Unit 77 Elk Hunting, Idaho
Idaho hunting unit · Bear River Elk Zone · 263 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 77 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 77 is like
Unit 77 is rolling to moderately steep country in the Caribou National Forest, with mean slopes under 16 degrees and only a small share of ground that qualifies as truly steep. At mid elevations the cover runs heavy to sagebrush with pockets of aspen and small stringers of grass and meadow and conifer, while higher up the mix shifts toward timber and aspen with sagebrush still holding a real share and grass thinning out. Much of the unit is walkable on foot, with elevations spanning from around 4,500 feet up to 9,500 feet, giving hunters room to work both open sage flats and timbered benches depending on where elk are sitting.
About 46 percent of Unit 77, roughly 122 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment ground — the figure a hunter can actually plan around, keeping in mind that endowment parcels can be posted closed or leased even though they are generally open. The rest, just over half the unit, is private and requires written permission before stepping foot on it. Finding a huntable block of public ground takes some map work and a willingness to hunt around private inholdings rather than assuming free rein across the unit.
General elk tags here are sold by zone rather than by unit, and Unit 77 falls in the Bear River Elk Zone alongside Units 75 and 78. Residents buy an A or B tag over the counter with no draw required, while nonresidents apply for a specific zone tag — either the A or the B — through a random draw, choosing which one they want at the time they apply rather than after being drawn. The B tag is capped, with a limited number sold first-come, first-served, so it can sell out before the season opens. Beyond the general tags, Unit 77 also carries a controlled any-weapon hunt with a limited, randomly drawn number of tags for hunters willing to take on long odds for a rifle season timed to the tail end of the rut.
General-season elk (2026)
General elk tags are sold by zone. Unit 77 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 77. 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
This early archery stretch opens right as bucks and bulls are shedding velvet and still holding close to their summer ground, spanning the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases. Sitting a water source or glassing sage flats and aspen edges for a spot-and-stalk works well while bulls haven't yet scattered into rut behavior. The B tag here is archery-only and restricts hunters to an antlerless elk or a spike bull, so it pairs well with patient, close-range tactics rather than chasing mature bulls. Mid-elevation sagebrush and aspen pockets are worth still-hunting slowly since cover is open enough to spot elk before they spot the hunter.
A tag · Archery · August 30 – September 30
Running through the same rut window as the B archery season, this A tag archery hunt covers the Pre-Rut Transition, Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases and rewards the same early strategy of sitting water or glassing for a stalk while bulls are freshly out of velvet and still near their summer haunts. Because the A tag allows any elk, archers have more flexibility to commit to a stalk on a mature bull rather than passing for a specific class of animal. The extended season length into late September gives more days to work the mix of sagebrush, aspen and conifer at different elevations as elk begin shifting with the rut. Covering ground between mid and higher elevations pays off since cover and rut activity both change with elevation here.
B tag · Any weapon · October 15 – October 24
By the time this any-weapon B season opens, the rut is winding down and elk move into the Late Rut and Early Post-Rut phases, with bulls settling out of peak breeding activity. Hunters carrying this tag are restricted to antlered bulls only, so glassing timber edges and aspen stands at higher elevations for bulls that have separated from cows can pay off as breeding wanes. The rolling-to-moderate terrain allows for covering country on foot, working from sagebrush benches up into conifer and aspen where bulls tend to retreat once the rut activity slows. It's a shorter window, so persistence in covering likely bull habitat matters more than waiting on any one spot.
A tag · Any weapon · October 25 – November 15
This late-October into mid-November window falls across the Post-Rut Recovery and Migration Transition phases, when elk activity is shifting away from rut behavior and toward seasonal movement, and the tag is antlerless only. Hunters filling a cow or calf tag should focus on lower and mid-elevation sagebrush and aspen country where elk concentrate as they begin transitioning off higher ground. Early-season snow can start falling by November, with lows dropping to around 24°F, which can push animals to lower elevations and make tracking movement across open sage terrain more productive. Covering the accessible public ground within the unit's rolling terrain, rather than committing to one glassing point, helps locate groups as they shift with the season.
A tag · Muzzleloader · December 1 – December 31
Hunting in December places this antlerless muzzleloader season squarely in the Winter Range phase, when elk have settled onto their wintering ground for the season. With snowfall averaging around 10.4 inches for the month and lows near 17°F, hunters filling a cow or calf tag should concentrate effort on lower-elevation sagebrush flats and aspen pockets where elk gather to ride out the winter. Deep, accumulating snow can make foot travel slower and concentrate elk into smaller pockets of accessible ground, so identifying which lower-elevation public parcels hold elk becomes the main task. Cold-weather clothing and equipment reliability matter as much as location 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 77 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
Falling in the Late Rut and Early Post-Rut phase, this controlled any-weapon hunt, numbered 75-1, gives hunters two weeks in early October to catch bulls as breeding activity tapers off but before elk fully settle into post-rut patterns. The hunt is antlered-only and operates under the motorized hunting rule, so travel by vehicle is restricted and much of the pursuit here comes down to hunting on foot across the unit's rolling-to-moderate terrain. Resident hunters face long odds in the draw for hunt 75-1, since tags are limited and awarded through a pure random draw with no way to improve the odds over time. Hunters who draw it can work the transition zones between sagebrush and timber where bulls tend to settle as rutting activity winds down.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,500–9,500 ft, typically around 5,900 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 33% gentle · 46% moderate · 20% steep · 1% rugged
- Ground you can count on
- ~122 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 cover51%
- Sagebrush44%
- Aspen2%
- Grass and meadow2%
- Riparian1%
Mid elevations
- Sagebrush68%
- Aspen21%
- Grass and meadow5%
- Conifer3%
- Other cover3%
Higher elevations
- Conifer40%
- Aspen31%
- Sagebrush27%
- Grass and meadow1%
- Other cover1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 46% of Unit 77 is public land a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land.
- National Forest42%
- BLM4%
- Idaho state endowment land<1%
- Private54%
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 74°F, lows around 43°F
- October — highs around 59°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.3 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 44°F, lows around 24°F, about 3.3 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 33°F, lows around 17°F, about 10.4 in of snowfall
Unit 77 elk hunting FAQ
Can a resident buy an elk tag for Unit 77 over the counter?
Yes. Residents can buy a general elk tag for the Bear River Elk Zone, which covers Unit 77, over the counter with no draw or application needed. They choose between the zone's A tag and B tag, each with its own season and legal animal.
How do nonresidents get a general elk tag for Unit 77?
Nonresidents cannot simply buy a general tag over the counter; they must apply through a random draw. When applying, they choose a specific tag — either the Bear River Elk Zone's A tag or its B tag — since the tag is selected at the time of application rather than after the draw.
How hard is it to draw the controlled hunt in Unit 77?
Controlled hunt 75-1, an any-weapon hunt held in early October, carries long odds for resident applicants based on the first-choice draw results. It is a pure random draw with a limited number of tags and no points system to improve future chances.
Which elk zone and tags cover Unit 77?
Unit 77 lies in the Bear River Elk Zone along with Units 75 and 78. General elk tags for this zone come in an A tag and a B tag, each with different seasons, weapons and legal animals, and a hunter chooses one.
How much of Unit 77 is public land a hunter can count on?
About 46 percent of the unit, roughly 122 square miles, is generally open to public hunting across National Forest, BLM and Idaho state endowment land. The remaining share is private land that requires written permission before it can be hunted.
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.