Idaho Hunting Unit 36A

Elk and deer in Unit 36A (Custer County): hunter success by year, 2026 seasons and draw odds, public land and rules, from Idaho Fish and Game records.

Open Unit 36A on the mapFree · public land, Forest roads, offline maps

Elk success25%5-year general season

Mule deer success20%5-year general season

Public land97%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 36A

In the 2025 general season, 696 elk hunters took 138 elk: 20% success. Over the last five seasons, success averaged 25% (total harvest over total hunters, 2021–2025). Of the bulls taken, 28% 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	696	138	20%	28%
2024	777	150	19%	41%
2023	746	130	18%	31%
2022	1,137	375	33%	63%
2021	1,003	302	30%	27%
2020	1,228	376	31%	49%
2019	1,174	240	20%	76%
2018	782	78	10%	42%
2017	623	81	13%	26%
2016	536	115	21%	64%
2015	615	165	27%	48%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

Hunt	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
Hunt 2010 area 36A-1	Any weapon	57	25	44%
Hunt 2011 area 36A-2	Any weapon	112	77	69%
Hunt 2133	Muzzleloader	208	57	27%
Hunt 2167 area 36AX	Any weapon	186	138	74%
Hunt 2182 outfitter tags	Muzzleloader	3	3	100%
Hunt 2183 area 36A-1 outfitter tags	Any weapon	3	2	67%
Hunt 2184 area 36A-2 outfitter tags	Any weapon	7	6	86%
Hunt 2280 area 36A-1X	Any weapon	31	21	68%

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

Deer hunting in Unit 36A

In the 2025 general season, 526 deer hunters took 135 deer: 26% success. Over the last five seasons, mule deer success averaged 20% (mule deer taken per deer hunter, 2021–2025). Idaho Fish and Game counts all deer: 8% 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	526	135	26%	8%
2024	564	151	27%	16%
2023	545	69	13%	39%
2022	591	112	19%	3%
2021	618	200	32%	12%
2020	765	182	24%	6%
2019	646	101	16%	8%
2018	612	98	16%	4%
2017	697	117	17%	8%
2016	525	246	47%	5%
2015	608	190	31%	0%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

Hunt	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
Hunt 1026	Any weapon	5	4	80%
Hunt 1070 area 21-1	Archery	10	6	60%
Hunt 1112 area 36A-1X youth only	Any weapon	32	9	28%
Hunt 1136 area 36A-1X	Any weapon	120	46	38%
Hunt 1137 area 36A-1X	Any weapon	124	45	36%
Hunt 1157 area 21-1 outfitter tags	Archery	1	0	0%
Hunt 1166 outfitter tags	Any weapon	1	0	0%

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

2026 elk and deer seasons in Unit 36A

General seasons (over the counter)

Season	Dates	Sex	Tag
Elk, any weapon	Aug 1 – Oct 31	antlerless	Elk A Tag - Pioneer Zone
Elk, archery	Aug 30 – Sep 30	either sex	Elk A Tag - Pioneer Zone
Elk, muzzleloader	Nov 1 – Nov 9	antlerless	Elk A Tag - Pioneer Zone
Elk, any weapon	Nov 10 – Nov 30	antlerless	Elk B Tag - Pioneer 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 – Oct 24	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 31	antlerless	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 31	antlered	White-tailed Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 31	antlerless	White-tailed Deer Tag
Deer, short-range	Nov 1 – Dec 9	antlered	White-tailed Deer Tag
Deer, short-range	Nov 1 – Dec 31	antlerless	White-tailed Deer Tag

Controlled hunts

Hunt	Dates	Weapon	Sex	Tags	Drew
Elk 2010 area 36A-1	Oct 1 – Oct 31	Any weapon	antlered	60	13% (60 tags, 464 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2011 area 36A-2	Oct 1 – Oct 31	Any weapon	antlered	120	11% (120 tags, 1,081 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2183 area 36A-1 outfitter tags	Oct 1 – Oct 31	Any weapon	antlered	3	outfitter-allocated, not in the public draw
Elk 2184 area 36A-2 outfitter tags	Oct 1 – Oct 31	Any weapon	antlered	7	outfitter-allocated, not in the public draw
Elk 2133 area 36A-3	Nov 1 – Nov 30	Muzzleloader	either sex	250	77% (250 tags, 181 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2182 area 36A-3 outfitter tags	Nov 1 – Nov 30	Muzzleloader	either sex	3	outfitter-allocated, not in the public draw
Elk 2167 area 36AX	Dec 1 – Dec 31	Any weapon	antlerless	250	11% (250 tags, 2,271 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2280 area 36A-1X	Jan 1, 2027 – Jan 31, 2027	Any weapon	antlerless	50	12% (50 tags, 432 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1070 area 21-1	Aug 1 – Sep 30	Archery	antlered	10	19% (10 tags, 53 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1157 area 21-1 outfitter tags	Aug 1 – Sep 30	Archery	antlered	1	outfitter-allocated, not in the public draw
Deer 1136 area 36A-1X	Aug 30 – Oct 31	Any weapon	antlerless	200	100% (200 tags, 193 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1112 area 36A-1X youth only	Aug 30 – Dec 31	Any weapon	antlerless	75	100% (49 tags, 42 1st choice, youth applicants, 2026)
Deer 1026 area 36A	Oct 10 – Nov 30	Any weapon	antlered	5	1% (5 tags, 364 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1166 area 36A outfitter tags	Oct 10 – Nov 30	Any weapon	antlered	1	outfitter-allocated, not in the public draw
Deer 1137 area 36A-1X	Nov 1 – Dec 31	Any weapon	antlerless	200	57% (200 tags, 349 1st choice, 2026)

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 36A

97% public land. Ownership: USFS 51%, BLM 42%, State 3.3%, Private 2.8%.

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

Next to Unit 36A

Five-year general-season success in the units that border Unit 36A.

Unit	Elk	Deer
Unit 36A (this unit)	25%	20%
Unit 36	22%	29%
Unit 36B	21%	28%
Unit 37	25%	33%*
Unit 48	14%	30%
Unit 50	22%	20%

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 36A.

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.