2026 Deer and Elk Hunting Outlook

McCall Subregion

Elk

Elk herds remain at/or above objectives in most of the region, except for the Middle Fork Zone, which is still below objectives. Wildlife staff surveyed the Weiser River and Brownlee zones during January 2025. Elk numbers in both those zones were well above management objectives, leading to several hunting season changes. The quota was removed from the Weiser River Zone B tag, and general hunting opportunity was added on a Brownlee B tag. Controlled hunts for both youth and adults were added in Brownlee and Weiser River units.

It is important to note that elk in both the Brownlee and Weiser zones can be challenging to hunt in areas with a mix of private and public lands, as elk will often seek refuge on private lands with limited hunting access. The Tartar Fire in Unit 31 likely pushed additional elk onto private lands in the Brownlee Zone this year. Hunters are reminded to secure permission before hunting on private lands, and to be respectful of working ranches and fire recovery efforts.

Deer

Deer populations in Units 22, 32, and 32A are likely beginning to recover after the effects of several large fires (Lava, Paddock, and Limepoint) that occurred during summer 2024. Those fires impacted both summer and winter range, and likely led to lower than average fawn survival during the winter following the fire.

However, mild winters have likely helped offset some of the fire impacts, and we expect to see deer populations beginning to rebound. If conditions allow, our staff is planning an aerial survey of these units this winter.

Like elk, deer in Unit 31 were also impacted by the Tartar Fire. Fire impacts to habitat may result in changes to deer distribution during this hunting season, but will also likely result in poor survival this winter, as food resources are limited. White-tailed deer herds are stable to slightly increasing across the region, with the highest densities occurring in the northern units, such as Units 23 and 24.

Hunters pursuing mule deer on the regular deer tag are reminded that youth are restricted to harvesting antlered deer only in Units 23, 31, and 32A.

What hunters should be aware of this fall

Following two consecutive years of no CWD detections, the Fish and Game Commission removed the mandatory CWD testing requirement in Units 24 and 32A this year. CWD testing is still mandatory in Unit 23, where a mule deer buck tested positive in fall 2023.

Unit 23 is not within the CWD Management Zone, so carcass transportation restrictions do not apply. Hunters have several options for submitting CWD samples, including check stations, sampling sites, and remote collection sites such as freezers and head barrels.

As of late August, a portion of Unit 31 is still closed due to the Tartar Fire. It has already been a very active fire season in Southwest Idaho, and the season isn't over yet. Conditions can change quickly, and new fire starts are possible before hunting seasons kick off. Hunters are reminded to check current fire conditions and closures in their hunt areas before heading out into the field.

- Regan Berkley, Regional Wildlife Manager

Nampa Subregion

Elk

The Boise River Zone was last surveyed in 2021, which showed that both cows and bulls were exceeding population objectives. Starting in 2023, the season for the Boise River B Tag was extended to begin earlier on Oct. 27. The added days have not changed any individual hunter's odds of harvesting with success remaining consistent in the last three seasons. What the extension did was bring more hunters. Tag numbers have been highest in recent history, and antlered harvest has followed.

Unit 38 was added to the Boise River B tag in 2025 to address ongoing depredations and remains part of that tag this season. Hunters who have not read the B tag description since then should take note. Unit 38 has little suitable elk habitat and nearly all elk are on agricultural private lands. Hunters should not consider this hunt unless they have secured private lands permissions before heading into the field. A dry summer is likely to hold elk on irrigated ground longer this year.

The Sawtooth Zone was last surveyed in 2023. Estimates of overwintering bulls showed a decline, while cow numbers increased when compared to the previous survey in 2017. However, it is important to remember that much of the huntable population migrates into the Sawtooth Zone in the spring.

Over five years prior to the Anderson and Wapiti Complex Fires, regional staff tracked a small decline in general season success. However, hunters that waited out the fires during the 2024 season experienced a noticeable jump in success. It was likely that the large fires had displaced elk from their usual hiding spots making them more available to hunters. The 2025 hunt season saw lower harvest success than the 2024 season, but higher success than the pre-fire years. Sawtooth Zone elk hunters should expect to have similar experiences this fall.

Elk hunting in the Owyhee Zone, which is limited to controlled hunts, will continue to offer hunters excellent chances to harvest mature bulls this fall. These herds are stable and/or growing, which allows for controlled hunt antlerless opportunities in the zone aimed at slowing population growth. The Big Grass Fire has likely displaced elk in portions of Units 40 and 42 that were within and near the fire perimeter but a lot of area remains for hunters to access during the upcoming seasons.

Mule Deer

With generous over-the-counter tags, any-weapon harvest seasons, and its proximity to Idaho's most populated area, Unit 39 is the state's most popular unit for mule deer hunters. Since the hard winter of 2016-17, the herd has followed a pattern of fawns entering winter in poor body condition and intermittent harsh winters driving mass mortalities.

The winter of 2025-26 broke that pattern, with mild conditions and collared fawn survival in Unit 39 of 89% through May, compared to 83% statewide. The risk this year sits at the other end of the calendar, in an early, well below normal snowpack and dry summer range. Snowpack peaked early and well below normal across the Boise River drainage and summer range has been dry, which is the condition that has historically sent fawns into winter in poor shape.

The most recent abundance survey - completed in the winter of 2024-25 - reflected the pattern of poor recruitment. Compared to the previous abundance survey in 2018, the estimated population of mule deer wintering in Unit 39 had declined.

The composition survey flown in December 2025 counted 1,167 deer and returned 12 bucks and 60 fawns per 100 does, both below the previous winter. Those flights were conducted in unseasonably warm conditions with deer still in the highest elevation bands, so the ratios are likely conservative. Unlike last year, the fawns counted in December should largely carry through to fall as the area saw higher than average overwinter fawn survival. This means hunters in the field will likely encounter more yearling bucks than they have in recent hunting seasons.

Mule deer in the southern portion of the Central Mountains (Units 33, 34, and 35) have experienced steady recovery since the winter of 2016-17, with multiple years of increasing buck-to-doe ratios observed during aerial flights through the winter of 2024-25, when the composition survey returned the highest antlered deer and fawn-to-doe ratios since 2016-17. These units were not flown this past winter, so the most recent composition data remains from that survey. Hunters should expect slightly more mature bucks at low densities and a hunting experience similar to recent years.

The general season mule deer hunting opportunity in the Owyhee units is limited to bucks that are two points or less on at least one side (2-point bucks). As a result, most harvested deer are yearlings. Hunters should have experiences similar to recent years during the general season as the Owyhee units had low snow year which typically means higher overwinter survival for fawns when compared to high snowpack years. In the late season, hunters in controlled hunts should expect to see mature bucks at low densities, but still have a quality desert hunting experience. There may be localized impacts to deer habitat in and around the areas of the Big Grass Fire in Units 40 and 42. Hunters that plan to hunt in areas within and around the fire perimeter should be courteous to landowners and land management agency personnel who will be actively working on infrastructure repairs and habitat rehabilitation efforts.

What hunters should be aware of this fall

Hunters should be aware that the southwest region has had two of the largest fires in Idaho this fire season with still a majority of the fire season to go during a low water year. There will be extensive burn scars in Units 40, 41, and 42 following the Big Grass Fire.

Hunters may feel localized crowding in some areas if avoiding these burn scars but there is still a lot of huntable and accessible lands for hunters to enjoy. Please be courteous to landowners and land management personnel that are working on infrastructure repairs and habitat restoration efforts; offering help where you can will go a long way.

- Ryan Walrath, Regional Wildlife Manager