Unit 30A, Idaho
Unit info
- Game species
- Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Gray Wolf
- Group
- Beaverhead Elk Zone
- Area
- 275 mi²
- Public land
- 88%
Elk — season & harvest45% draw50% success
- Tag type
- No OTC general (A or B) tags in the Beaverhead Zone — all elk hunting is via controlled-draw hunts except archery general. Archery season uses a standard elk tag (OTC); rifle and muzzleloader seasons are controlled draw.
- Tag quota
- 60
- Resident applicants
- 120
- Non-res applicants
- 41
- Reported harvest
- 46
- Archery season
- Aug 30 – Sep 30 (any elk, OTC archery tag; Motorized Hunting Rule applies)
- General season
- Controlled hunt 2111 (30A-1): any weapon, 10 tags, either sex — access extremely limited, most elk on private land; 2025 stats: 10 hunters, 5 harvested, 50% success
- Muzzleloader season
- Controlled hunt 2130 (all of Unit 30A): Nov, muzzleloader only, either sex; Motorized Hunting Rule applies; 2025 stats: 48 hunters, 14 harvested, 29% success
Gray Wolf — season & harvest
- Tag type
- OTC wolf tag (one tag included with hunting license)
- Archery season
- Jul 1 – Jun 30 on public land (year-round)
- General season
- Jul 1 – Jun 30 on public land; Motorized Hunting Rule applies Aug 30 – Nov 14; expanded methods allowed Nov 15 – Mar 31
- Muzzleloader season
- Same dates as general season
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 & harvest18% draw59% success
- Tag type
- No general OTC season in Unit 30A. All deer hunting is controlled draw.
- Tag quota
- 35
- Resident applicants
- 176
- Non-res applicants
- 32
- Reported harvest
- 27
- Archery season
- Aug 30 – Sep 30 (standard deer tag with archery permit; Motorized Hunting Rule applies)
- General season
- Controlled hunt 1022 (all of Unit 30A): Oct 10–Oct 31, any weapon, antlered only, 30 tags; 2025 stats: 29 hunters, 17 harvested, 59% success
- Muzzleloader season
- Controlled hunt 1089 (all of Unit 30A): Nov 1–Nov 30, muzzleloader only, antlered only, 5 tags; 2025 stats: 36 hunters, 10 harvested, 28% success
Pronghorn — season & harvest100% draw54% success
- Tag type
- Controlled draw only. Archery hunt (4028, multi-unit area covering 21A, 29, 30, 30A) buck-only; muzzleloader hunt (4043, all of Unit 30A) either sex.
- Tag quota
- 30
- Resident applicants
- 29
- Non-res applicants
- 86
- Reported harvest
- 20
- Archery season
- Aug 15 – Sep 15 (controlled hunt 4028, covers units 21A/29/30/30A, buck only, archery permit required; 2025 multi-unit stats: 146 hunters, 23 harvested, 16% success)
- Muzzleloader season
- Sep 25 – Oct 24 (controlled hunt 4043, all of Unit 30A, either sex, muzzleloader permit required; 2025 stats: 37 hunters, 20 harvested, 54% success; Motorized Hunting Rule applies)
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Tag type
- OTC (standard bear tag)
- Archery season
- Aug 30 – Oct 31 (fall) / Apr 15 – Jun 15 (spring)
- General season
- Aug 30 – Oct 31 (fall) / Apr 15 – Jun 15 (spring); hounds prohibited Oct 1–Oct 31 in Units 29, 30, 30A, 36A, 37, 37A; Motorized Hunting Rule applies
- Muzzleloader season
- Aug 30 – Oct 31 (same general season, all legal weapons)
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Mountain Lion — season & harvest
- Tag type
- General season tag available OTC
- Archery season
- Jul 1 – Jun 30 (year-round, within zone framework)
- General season
- Apr 1 – Nov 14 (general hunting rules) / Nov 15 – Mar 31 (expanded methods allowed); Motorized Hunting Rule applies; Units 29, 30, 30A, 36A, 37, 37A grouped together
- Muzzleloader season
- Same dates as general season
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
- Incidental presence; included under controlled deer tags valid for mule deer or white-tailed deer.
- Reported harvest
- 5
- Archery season
- Aug 30 – Sep 30
- General season
- Oct 10 – Oct 31 (antlered only in standard controlled hunt)
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 GMU 30A occupies the southern Lemhi Valley and the adjacent Beaverhead Mountains in Lemhi County, part of IDFG's Salmon Region (Region 7). The unit is defined as that portion of Lemhi County within the Lemhi River Drainage north and east of State Highway 28 and east of State Highway 29. It is managed under the Beaverhead Elk Zone; the nearest town with full services is Salmon (~45 minutes north), with the small ranching community of Leadore within the unit. Dominant public land managers are the BLM (52.34%) and Salmon-Challis National Forest/Leadore Ranger District (32.33%), with state land at 3.42% and private at 11.78%.
Roughly 275 square miles ranging from about 6,300 feet on the Lemhi Valley floor to approximately 10,100 feet on Beaverhead Mountain summit ridges. The valley portion stretches about 22 miles long and averages 7 miles wide, consisting of low eroded foothills with pasture, hay fields, and the Lemhi River riparian corridor. The Beaverhead Mountains rise steeply to the west, transitioning quickly from grassy foothills to the Continental Divide; slopes are generally steep. Land cover is approximately 75% rangeland, 18% forest, and 7% irrigated agriculture (IDFG: rangeland 75.36%, forest 17.81%, irrigated 6.70%).
Primary access corridors are Idaho Highway 28, which runs the length of Lemhi Valley through the unit, and Idaho Highway 29, which branches east from Highway 28 near Leadore and climbs the Beaverhead Mountains to the Continental Divide at Bannock Pass (elevation ~7,681 ft), where it continues into Montana as Montana Highway 324. Several forest roads branch from Highway 29 into the Salmon-Challis National Forest (Leadore Ranger District, 103 Ranger Street, Leadore; 208-768-2500): Forest Road 6111 follows the divide south of Bannock Pass; Forest Road 130 ascends Cruikshank Creek; and Forest Road 275 (Hawley Creek Road) provides access to the Hawley Creek drainage. Named trailheads include Bannock Pass and Lemhi Pass (both on the Continental Divide National Historic Trail), Big Eightmile Creek, Hawley Creek, and Reservoir Creek. The southern portion of the unit is predominantly BLM and state land served by county and BLM roads; the northern portion is a mix of BLM and private land with the Salmon-Challis National Forest encompassing most of the mountain terrain. No federally designated wilderness exists within Unit 30A. Four-wheel-drive with tire chains is recommended on most mountain roads; ATVs are permitted on full-size-vehicle roads only. The Motorized Hunting Rule applies unit-wide from August 30 through December 31.
Valley floor and lower foothills: sagebrush-steppe, native grasses, riparian willows and alders along the Lemhi River. Mid-elevation foothills: open grassland with serviceberry, bitterbrush, and scattered conifers. Mountain slopes: Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine forest. Upper elevations and ridgeline: sub-alpine and alpine terrain with talus, rockslides, low shrubs, lichens, and mosses along the Continental Divide.
The unit supports Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer (Beaverhead DAU), and pronghorn as primary big-game species; a small fraction of the deer harvest is white-tailed deer. Black bears are present in the forested mountain slopes. Mountain lions inhabit the unit year-round. Gray wolves are present and huntable on public land. The valley floor — heavily interspersed with private irrigated agriculture — attracts elk and deer during early season and winter migration from the higher Beaverhead terrain. Bull and cow elk populations in Units 30 and 30A have been surveyed as above management objective, with a bull ratio of approximately 35 bulls per 100 cows (confirmed by IDFG Salmon Region outlook). Pronghorn occupy the sagebrush-steppe flats along the valley. Bighorn sheep and moose are listed as present on the IDFG unit page but no confirmed controlled hunt specific to Unit 30A was found in 2025 season data; they are not included in the primary species array.
- Idaho Fish & Game — Unit 30A Hunt Planner Page
- Idaho Fish & Game — 2025-26 Big Game Season and Rules Available Online
- Idaho Fish & Game — 2025 Elk Controlled Hunt Harvest Statistics
- Idaho Fish & Game — 2025 Deer Controlled Hunt Harvest Statistics
- Idaho Fish & Game — 2025 Pronghorn Controlled Hunt Harvest Statistics
- Idaho Fish & Game — Salmon Region Deer and Elk Hunting Outlook
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: IDFG official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 36d ago.