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Idaho Hunting Unit 12
Elk and deer in Unit 12 (Idaho, Clearwater counties): hunter success by year, 2026 seasons and draw odds, public land and rules, from Idaho Fish and Game records.
Hunter success by year
General season success as Idaho Fish and Game reports it. Year-by-year numbers are in the tables below.
Elk hunting in Unit 12
In the 2025 general season, 393 elk hunters took 56 elk: 14% success. Over the last five seasons, success averaged 11% (total harvest over total hunters, 2021–2025). Of the bulls taken, 38% had 6 or more points.
| Year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | 6+ pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 393 | 56 | 14% | 38% |
| 2024 | 326 | 41 | 13% | 49% |
| 2023 | 372 | 40 | 11% | 39% |
| 2022 | 434 | 34 | 8% | 29% |
| 2021 | 296 | 25 | 8% | 45% |
| 2020 | 315 | 21 | 7% | 47% |
| 2019 | 280 | 28 | 10% | 34% |
| 2018 | 300 | 32 | 11% | 24% |
| 2017 | 260 | 54 | 21% | 16% |
| 2016 | 259 | 46 | 18% | 23% |
| 2015 | 239 | 45 | 19% | 35% |
Deer hunting in Unit 12
In the 2025 general season, 226 deer hunters took 57 deer: 25% success. Over the last five seasons, deer success averaged 28% (all deer, 2021–2025); whitetail were 90% of the harvest, so this is mostly a whitetail unit. Idaho Fish and Game counts all deer: 90% of the 2025 harvest was whitetail.
| Year | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Whitetail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 226 | 57 | 25% | 90% |
| 2024 | 226 | 52 | 23% | 100% |
| 2023 | 245 | 85 | 35% | 91% |
| 2022 | 238 | 72 | 30% | 86% |
| 2021 | 265 | 75 | 28% | 81% |
| 2020 | 219 | 69 | 32% | 94% |
| 2019 | 234 | 51 | 22% | 100% |
| 2018 | 246 | 52 | 21% | 97% |
| 2017 | 272 | 96 | 35% | 90% |
| 2016 | 280 | 68 | 24% | 96% |
| 2015 | 310 | 163 | 52% | 94% |
2026 elk and deer seasons in Unit 12
General seasons (over the counter)
| Season | Dates | Sex | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk, archery | Aug 30 – Sep 30 | antlered | Elk A Tag - Lolo Zone |
| Elk, any weapon | Oct 10 – Nov 3 | antlered | Elk B Tag - Lolo Zone |
| Deer, archery | Aug 30 – Sep 30 | either sex | Regular Deer Tag |
| Deer, archery | Aug 30 – Sep 30 | either sex | White-tailed Deer Tag |
| Deer, any weapon | Oct 10 – Nov 3 | either sex | Regular Deer Tag |
| Deer, any weapon | Oct 10 – Nov 20 | either sex | White-tailed Deer Tag |
From the Idaho Fish and Game Hunt Planner, checked Oct 16, 2026. Seasons and rules change: confirm in the current regulations before you hunt.
Land in Unit 12
95% public land. Ownership: USFS 94%, Private 5.3%.
Idaho Fish and Game Hunt Planner. The map shows public land boundaries and Forest roads you can drive.
Next to Unit 12
Five-year general-season success in the units that border Unit 12.
Deer: mule deer success; * mostly whitetail, so all deer. – means no recent general season or too few seasons or hunters for a 5-year figure.
Sources
- Harvest, hunters and success: Idaho Fish and Game harvest statistics (survey estimates, checked Oct 16, 2026).
- Seasons and draw odds: Idaho Fish and Game Hunt Planner (checked Oct 16, 2026).
- Land and unit details: Idaho Fish and Game page for Unit 12.
Five-year success is the total harvest divided by the total hunters over the last five seasons (at least 100 hunters); for deer, the whitetail share is taken out, except in mostly-whitetail units, where it is all deer. Everything else is shown as published. Data checked Oct 16, 2026.