Unit 73 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Bannock Elk Zone · 1,238 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 73 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 73 is like
Unit 73 is rolling country, with some steeper breaks, running from around 4,400 feet up to 9,300 feet across the Caribou National Forest and surrounding ground. Most of the unit sits in gentle to moderate terrain, so foot travel is generally manageable, though the higher country pushes into steeper draws where the slopes tighten up. Sagebrush dominates both the mid and higher elevations, with pockets of conifer, aspen and grass and meadow mixed in higher up, giving elk cover to move through and hunters open ground to glass. There's no designated wilderness noted here, but motorized rules still shape how far a hunter can push into some of the higher elevation timber pockets.
About 36 percent of Unit 73, roughly 444 square miles, is generally open to public hunting through National Forest, BLM, state endowment and Wildlife Management Area ground — that's the acreage a hunter can plan around, though state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased and should never be assumed open without checking. The remaining 64 percent is private, and written permission is required before setting foot on it. That split means a lot of the unit's better-looking country on a map is off limits without landowner contact, so scouting land status matters as much as scouting elk sign.
Unit 73 falls in the Bannock Elk Zone alongside Units 70, 71, 72, 73A and 74, and the zone's A tag is the general option here, with an archery season and later any-weapon and muzzleloader windows that are antlerless-only in this unit. Residents buy that A tag over the counter with no draw required. Nonresidents get in through a random draw, applying for the specific A tag or B tag of their choice at the time of application rather than choosing afterward. Beyond the general tag, Controlled hunt 70-1 offers additional any-weapon and muzzleloader opportunities on a pure random draw, each with a limited number of tags and its own resident first-choice odds band.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 73 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 73. 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 season opens right as bulls are finishing the Pre-Rut Transition and sliding into Rut Onset and Primary Rut, so the action builds fast through September. Early on, bulls are shedding velvet and still hanging near the same ground they used all summer, making sitting water sources or glassing sagebrush flats and grass and meadow openings for spot-and-stalk chances a solid approach. As the rut takes hold later in the month, that same glassing strategy across the mixed sagebrush and timber at higher elevations can put a hunter on bulls that are more vocal and visible. Any elk is legal under the A tag archery season, and the rolling terrain with some steeper breaks keeps most of this huntable on foot.
A tag · Any weapon · October 25 – November 15
This any-weapon window falls during Post-Rut Recovery and the Migration Transition, and it's antlerless-only, so the focus here is finding cow and calf groups rather than chasing bulls. Elk are shifting range through this stretch, so working the sagebrush-covered mid and higher elevations where animals funnel between feeding and cover gives the best chance at catching groups on the move. November brings modest snowfall and lows near 25°F, which can nudge animals toward lower, more open sagebrush ground and make them easier to spot at distance. Access still depends on the roughly 36 percent of the unit that's generally open to public hunting, since much of the surrounding ground is private and requires permission.
A tag · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
By December the muzzleloader season sits entirely in the Winter Range phase, with elk settled onto the lower-elevation ground they'll hold through winter. This is an antlerless-only hunt, so the job is locating cow and calf groups concentrated on accessible winter range rather than working rut behavior. December snowfall averages around 9.2 inches with lows near 18°F, conditions that tend to push elk down into open sagebrush flats and grass and meadow patches where they're easier to locate but also more exposed to weather and foot access challenges. Sticking to the generally open public ground and glassing lower sagebrush country is the most direct way to find animals this late in the year.
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 73 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 70-1 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 73 | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Controlled hunt 70-1 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies in Unit 73 | 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 October controlled hunt falls in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, when bull activity from the rut is winding down but bulls are still working through the same sagebrush and timber mix that holds them earlier in fall. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies in Unit 73, so travel into the steeper, less-accessible breaks may be limited to foot or non-motorized means in places, which rewards hunters willing to work the moderate and steep ground away from vehicle access. Only antlered bulls are legal here. Draw odds for Controlled hunt 70-1 in this window run very long for residents, so it's a hunt to plan for opportunistically rather than count on.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Any weapon · October 15 – October 24
Running from mid to late October, this controlled hunt spans the tail of the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase into Post-Rut Recovery, so bull movement is settling down from the rut's peak but animals are still working familiar sagebrush and timber terrain. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies in Unit 73, meaning foot access into the moderate and steeper ground pays off for hunters willing to get away from roads. Only antlered bulls are legal under this hunt. Draw odds for Controlled hunt 70-1 in this window run long for residents, better than the earlier October period but still not something to count on drawing.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader · November 16 – November 30
This muzzleloader controlled hunt lands in the Migration Transition phase, when elk are shifting between summer and winter range, making travel routes and feeding areas in the mixed sagebrush and timber worth watching. November's modest snowfall and lows near 25°F can help push animals toward more open, lower ground where they're easier to spot. Either an antlered or antlerless elk is legal here, giving more flexibility than the general season's antlerless-only restriction. Draw odds for Controlled hunt 70-1 in this window run good for residents, making it one of the more attainable controlled tags in the unit.
Controlled hunt 70-1 · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
Closing out the year, this December muzzleloader controlled hunt falls entirely within the Winter Range phase, when elk have settled onto lower-elevation ground for the season. Working the sagebrush flats and grass and meadow patches at lower elevations, where animals concentrate to ride out winter, is the most direct approach. December's heavier snowfall, averaging around 9.2 inches with lows near 18°F, can concentrate elk further but also make travel tougher in places. Either an antlered or antlerless elk is legal, and draw odds for Controlled hunt 70-1 in this window run good for residents.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,400–9,300 ft, typically around 5,400 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 56% gentle · 33% moderate · 11% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~444 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
- Other cover69%
- Sagebrush22%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Riparian2%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush72%
- Other cover22%
- Grass and meadow7%
Higher elevations
- Sagebrush74%
- Conifer17%
- Aspen5%
- Grass and meadow4%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 36% of Unit 73 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- National Forest17%
- BLM17%
- Idaho state endowment land2%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private64%
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 85°F, lows around 52°F
- September — highs around 75°F, lows around 44°F
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.1 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 45°F, lows around 25°F, about 2.7 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 34°F, lows around 18°F, about 9.2 in of snowfall
Unit 73 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 73 over the counter?
Yes. Residents purchase the Bannock Elk Zone's general A tag over the counter with no draw or application required. The A tag covers Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A and 74, and its archery, any-weapon and muzzleloader seasons all apply in Unit 73.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag that covers Unit 73?
Nonresidents enter a random draw for the Bannock Elk Zone's general tag, and they apply for a specific tag, either the A tag or the B tag, at the time they submit their application. The tag choice is made when applying, not after the draw results are known.
How hard is it to draw a controlled hunt tag in Unit 73?
Controlled hunt 70-1 is a pure random draw with a limited number of tags and no points system involved. Resident first-choice odds vary by season within the hunt, running very long for the early October any-weapon window, long for the mid-to-late October any-weapon window, and good for both muzzleloader windows in November and December.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 73?
Unit 73 falls within the Bannock Elk Zone, which also includes Units 70, 71, 72, 73A and 74. The zone's general A tag offers archery, any-weapon and muzzleloader seasons valid in Unit 73, and hunters may also apply for the separately drawn Controlled hunt 70-1.
Which Unit 73 elk seasons fall during the rut?
The A tag archery season, running August 30 through September 30, overlaps 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 unit's other seasons, including the any-weapon, muzzleloader and Controlled hunt 70-1 windows, occur outside that rut period.
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.