A tag or the B tag, without going through any draw or application process.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 69?
Nonresidents enter a random draw and apply for a specific tag — either the Tex Creek Elk Zone's A tag or its B tag — at the time they submit their application. The tag is chosen when applying, not after the draw results come back.
How hard are the controlled hunts in and around Unit 69 to draw?
Odds vary by hunt: Controlled hunt 69-1X carries good odds for residents in both its January-February and December seasons, Controlled hunt 66-1's muzzleloader season carries fair odds, and its November any-weapon antlered season carries long odds, while Controlled hunt 66-2's antlerless seasons carry good odds. All are pure random draws with no points involved.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 69?
Unit 69 falls in the Tex Creek Elk Zone alongside Unit 66. General tags are sold by zone rather than by unit, and a hunter chooses either the zone's A tag or B tag, each carrying its own season and legal-animal rules.
How much of Unit 69 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 23 percent of the unit, roughly 334 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across Idaho state endowment land, BLM, a State Wildlife Management Area, and National Forest. The remaining share is private and requires written permission, so legal access — not terrain — is the main limiting factor here.
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.