Idaho Hunting Unit 20A

Elk and deer in Unit 20A (Idaho, Valley counties): hunter success by year, 2026 seasons and draw odds, public land and rules, from Idaho Fish and Game records.

Open Unit 20A on the mapFree · public land, Forest roads, offline maps

Elk success19%5-year general season

Mule deer success14%5-year general season

Public land100%of the unit

Hunter success by year

ElkDeer (all deer, as IDFG reports)

General season success as Idaho Fish and Game reports it. Year-by-year numbers are in the tables below.

Elk hunting in Unit 20A

In the 2025 general season, 301 elk hunters took 73 elk: 24% success. Over the last five seasons, success averaged 19% (total harvest over total hunters, 2021–2025). Of the bulls taken, 30% had 6 or more points.

General season, Idaho Fish and Game harvest survey. 6+ pt: share of bulls with 6 or more points
Year	Hunters	Harvest	Success	6+ pt
2025	301	73	24%	30%
2024	308	62	20%	46%
2023	347	40	11%	29%
2022	260	60	23%	43%
2021	280	54	19%	34%
2020	364	68	19%	54%
2019	370	67	18%	59%
2018	293	82	28%	48%
2017	233	62	27%	33%
2016	233	58	25%	73%
2015	234	86	37%	41%

Deer hunting in Unit 20A

In the 2025 general season, 160 deer hunters took 35 deer: 22% success. Over the last five seasons, mule deer success averaged 14% (mule deer taken per deer hunter, 2021–2025). Idaho Fish and Game counts all deer: 45% of the 2025 harvest was whitetail.

General season, Idaho Fish and Game harvest survey. Whitetail: share of the deer harvest
Year	Hunters	Harvest	Success	Whitetail
2025	160	35	22%	45%
2024	202	56	28%	46%
2023	176	47	27%	51%
2022	175	17	10%	41%
2021	184	56	30%	29%
2020	238	40	17%	34%
2019	184	47	26%	32%
2018	200	42	21%	31%
2017	100	29	29%	32%
2016	143	52	36%	34%
2015	174	63	37%	29%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

Hunt	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
Hunt 1012	Any weapon	85	47	55%
Hunt 1155 outfitter tags	Any weapon	9	4	44%

2026 elk and deer seasons in Unit 20A

General seasons (over the counter)

Season	Dates	Sex	Tag
Elk, any weapon	Sep 15 – Sep 30	antlered	Elk B Tag - Middle Fork Zone
Elk, any weapon	Oct 1 – Oct 31	antlered	Elk A Tag - Middle Fork Zone
Elk, any weapon	Nov 1 – Nov 18	antlered	Elk B Tag - Middle Fork Zone
Deer, any weapon	Sep 15 – Oct 31	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Sep 15 – Nov 18	either sex	White-tailed Deer Tag

Controlled hunts

Hunt	Dates	Weapon	Sex	Tags	Drew
Deer 1012 area 20A	Nov 1 – Nov 18	Any weapon	antlered	–	73% (152 tags, 100 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1155 area 20A outfitter tags	Nov 1 – Nov 18	Any weapon	antlered	9	outfitter-allocated, not in the public draw

Drew: share of first-choice applicants who drew a tag in the latest draw (for youth-only hunts, youth applicants). Outfitter tags go to licensed outfitters and are not drawn. A controlled hunt area can reach beyond this unit.

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 20A

100% public land. Ownership: USFS 99%.

Idaho Fish and Game Hunt Planner. The map shows public land boundaries and Forest roads you can drive.

Next to Unit 20A

Five-year general-season success in the units that border Unit 20A.

Unit	Elk	Deer
Unit 20A (this unit)	19%	14%
Unit 19	18%	22%
Unit 19A	11%	16%
Unit 20	15%	36%*
Unit 21	22%	32%
Unit 25	9%	20%
Unit 26	16%	27%
Unit 27	16%	32%
Unit 28	28%	27%

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 20A.

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.