Unit 26, Idaho
Unit info
- Game species
- Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Gray Wolf, Bighorn Sheep, Moose
- Group
- Middle Fork Elk Zone
- Area
- 596 mi²
- Public land
- 99%
Elk — season & harvest17% success
- Tag type
- General season capped zone tags (A Tag hunt code 80035 or B Tag hunt codes 80036/80037); first-come-first-served once capped tags go on sale July 8, 2026; nonresident tags also available as part of capped zone quota; no draw required but quotas apply
- Tag quota
- 3,187
- Reported harvest
- 35
- Archery season
- No archery-only elk season listed for Middle Fork Zone; archery equipment may be used during any weapon seasons (A Tag: Oct 1-Oct 31; B Tag: Sep 15-Sep 30 and Nov 1-Nov 18)
- General season
- A Tag (hunt 80035): Oct 1-Oct 31, antlered only (Units 20A and 26); B Tag (hunt 80036): Sep 15-Sep 30, antlered only; B Tag (hunt 80037): Nov 1-Nov 18, antlered only (Units 20A and 26)
- Muzzleloader season
- No muzzleloader-only elk season listed for Middle Fork Zone; muzzleloader may be used during any weapon seasons
Unit 26 is remote wilderness country demanding pack-in trips via horseback or backpack. Bull elk occupy high basins in early season and move to canyon drainages with snow. The A Tag October season coincides with the rut and post-rut. Outfitter-guided hunts are common given the distance from trailheads.
Draw odds for Elkaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Moose — season & harvest
- Tag type
- Controlled hunt draw only
- General season
- Controlled hunt draw; see IDFG moose seasons and rules for current tags
Moose are present but scarce in Unit 26. Riparian willow corridors along Big Creek and its tributaries provide key habitat. Tags are extremely limited.
Draw odds for Moosearen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Gray Wolf — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General season (OTC); nonresident deer or elk tag may also be used to harvest a wolf when wolf season is open
- General season
- Public land: Apr 1-Nov 14 (general hunting rules); Nov 15-Mar 31 (expanded hunting methods allowed). Note: portions of Unit 26 may be subject to federal court closures on trapping — check idfg.idaho.gov for current status.
Wolves are present throughout the unit. Wolf packs have increased over the past 15 years and their presence has affected elk herd distribution. Incidental encounter during big-game hunts is the most common opportunity.
Draw odds for Gray Wolfaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Mule Deer — season & harvest99% draw30% success
- Tag type
- General season regular deer tag (unlimited for residents and nonresidents at unit level); outfitter-allocated controlled hunt 1160 (46 tags, Nov 1-18) also available
- Tag quota
- 88
- Resident applicants
- 76
- Non-res applicants
- 60
- Reported harvest
- 52
- Archery season
- No archery-only deer season listed for Unit 26; archery equipment may be used during general season (Sep 15-Oct 31)
- General season
- Sep 15-Oct 31, antlered mule and white-tailed deer (any weapon); Controlled Hunt 1017 (draw): Nov 1-Nov 18, antlered mule and white-tailed deer; Controlled Hunt 1160 (outfitter-allocated, 46 tags): Nov 1-Nov 18, antlered mule and white-tailed deer
- Muzzleloader season
- No muzzleloader-only deer season listed for Unit 26; muzzleloader may be used during general any-weapon season
Mule deer in Unit 26 concentrate on burned areas and south-facing brush slopes. The general season runs Sep 15-Oct 31 (antlered only); late-season antlered tags (Hunt 1017) are available via draw Nov 1-18. Physical fitness and wilderness travel capability are essential. Most mature bucks require multi-day pack-in trips.
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General season (OTC); second bear tag available
- Archery season
- Aug 30-Nov 30 (fall; archery equipment legal during any-weapon season)
- General season
- Fall: Aug 30-Nov 30; Spring: Apr 1-Jun 30; Bait/take season: Jul 1-Jul 31
Bears are widespread throughout the forested drainages and burned areas. The long fall season (Aug 30-Nov 30) overlaps with elk and deer seasons, allowing opportunistic harvest. Electronic calls are permitted.
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Bighorn Sheep — season & harvest1% draw67% success
- Tag type
- Controlled hunt draw only; two hunts available: Hunt 5007 (Area 26, 5 tags, Aug 30-Oct 13) and Hunt 5024 (Area 26L, 3 tags, Oct 14-Oct 31); rams only
- Tag quota
- 33
- Resident applicants
- 3,219
- Non-res applicants
- 35
- Reported harvest
- 2
- General season
- Hunt 5007: Aug 30-Oct 13 (5 tags, Area 26, rams only); Hunt 5024: Oct 14-Oct 31 (3 tags, Area 26L, rams only); controlled hunt draw required
Unit 26 bighorn sheep occupy Big Creek canyon walls and talus slopes. The population is part of the Middle Fork Salmon River herd (~75 animals documented in ground surveys downstream of Cabin Creek). With a combined 8 tags across two controlled hunts, draw odds are extremely low. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trophy opportunity.
Mountain Lion — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General season license (OTC); second lion tag available in Unit 26
- General season
- Jul 1-Aug 29, Sep 15-Oct 31, May 1-Jun 30 (license valid Jul 1-Jun 30)
Mountain lions follow deer and elk herds through canyon drainages. Hound hunting is common in the Middle Fork Zone; the wilderness setting makes access challenging.
Draw odds for Mountain Lionaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
White-tailed Deer — season & harvest
- Tag type
- White-tailed deer tag (unlimited, OTC); valid antlered or antlerless
- Reported harvest
- 1
- Archery season
- No archery-only white-tailed deer season listed for Unit 26
- General season
- Sep 15-Nov 18, antlered or antlerless white-tailed deer (any weapon)
Whitetail are present but at low densities in Unit 26. The season runs longer than the mule deer general season (through Nov 18). Riparian corridors along Big Creek and side drainages are likely travel routes.
Draw odds for White-tailed Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedIdaho Game Management Unit 26 encompasses the Big Creek drainage — a tributary to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River — straddling Idaho and Valley Counties in west-central Idaho, roughly 40 miles east of McCall. The unit lies almost entirely within the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, managed by the Payette and Salmon-Challis National Forests, and is one of the most remote roadless hunting units in the lower 48 states.
Steep, rugged mountains of the Salmon River Mountains with elevations ranging from approximately 3,400 feet in the Big Creek canyon bottom to over 9,200 feet on high ridges (Mount Eldridge reaches 9,207 feet). The northern sections contain somewhat flattened ridges and valley meadows, while most of the unit consists of steep peaks, deep canyons, cliff faces, and countless side drainages. Most of the wilderness terrain sits between 7,000 and 8,500 feet in elevation.
Unit 26 is 99.3% U.S. Forest Service land, split between the Payette National Forest (McCall Ranger District) and the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness constitutes 89% of the unit (approximately 339,140 acres) where all motorized vehicles, including ATVs, are prohibited by law. Roaded access is extremely limited: a small mining-district road corridor near the community of Big Creek on the western edge provides the only significant motorized entry, along with a primitive road system near Thunder Mountain and Lightning Peak in the southeast corner of the unit. The Big Creek Trailhead — accessible via the Big Creek Road from the Yellow Pine/McCall area — sits at the north end of the Big Creek airstrip and is the primary trailhead; the campground at this trailhead typically opens in July. The Cabin Creek airstrip, located approximately 21 miles west of the Big Creek Trailhead, offers fly-in access and is roughly a 30-minute flight from McCall. Additional wilderness airstrips are distributed throughout the Frank Church; outfitters regularly use them for client drop-offs. Primary travel within the unit is by horseback, backpacking, or float plane. There are no Access Yes! program properties within Unit 26. Seasonal road closures to motorized vehicles apply on National Forest system roads outside the wilderness; hunters should consult the Payette and Salmon-Challis National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUMs) before traveling. Late-season access to roaded trailheads can be cut off by early snowfall.
Conifer forest — spruce, fir, and pine — dominates ridges and north- and east-facing slopes above roughly 6,000 feet. Large burned areas from historic and recent wildfires create open grassland, brush, and browse habitat that supports both elk and deer. South- and west-facing slopes are covered with grass and shrub communities. Riparian corridors along Big Creek and its tributaries support willows and cottonwoods. The canyon bottom transitions into rock-covered cliffs with waterfalls, pit cave formations, and talus slopes that provide bighorn sheep habitat.
Elk are the primary big game species, with the unit managed as part of the Middle Fork Elk Zone (Units 20A, 26, 27). Elk numbers have been impacted in recent years by increased wolf populations and by fire cycles that alter habitat; bulls move through high-elevation basins and ridges in early season and shift to lower canyon drainages as snow accumulates. Mule deer inhabit the unit, using burned areas and brushy south-facing slopes; white-tailed deer are also present but in limited numbers. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep occupy the Big Creek canyon corridor, with a monitored population of approximately 75 animals documented downstream of Cabin Creek — part of the broader Middle Fork Salmon River sheep population; ground surveys found lamb ratios of 34 lambs per 100 ewes and ram ratios of 61 rams per 100 ewes, indicating a stable herd. Black bears are present throughout the forested drainages. Mountain lions prey on deer and elk in the unit. Gray wolves have established packs in the wilderness area and their presence has contributed to reduced elk densities and lower hunter success compared to historical levels. Moose are present, though scarce. Upland birds including forest grouse inhabit the unit.
- Unit 26 - Hunt Planner - Idaho Fish and Game
- Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons and Rules (PDF)
- Elk Hunt List for Unit 26 | Idaho Hunt Planner
- Deer Hunt List for Unit 26 | Idaho Hunt Planner
- Sheep Hunt List for Unit 26 | Idaho Hunt Planner
- Ground survey of bighorn sheep in Unit 26 suggests population is stable | Idaho Fish and Game
- 2025 Elk General Hunt Harvest Statistics | Idaho Fish and Game
- 2025 Deer General Hunt Harvest Statistics | Idaho Fish and Game
- Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep - Idaho Unit 26 - HuntScore
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Boundaries: IDFG official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 36d ago.