Idaho Hunting Unit 39

Elk and deer in Unit 39 (Elmore, Boise, Ada counties): hunter success by year, 2026 seasons and draw odds, public land and rules, from Idaho Fish and Game records.

Open Unit 39 on the mapFree · public land, Forest roads, offline maps

Elk success12%5-year general season

Mule deer success18%5-year general season

Public land77%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 39

In the 2025 general season, 4,238 elk hunters took 537 elk: 13% success. Over the last five seasons, success averaged 12% (total harvest over total hunters, 2021–2025). Of the bulls taken, 21% 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	4,238	537	13%	21%
2024	4,406	587	13%	22%
2023	4,814	580	12%	26%
2022	3,487	456	13%	28%
2021	3,769	420	11%	24%
2020	3,606	444	12%	23%
2019	3,502	503	14%	33%
2018	3,850	445	12%	34%
2017	3,794	558	15%	28%
2016	3,652	577	16%	24%
2015	4,080	602	15%	21%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

Hunt	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
Hunt 2081 area 39-1	Any weapon	551	97	18%
Hunt 2082 area 39-2	Any weapon	429	98	23%
Hunt 2113 area 39-3	Any weapon	44	16	36%
Hunt 2122	Archery	49	14	29%
Hunt 2134	Muzzleloader	44	16	36%
Hunt 2135	Muzzleloader	508	77	15%

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

Deer hunting in Unit 39

In the 2025 general season, 10,929 deer hunters took 2,145 deer: 20% success. Over the last five seasons, mule deer success averaged 18% (mule deer taken per deer hunter, 2021–2025). Idaho Fish and Game counts all deer: 2% 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	10,929	2,145	20%	2%
2024	10,683	1,990	19%	0%
2023	11,888	1,867	16%	1%
2022	11,812	2,019	17%	1%
2021	12,370	2,679	22%	1%
2020	13,516	2,420	18%	2%
2019	13,547	2,706	20%	1%
2018	14,490	3,251	22%	1%
2017	15,505	3,428	22%	2%
2016	13,154	4,175	32%	1%
2015	13,201	3,603	27%	1.5%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

Hunt	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
Hunt 1030	Any weapon	167	72	43%
Hunt 1065 area 39-1	Any weapon	1,689	790	47%
Hunt 1072 area 39-2	Archery	50	2	4%
Hunt 1113 area 39-1X youth only	Any weapon	74	51	69%
Hunt 1168 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 39

General seasons (over the counter)

Season	Dates	Sex	Tag
Elk, any weapon (81% of unit)	Oct 27 – Nov 9	antlered	Elk B Tag - Boise River Zone
Elk, archery (90% of unit)	Nov 10 – Nov 30	either sex	Elk A Tag - Boise River Zone
Deer, muzzleloader	Sep 8 – Sep 30	antlerless	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 31	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 31	antlerless	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 31	either sex	White-tailed Deer Tag
Deer, archery (90% of unit)	Nov 10 – Nov 30	either sex	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, archery (90% of unit)	Nov 10 – Nov 30	either sex	White-tailed Deer Tag

Controlled hunts

Hunt	Dates	Weapon	Sex	Tags	Drew
Elk 2122 area 39	Aug 30 – Sep 30	Archery	antlered	50	9% (50 tags, 574 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2134 area 39	Aug 30 – Sep 30	Muzzleloader	antlered	50	8% (50 tags, 645 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2135 area 39	Sep 8 – Sep 30	Muzzleloader	antlerless	550	100% (550 tags, 286 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2081 area 39-1	Oct 5 – Oct 31	Any weapon	antlerless	650	37% (650 tags, 1,764 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2082 area 39-2	Oct 5 – Oct 31	Any weapon	antlerless	500	52% (500 tags, 960 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2113 area 39-3	Oct 27 – Nov 9	Any weapon	either sex	50	19% (50 tags, 267 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1030 area 39	Aug 15 – Sep 30	Any weapon	antlered	200	16% (200 tags, 1,248 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1168 area 39 outfitter tags	Aug 15 – Sep 30	Any weapon	antlered	1	outfitter-allocated, not in the public draw
Deer 1065 area 39-1	Oct 10 – Oct 31	Any weapon	either sex	2,000	62% (2,000 tags, 3,204 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1072 area 39-2	Nov 16 – Dec 16	Archery	either sex	60	47% (60 tags, 128 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1113 area 39-1X youth only	Dec 1 – Dec 22	Any weapon	antlerless	100	24% (100 tags, 419 1st choice, youth applicants, 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 39

77% public land. Ownership: USFS 59%, Private 23%, BLM 9.2%, State 7%, BOR 1.6%.

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

Next to Unit 39

Five-year general-season success in the units that border Unit 39.

Unit	Elk	Deer
Unit 39 (this unit)	12%	18%
Unit 32	22%	28%
Unit 32A	18%	16%
Unit 33	22%	16%
Unit 35	19%	20%
Unit 36	22%	29%
Unit 38	–	30%
Unit 43	10%	27%
Unit 44	20%	12%
Unit 45	19%	15%

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 39.

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.