Unit 71 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Bannock Elk Zone · 529 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 71 is in the Bannock Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. It also has 4 controlled hunts, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds from good odds to very long odds.
What hunting Unit 71 is like
Unit 71 runs from sagebrush flats near 4,500 feet up through mixed timber and aspen stands toward 9,300 feet, and most of that ground qualifies as rolling to moderately steep rather than true rough country, with a mean slope near 12 degrees. Lower and mid elevations are dominated by sagebrush with pockets of grass and meadow, while the higher country carries conifer and aspen mixed through more sagebrush, giving elk a range of cover to move through as the season changes. Caribou National Forest anchors much of the public ground, and a hunter willing to work on foot can find country here that rewards glassing as well as still-hunting through timber pockets.
Only about 34 percent of Unit 71, roughly 180 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through National Forest, BLM, state Wildlife Management Area and state endowment land, and even the endowment parcels can be closed or leased at times. The remaining two-thirds is private and requires written permission. The Two And A Half fire and the Ross Fork fire, both from 2022, burned a combined roughly 5 percent of the unit on its northwest side; several fall seasons out from those burns, the open ground they created can glass well and hold feed, though hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
General elk tags in Unit 71 are sold through the Bannock Elk Zone, which also covers Units 70, 72, 73, 73A and 74, and a hunter chooses either the A tag or the B tag rather than hunting both. Residents buy the general A tag over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for it through a random draw in which the specific zone tag is selected at the time of application. Alongside the general season, Controlled hunt 70-1 offers additional any-weapon and muzzleloader opportunities in the unit through a separate pure random draw with a limited number of tags.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 71 is in the Bannock Elk Zone (Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74); 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 71. 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 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74 | October 25 – November 15 | Antlerless only | Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| A tag · Muzzleloader Valid area: Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74 | December 1 – December 31 | Antlerless only | Winter Range |
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
This is the rut-adjacent archery hunt, spanning the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases, so bulls move from shedding velvet into full rut activity as the season progresses. Early on, bulls are still tied to the areas where they spent summer, making sitting water sources or glassing open sagebrush and grass pockets for a spot-and-stalk a sound plan. As the season pushes into September, that same glassing approach into timber edges and aspen at higher elevations can pay off. The A tag archery season allows any elk and covers Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74.
A tag · Any weapon · October 25 – November 15
This antlerless-only season falls across the Post-Rut Recovery and Migration Transition phases, as elk begin shifting off summer range with the approach of winter. A hunter carrying the A tag any-weapon antlerless permit should focus on the open sagebrush and grass ground at lower and mid elevations where cow and calf groups are more likely to be found as animals start moving. Snowfall picks up modestly in November, with lows near 24°F, which can push groups toward lower ground and improve visibility across the sagebrush flats. Only antlerless elk are legal during this window, valid across Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74.
A tag · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
By December the Winter Range phase has set in, and elk are concentrated on lower-elevation ground where feed and cover balance out the cold. This antlerless-only muzzleloader season rewards working the sagebrush-dominated lower and mid elevations, where remaining grass and meadow patches and riparian strips draw animals in against a backdrop of roughly 9.9 inches of monthly snowfall and lows near 17°F. Deeper snow at this point in the year tends to concentrate elk and can make them easier to locate, though covering ground on foot gets tougher. Only antlerless elk may be taken, and the season runs across Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74.
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 71 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 70-1 · Any weapon | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 70-1 · Any weapon | October 15 – October 24 | Antlered only | Long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader | November 16 – November 30 | Antlered or antlerless | Good odds | Migration Transition |
| Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader | December 1 – December 31 | Antlered or antlerless | 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 70-1 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
The earlier of the two any-weapon controlled hunt windows falls in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, when bull activity is winding down from the peak of the rut. Hunters drawing this hunt should still work timber edges and aspen at higher elevations where bulls may be recovering from rutting activity, and the burned ground from the Two And A Half and Ross Fork fires can be worth checking for animals feeding at first and last light. Only antlered bulls are legal, and this hunt draws at very long odds for residents on a first choice, so it is a limited-tag opportunity rather than a dependable plan.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Any weapon · October 15 – October 24
This later any-weapon controlled hunt spans the tail of the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase into Post-Rut Recovery, so bulls are settling into post-rut patterns and may be found ranging more broadly across the unit's rolling to moderately steep terrain. Glassing the sagebrush and grass openings at lower and mid elevations alongside timber pockets higher up gives a reasonable strategy for locating antlered bulls during this stretch. Only antlered elk are legal here, and the hunt carries long odds for a resident's first choice in the draw, an improvement over the earlier window but still far from a sure thing.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader · November 16 – November 30
Running through the Migration Transition phase, this muzzleloader controlled hunt catches elk as they begin shifting off higher ground with the onset of colder weather, aided by roughly 3.8 inches of November snowfall and lows near 24°F. Either antlered or antlerless elk may be taken, which opens up more opportunity than the earlier any-weapon hunts, and working the transition zones between higher timber and lower sagebrush can intercept elk on the move. This hunt draws at good odds for residents on a first choice, making it a more attainable option within Controlled hunt 70-1.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
By this December window elk have settled into the Winter Range phase, concentrated on lower-elevation sagebrush and grass ground where accessible feed remains. This controlled muzzleloader hunt allows either antlered or antlerless elk, and hunters can expect roughly 9.9 inches of monthly snowfall with lows near 17°F pushing animals toward the same lower ground favored in the general antlerless season. As with the November muzzleloader hunt, this one draws at good odds for residents on a first choice, giving it a realistic shot for those who apply.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,500–9,300 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 49% gentle · 40% moderate · 11% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~180 sq mi
- National forests
- Caribou 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
- Sagebrush46%
- Other cover41%
- Grass and meadow10%
- Riparian2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush65%
- Other cover15%
- Grass and meadow8%
- Conifer6%
- Aspen5%
- Riparian2%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush47%
- Conifer37%
- Aspen12%
- Grass and meadow2%
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 71. 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.
- Two And A Half fire, 2022 — about 9,300 acres in the unit (3%), mostly on its northwest side.
- Ross Fork fire, 2022 — about 6,300 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its northwest side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 34% of Unit 71 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM, State Wildlife Management Area and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest21%
- BLM10%
- State Wildlife Management Area1%
- Idaho state endowment land1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private66%
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 83°F, lows around 51°F
- September — highs around 72°F, lows around 43°F
- October — highs around 57°F, lows around 33°F, about 0.3 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 42°F, lows around 24°F, about 3.8 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 32°F, lows around 17°F, about 9.9 in of snowfall
Unit 71 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 71 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy the Bannock Elk Zone general A tag over the counter with no draw or application needed, and that tag is valid in Unit 71 along with Units 70, 72, 73, 73A and 74. There is also a B tag option, but only the A tag windows are valid for Unit 71.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag valid in Unit 71?
Nonresidents go through a random draw for the Bannock Elk Zone general tag, and when applying they choose the specific zone tag, either the A tag or the B tag, up front. The tag is never chosen after the draw, only at the time of application.
How hard is it to draw Controlled hunt 70-1 in Unit 71?
It depends on the specific hunt within 70-1. The October 1-14 any-weapon hunt runs at very long odds for a resident's first choice, the October 15-24 any-weapon hunt improves to long odds, and both muzzleloader hunts in November and December run at good odds for residents.
Which elk zone covers Unit 71 and what tags does it use?
Unit 71 falls in the Bannock Elk Zone, which also includes Units 70, 72, 73, 73A and 74. General tags for the zone come in an A tag and a B tag, each with its own season, and a hunter selects one or the other rather than hunting both.
Which elk seasons in Unit 71 fall during the rut?
Only the A tag archery season, running August 30 through September 30, overlaps the rut, spanning the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases. The general any-weapon and muzzleloader seasons and all of Controlled hunt 70-1 fall outside the rut window.
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.