Idaho Hunting Unit 6

Elk and deer in Unit 6 (Shoshone, Benewah, Latah, Clearwater counties): hunter success by year, 2026 seasons and draw odds, public land and rules, from Idaho Fish and Game records.

Open Unit 6 on the mapFree · public land, Forest roads, offline maps

Elk success15%5-year general season

Deer success37%5-year, mostly whitetail (92%)

Public land55%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 6

In the 2025 general season, 3,685 elk hunters took 589 elk: 16% success. Over the last five seasons, success averaged 15% (total harvest over total hunters, 2021–2025). Of the bulls taken, 16% 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	3,685	589	16%	16%
2024	3,810	544	14%	22%
2023	3,911	640	16%	18%
2022	3,600	513	14%	16%
2021	3,519	552	16%	21%
2020	3,762	644	17%	19%
2019	3,336	517	15%	12%
2018	3,187	600	19%	17%
2017	3,080	542	18%	11%
2016	2,601	521	20%	16%
2015	2,941	443	15%	24%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

Hunt	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
Hunt 2109 area 1-2	Any weapon	23	16	70%
Hunt 2151 youth only	Any weapon	25	20	80%

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

Deer hunting in Unit 6

In the 2025 general season, 3,961 deer hunters took 1,559 deer: 39% success. Over the last five seasons, deer success averaged 37% (all deer, 2021–2025); whitetail were 92% of the harvest, so this is mostly a whitetail unit. Idaho Fish and Game counts all deer: 88% 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	3,961	1,559	39%	88%
2024	3,616	1,364	38%	94%
2023	3,485	1,272	36%	91%
2022	3,235	1,192	37%	95%
2021	3,382	1,130	33%	92%
2020	3,687	1,324	36%	94%
2019	3,626	1,076	30%	90%
2018	3,704	1,197	32%	93%
2017	3,351	1,249	37%	92%
2016	3,243	1,271	39%	90%
2015	3,475	1,375	40%	93%

Controlled hunt results, 2025

Hunt	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
Hunt 1001 area 1-1	Any weapon	55	28	51%
Hunt 1148 area 1-1 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 6

General seasons (over the counter)

Season	Dates	Sex	Tag
Elk, archery	Aug 30 – Sep 30	antlered	Elk A Tag - Panhandle Zone
Elk, archery	Sep 6 – Sep 12	antlered	Elk B Tag - Panhandle Zone
Elk, archery	Sep 15 – Sep 21	either sex	Elk A Tag - Panhandle Zone
Elk, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 24	antlered	Elk B Tag - Panhandle Zone
Elk, any weapon	Oct 25 – Oct 29	antlered	Elk A Tag - Panhandle Zone
Elk, archery	Dec 10 – Dec 16	antlered	Elk A Tag - Panhandle Zone
Deer, archery	Aug 30 – Sep 30	antlerless	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, archery	Aug 30 – Sep 30	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, archery	Aug 30 – Sep 30	either sex	White-tailed Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Oct 31	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Dec 1	antlerless	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Oct 10 – Dec 1	either sex	White-tailed Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Nov 1 – Nov 14	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, any weapon	Nov 15 – Dec 1	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, archery	Dec 10 – Dec 24	antlerless	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, archery	Dec 10 – Dec 24	antlered	Regular Deer Tag
Deer, archery	Dec 10 – Dec 24	either sex	White-tailed Deer Tag

Controlled hunts

Hunt	Dates	Weapon	Sex	Tags	Drew
Elk 2109 area 1-2	Aug 30 – Dec 1	Any weapon	either sex	25	1% (25 tags, 1,760 1st choice, 2026)
Elk 2151 area 6 youth only	Aug 30 – Sep 30	Archery	antlerless	25	21% (25 tags, 118 1st choice, youth applicants, 2026)
Elk 2151 area 6 youth only	Oct 10 – Dec 1	Any weapon	antlerless	25	21% (25 tags, 118 1st choice, youth applicants, 2026)
Deer 1001 area 1-1	Aug 30 – Dec 1	Any weapon	antlered	60	4% (60 tags, 1,422 1st choice, 2026)
Deer 1148 area 1-1 outfitter tags	Aug 30 – Dec 1	Any weapon	antlered	1	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 6

55% public land. Ownership: Private 44%, USFS 42%, State 10%, BLM 3.4%.

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

Rules to know

Grizzly country. Grizzly bears are federally listed as threatened; killing one is illegal except in self-defense. North Idaho: most often seen in the Selkirk and Cabinet ranges in Unit 1, infrequently in Units 2, 3, 4, 4A, 6, 7 and 9, and IDFG says they can occupy any Panhandle unit. Eastern Idaho (Yellowstone / Island Park): expect them in Units 60, 61, 62, 62A, 65, 67 and parts of 64; IDFG also confirmed a grizzly in Unit 59 in 2023. Carry bear spray and be sure of your target before shooting a bear.

Next to Unit 6

Five-year general-season success in the units that border Unit 6.

Unit	Elk	Deer
Unit 6 (this unit)	15%	37%*
Unit 3	10%	29%*
Unit 4	10%	17%*
Unit 5	17%	40%*
Unit 7	10%	12%*
Unit 8A	18%	36%*
Unit 9	11%	9%*
Unit 10A	17%	42%*

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 6.

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.