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Idaho Hunting Unit 33

Elk and deer in Unit 33 (Boise, Valley counties): hunter success by year, 2026 seasons and draw odds, public land and rules, from Idaho Fish and Game records.

Open Unit 33 on the mapFree · public land, Forest roads, offline maps
Elk success22%5-year general season
Mule deer success16%5-year general season
Public land94%of the unit

Hunter success by year

ElkDeer (all deer, as IDFG reports)
0%10%20%30%201520172019202120232025Elk 2015: 28% (202 of 723 hunters)Elk 2016: 29% (186 of 636 hunters)Elk 2017: 25% (173 of 703 hunters)Elk 2018: 28% (204 of 718 hunters)Elk 2019: 24% (247 of 1,031 hunters)Elk 2020: 26% (224 of 877 hunters)Elk 2021: 20% (190 of 948 hunters)Elk 2022: 20% (184 of 898 hunters)Elk 2023: 22% (195 of 873 hunters)Elk 2024: 29% (230 of 781 hunters)Elk 2025: 21% (184 of 894 hunters)Deer 2015: 30% (458 of 1,539 hunters)Deer 2016: 21% (288 of 1,343 hunters)Deer 2017: 12% (170 of 1,385 hunters)Deer 2018: 21% (258 of 1,242 hunters)Deer 2019: 12% (190 of 1,559 hunters)Deer 2020: 16% (232 of 1,412 hunters)Deer 2021: 24% (344 of 1,463 hunters)Deer 2022: 16% (226 of 1,402 hunters)Deer 2023: 18% (222 of 1,252 hunters)Deer 2024: 22% (282 of 1,256 hunters)Deer 2025: 21% (296 of 1,388 hunters)Elk 21%Deer 21%

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

Elk hunting in Unit 33

In the 2025 general season, 894 elk hunters took 184 elk: 21% success. Over the last five seasons, success averaged 22% (total harvest over total hunters, 2021–2025). Of the bulls taken, 19% had 6 or more points.

General season, Idaho Fish and Game harvest survey. 6+ pt: share of bulls with 6 or more points
YearHuntersHarvestSuccess6+ pt
202589418421%19%
202478123029%22%
202387319522%24%
202289818420%33%
202194819020%21%
202087722426%38%
20191,03124724%25%
201871820428%37%
201770317325%43%
201663618629%19%
201572320228%30%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

HuntWeaponHuntersHarvestSuccess
Hunt 2082 area 39-2Any weapon4299823%
Hunt 2131 area 33-1Muzzleloader25624%
Hunt 2132 area 33-2Muzzleloader411127%

Results are for the whole hunt area, which can reach beyond this unit.

Deer hunting in Unit 33

In the 2025 general season, 1,388 deer hunters took 296 deer: 21% success. Over the last five seasons, mule deer success averaged 16% (mule deer taken per deer hunter, 2021–2025). Idaho Fish and Game counts all deer: 19% of the 2025 harvest was whitetail.

General season, Idaho Fish and Game harvest survey. Whitetail: share of the deer harvest
YearHuntersHarvestSuccessWhitetail
20251,38829621%19%
20241,25628222%29%
20231,25222218%16%
20221,40222616%31%
20211,46334424%16%
20201,41223216%29%
20191,55919012%34%
20181,24225821%11%
20171,38517012%25%
20161,34328821%25%
20151,53945830%22%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

HuntWeaponHuntersHarvestSuccess
Hunt 1087Muzzleloader1416043%

2026 elk and deer seasons in Unit 33

General seasons (over the counter)

SeasonDatesSexTag
Elk, archeryAug 30 – Sep 30either sexElk A Tag - Sawtooth Zone
Elk, any weaponOct 15 – Nov 8antleredElk B Tag - Sawtooth Zone
Deer, archeryAug 30 – Sep 30either sexRegular Deer Tag
Deer, archeryAug 30 – Sep 30either sexWhite-tailed Deer Tag
Deer, any weaponOct 10 – Oct 31antlerlessRegular Deer Tag
Deer, any weaponOct 10 – Oct 31antleredRegular Deer Tag
Deer, any weaponOct 10 – Nov 8either sexWhite-tailed Deer Tag

Controlled hunts

HuntDatesWeaponSexTagsDrew
Elk 2082 area 39-2Oct 5 – Oct 31Any weaponantlerless50052% (500 tags, 960 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2131 area 33-1Nov 10 – Nov 30Muzzleloaderantlerless2515% (25 tags, 164 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2132 area 33-2Nov 10 – Nov 30Muzzleloaderantlered5066% (50 tags, 76 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1087 area 33-1Nov 10 – Nov 30Muzzleloaderantlered15036% (150 tags, 420 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1164 area 33 outfitter tagsNov 10 – Nov 30Muzzleloaderantlered1outfitter-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 33

94% public land. Ownership: USFS 79%, Private 6.4%, State 6%, BOR 5.9%, BLM 2.5%.

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

Next to Unit 33

Five-year general-season success in the units that border Unit 33.

UnitElkDeer
Unit 33 (this unit)22%16%
Unit 2412%11%
Unit 259%20%
Unit 3222%28%
Unit 32A18%16%
Unit 3414%16%
Unit 3519%20%
Unit 3912%18%

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

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.