Unit 72 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Bannock Elk Zone · 420 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 72 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 72 is like
Unit 72 is gentle and rolling country, with mean slope of just over seven degrees and almost no ground classed as steep or rugged. Elevation runs from a low of 5,300 feet up to 7,300 feet, with most of the unit sitting around 6,200 feet. Sagebrush dominates the cover at 51%, with conifer timber, riparian strips, grass and meadow, and aspen making up smaller pieces of the landscape. This is foot-and-glass country more than dark-timber ambush country, and the open, rolling terrain rewards hunters willing to cover ground and glass rather than rely on thick cover to close the distance.
Only about 31% of Unit 72, roughly 131 square miles, is generally open to public hunting, split between Idaho state endowment land and BLM ground. State endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased, so that access is not guaranteed even where it appears open on a map. Private land accounts for about 63% of the unit and requires written permission to hunt, while a small unclassified share rounds out the rest. With the majority of the unit in private hands, legal access rather than terrain is what limits where a hunter can actually go.
General elk tags for Unit 72 are sold through the Bannock Elk Zone, which also covers Units 70, 71, 73, 73A and 74. Residents buy an A tag or B tag over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents must apply for a specific zone tag in a random draw, choosing the A tag or B tag at the time of application rather than after drawing. Beyond the general season, Controlled hunt 70-1 offers additional any-weapon and muzzleloader opportunities allocated by a separate random draw with a limited number of tags.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 72 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 72. 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
Archery hunters catch bulls early in the season still shedding velvet and holding close to the same ground they used through summer, before the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases pull them into breeding activity later in September. In the open, rolling sagebrush country of Unit 72, sitting water sources or glassing from a vantage point to set up a spot-and-stalk works well since heavy timber cover is limited. The A tag archery season runs any elk, so a hunter can fill the tag on any legal animal encountered during this stretch.
A tag · Any weapon · October 25 – November 15
This stretch of the A tag season falls in the Post-Rut Recovery and Migration Transition phases, and it's an antlerless-only tag, so the focus here is simply locating cow and calf groups rather than chasing bull activity. Snow begins to accumulate through November, which can push elk to move and make them easier to spot in the unit's open, sagebrush-dominated terrain. With most of the ground in private ownership, hunters need to work the roughly 31% of Unit 72 that is generally open on state endowment and BLM land, or line up permission elsewhere. Glassing the open country from a distance and closing carefully suits the gentle, rolling ground here.
A tag · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
By December the unit sits in the Winter Range phase, and this A tag muzzleloader season is antlerless only, so the job is finding where cows and calves have settled for the winter. Snowfall picks up to roughly 16.5 inches for the month with lows near 15°F, and accumulating snow tends to concentrate animals and make them more visible across the open, rolling terrain. Access remains the main constraint, since most of the unit is private and only the state endowment and BLM ground can be counted on without seeking permission. Working the open sagebrush flats and glassing methodically is the most practical approach in this cold, later-season window.
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 72 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
This early run of Controlled hunt 70-1 falls in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, when bull activity is winding down from the peak of the rut but bulls can still be found responding to the tail end of breeding behavior. The tag is antlered only, and it draws at very long odds for residents, so a hunter fortunate enough to pull it should expect the added challenge of a wide-open, rolling unit with limited public access. Glassing from a distance across the sagebrush and grass cover suits the terrain, since there is little timber to hide movement. Covering ground efficiently and using optics to find bulls before still-hunting toward them is the practical approach here.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Any weapon · October 15 – October 24
The second block of Controlled hunt 70-1 spans the tail of the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase into the Post-Rut Recovery phase, so bull elk are settling out of rut behavior and returning to more routine movement. This antlered-only tag draws at long odds for residents, better than the earlier block but still far from a sure thing. The open, rolling country and limited timber mean glassing remains the primary tool for locating bulls before making a move. As with the rest of Unit 72, most of the ground is private, so hunters need to plan around the roughly 31% that is generally open to public hunting.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader · November 16 – November 30
This muzzleloader block of Controlled hunt 70-1 falls in the Migration Transition phase, when elk are shifting off summer and early fall ranges. Any legal elk, antlered or antlerless, can be taken on this tag, which draws at good odds for residents. November snowfall of about 7.7 inches and lows near 22°F can help push animals into more visible open ground, useful in a unit where sagebrush and grass dominate the cover. Hunters still need to work the limited public ground or arrange access on private land to make the most of the tag.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
The late muzzleloader block of Controlled hunt 70-1 lands in the Winter Range phase, when elk have settled into their wintering areas. The tag allows either antlered or antlerless elk and draws at good odds for residents. December snowfall around 16.5 inches and lows near 15°F tend to concentrate animals in the open, rolling terrain, which favors long-range glassing followed by a careful approach. Access is still limited to the roughly 31% of the unit that is generally open, or to private ground reached with permission.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,300–7,300 ft, typically around 6,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 72% gentle · 26% moderate · 3% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~131 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
- Sagebrush51%
- Other cover34%
- Conifer8%
- Riparian3%
- Grass and meadow2%
- Aspen2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 31% of Unit 72 is public land a hunter can generally count on — Idaho state endowment land and BLM.
- Idaho state endowment land22%
- BLM9%
- Unclassified ownership6%
- Private63%
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 79°F, lows around 50°F
- September — highs around 69°F, lows around 42°F
- October — highs around 54°F, lows around 32°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 40°F, lows around 22°F, about 7.7 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 30°F, lows around 15°F, about 16.5 in of snowfall
Unit 72 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 72 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy a general A tag or B tag for the Bannock Elk Zone over the counter with no draw or application required, and that tag is valid for hunting in Unit 72 during the zone's listed seasons.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 72?
Nonresidents cannot simply buy a general tag over the counter; they must apply in a random draw for a specific zone tag. The applicant chooses either the Bannock Elk Zone A tag or B tag at the time of application, not after the draw results are known.
How hard is it to draw Controlled hunt 70-1 in Unit 72?
Draw difficulty varies by season within the hunt. The October 1-14 any-weapon season draws at very long odds for residents, the October 15-24 any-weapon season at long odds, and both muzzleloader seasons (November 16-30 and December 1-31) draw at good odds for residents.
Which elk zone covers Unit 72?
Unit 72 is part of the Bannock Elk Zone, which also includes Units 70, 71, 73, 73A and 74. General elk tags for this zone are sold as an A tag or a B tag, each with its own season.
How much of Unit 72 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 31% of the unit, roughly 131 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through Idaho state endowment land and BLM ground. The remaining land is mostly private (about 63%), requiring written permission, plus a small unclassified share.
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.