Unit 75 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Bear River Elk Zone · 379 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 75 is in the Bear River Elk Zone, whose A and B tags carry different seasons. Nonresident general tags are allocated by random draw. It also has 1 controlled hunt, drawn by pure random draw with no points — resident odds long odds. The zone's B tag is capped: a limited number, sold first-come, first-served.
What hunting Unit 75 is like
Unit 75 is rolling country, with some steeper breaks, running from roughly 4,900 feet up to 9,700 feet within the Caribou National Forest and surrounding ground. Lower elevations carry sagebrush with pockets of riparian growth, mid-elevations are dominated by sagebrush with conifer and aspen mixed in, and the higher country shifts to conifer and aspen with sagebrush openings. Slopes are mostly gentle to moderate, so most of the unit is walkable on foot, though the steeper breaks in the high country demand more effort and can hold elk that get pushed out of easier ground.
About 43 percent of the unit, roughly 161 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM, state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area. That is the only ground a hunter can plan on without asking permission, and even state endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased, so it pays to check status before committing to a spot. The remaining 57 percent is private and requires written permission to access.
General elk tags in this unit are sold through the Bear River Elk Zone, which also covers Units 77 and 78, and a hunter chooses either the zone's A tag or B tag, each with its own season and weapons. Residents buy either general tag over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for a specific zone tag, A or B, through a random draw at the time of application rather than after drawing. Beyond the general seasons, Controlled hunt 75-1 offers a drawn opportunity for an any-weapon, antlered-only bull hunt under the Motorized Hunting Rule, filled by pure random draw with no points involved.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 75 is in the Bear River Elk Zone (Units 75, 77 and 78); 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 75. 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 75, 77 and 78 | August 30 – September 14 | Antlerless or spike bull | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| A tag · Archery Valid area: Units 75, 77 and 78 | August 30 – September 30 | Any elk | Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| B tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 75, 77 and 78 | October 15 – October 24 | Antlered only | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut, Post-Rut Recovery |
| A tag · Any weapon Valid area: Units 75, 77 and 78 | October 25 – November 15 | Antlerless only | Post-Rut Recovery, Migration Transition |
| A tag · Muzzleloader Valid area: Units 75, 77 and 78 | December 1 – December 31 | Antlerless only | Winter Range |
B tag · Archery · August 30 – September 14
Early archery season in Unit 75 opens as bulls are finishing the Pre-Rut Transition and sliding into Rut Onset and Primary Rut, meaning animals are still shaking off velvet and holding close to their summer haunts in the first week or two. This B tag only allows an antlerless elk or a spike bull, so hunters should be picking apart sagebrush flats and riparian pockets at lower and mid elevations where cows and young bulls tend to hold, or glassing conifer edges higher up. Sitting water sources or glassing open country for a stalk can pay off before the rut fully kicks in. Foot access works well given the mostly gentle to moderate terrain, but hunters need to confirm which parcels are open before pushing into private ground.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Running the full length from late August through September, this A tag archery season covers the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset, and Primary Rut phases, giving hunters a shot at bulls before, during, and after the rut peaks. Early on, bulls are still tied to summer areas and shedding velvet, making water sources and glassing for spot-and-stalk chances a solid approach in the sagebrush and riparian lower country. As the season progresses into rut onset and the primary rut, hunters can push into the mid-elevation sagebrush-conifer mix and higher timber and aspen country where bulls become more active. Because this tag allows any elk, archers have flexibility to fill either a bull or a cow tag across the unit's gentle-to-moderate terrain.
B tag · Any weapon · October 15 – October 24
This any-weapon B tag opens after the rut has crested, spanning the Late Rut and Early Post-Rut phase into Post-Rut Recovery, when bull activity is winding down from its peak. Only antlered bulls are legal, and with breeding behavior fading, hunters do better still-hunting or glassing the conifer and aspen cover of the higher elevations where bulls retreat to recover, rather than expecting active rutting behavior. The unit's mostly gentle and moderate slopes make it feasible to cover ground on foot, though the steeper breaks scattered through the high country can concentrate bulls seeking cover. Access still depends on sticking to the roughly 43 percent of the unit that is generally open, since private land bounds much of the lower ground.
A tag · Any weapon · October 25 – November 15
This A tag season runs from late October into mid-November, covering the tail of Post-Rut Recovery and the start of the Migration Transition, and it is antlerless only. Elk are beginning to shift off summer and rut ranges as the Migration Transition sets in, so hunters filling a cow or calf tag should watch travel routes between higher timber and lower sagebrush country as animals move. November brings modest snowfall of around 5 inches and lows near 21°F, conditions that can nudge elk toward lower, more open sagebrush and riparian ground and make tracking movement a little easier. The unit's gentle-to-moderate terrain keeps most of this country accessible on foot, though hunters still need to work within the public land base and respect private boundaries.
A tag · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
The muzzleloader season falls entirely in the Winter Range phase during December, when elk have settled into their winter pattern, and it is antlerless only. With snowfall averaging near 10.8 inches and lows around 13°F, conditions favor watching lower-elevation sagebrush and riparian areas where elk concentrate to escape deeper snow and cold in the higher timber. Cow and calf hunters should focus effort on these lower bands rather than pushing into the higher conifer and aspen country, since winter weather limits both elk and hunter mobility. Because much of the low country is private, securing permission or sticking to the public 43 percent of the unit is essential before the season 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 75 is valid only in its own hunt area.
| Season | Dates | Legal elk | Resident draw | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled hunt 75-1 · Any weapon Motorized Hunting Rule Applies | October 1 – October 14 | Antlered only | Long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
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 75-1 · Any weapon · October 1 – October 14
Controlled hunt 75-1 runs during the Late Rut and Early Post-Rut phase in early October, a window when breeding activity is tapering off but bulls have not yet fully settled into recovery. This is an antlered-only, any-weapon hunt operating under the Motorized Hunting Rule, and residents drawing it face long odds in the random draw with no points to improve future chances. Hunters who land the tag can work the conifer and aspen higher country as well as the moderate slopes lower down, since the terrain here is mostly walkable with only limited steep ground. Given the motorized restriction, planning access on foot or with permitted vehicle use is worth sorting out ahead of the season.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,900–9,700 ft, typically around 6,400 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 53% gentle · 37% moderate · 10% steep · 0% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~161 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 cover46%
- Sagebrush37%
- Riparian12%
- Conifer1%
- Grass and meadow1%
- Aspen1%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush60%
- Conifer18%
- Aspen10%
- Other cover10%
- Riparian1%
- Grass and meadow1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer54%
- Aspen23%
- Sagebrush20%
- Other cover3%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 43% of Unit 75 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM, Idaho state endowment land and State Wildlife Management Area.
- National Forest36%
- BLM4%
- Idaho state endowment land2%
- State Wildlife Management Area<1%
- Private57%
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 82°F, lows around 47°F
- September — highs around 71°F, lows around 39°F
- October — highs around 57°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 42°F, lows around 21°F, about 5 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 32°F, lows around 13°F, about 10.8 in of snowfall
Unit 75 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 75 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy a general elk tag for the Bear River Elk Zone, which includes Unit 75, over the counter with no draw or application needed. They choose between the zone's A tag and B tag, each carrying its own season and legal animal restrictions.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 75?
Nonresidents obtain a general tag through a random draw rather than buying over the counter. When applying, they select a specific zone tag, either the Bear River Zone's A tag or B tag, and that choice is locked in at application rather than decided after the draw.
How difficult is it to draw Controlled hunt 75-1?
Controlled hunt 75-1 draws at long odds for residents in the random draw, and there are no points of any kind in Idaho's elk system that can improve those chances over time. It is a pure random draw with a limited number of tags available each season.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 75?
Unit 75 falls within the Bear River Elk Zone, shared with Units 77 and 78, and general tags for this zone are valid across all three units. Hunters choose either the zone's A tag or its capped B tag, each with distinct seasons and weapon and legal-animal rules.
How much of Unit 75 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 43 percent of the unit, roughly 161 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM, state endowment land, and a State Wildlife Management Area. The remaining 57 percent is private and requires written permission before hunting it.
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.