Unit 6, Idaho
Unit info
- Game species
- White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Elk, Shiras Moose, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Gray Wolf
- Group
- Panhandle Elk Zone
- Area
- 1,053 mi²
- Public land
- 55%
Elk — season & harvest30% draw16% success
- Tag type
- Over-the-counter Elk A Tag — Panhandle Zone; unlimited tags for residents and nonresidents (nonresident elk tags subject to statewide quota of 12,815 total elk tags). No draw required for general seasons.
- Tag quota
- 25
- Resident applicants
- 77
- Non-res applicants
- 5
- Reported harvest
- 544
- Archery season
- Aug. 30 – Sep. 30, 2026 (antlered elk, archery only); verify exact 2025 dates in current IDFG Big Game Seasons and Rules PDF
- General season
- Any-weapon antlered elk season; verify exact 2025 dates in current IDFG Big Game Seasons and Rules PDF
- Muzzleloader season
- Muzzleloader antlerless seasons exist on both A- and B-tags per Panhandle Zone rules; specific Unit 6 muzzleloader dates not confirmed in available sources — verify in current brochure
Unit 6 is one of Idaho's top Panhandle elk units. The extensive clearcut mosaic on the eastern National Forest lands provides rich feeding habitat. OTC access makes this unit accessible without a draw. The 2025 season produced 589 elk (16% success across 3,685 hunters), with 567 antlered and 23 antlerless animals taken. Muzzleloader hunters had 0% success from 21 afield in 2025.
Gray Wolf — season & harvest
- Tag type
- OTC wolf tag (Idaho residents and nonresidents); unlimited tags.
Gray wolf packs are established in the Panhandle region and present in Unit 6. Wolves are incidentally encountered during elk and deer seasons; dedicated wolf hunters use calling and tracking. Verify current season dates in the IDFG Wolf Hunting Seasons and Rules.
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 & harvest
- Tag type
- Over-the-counter Regular Deer Tag (unlimited); no draw required.
- Reported harvest
- 82
- Archery season
- Same archery windows as white-tailed deer (verify in current brochure)
- General season
- Same general season as white-tailed deer (verify in current brochure)
Mule deer are present but represent approximately 12% of the deer harvest in this predominantly whitetail unit. They tend to occupy higher-elevation, more open terrain on the eastern edges of the unit.
Draw odds for Mule Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Black Bear — season & harvest
- Tag type
- OTC spring bear tag; fall black bear controlled hunts may be available via draw in some zones — verify in current IDFG regulations.
Black bear are present throughout the forested terrain of Unit 6. Spring bear hunting with OTC tags provides access to bears emerging from denning areas. Bears use berry patches and clearcut regeneration areas heavily in late summer and fall.
Draw odds for Black Beararen't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Shiras Moose — season & harvest9% draw100% success
- Tag type
- Controlled hunt (draw required). Three active controlled hunts in Unit 6: Hunt 3023 (15 tags, antlered, Sep. 15 – Dec. 1), Hunt 3024 (5 tags, verify dates), Hunt 3025 (5 tags, antlered, Nov. 1 – Nov. 14). Antler length requirement: at least one antler longer than six inches.
- Tag quota
- 20
- Resident applicants
- 219
- Non-res applicants
- 1
- Reported harvest
- 25
- Archery season
- All legal methods (rifle, archery, muzzleloader, shotgun, handgun) permitted within controlled hunt season windows
- General season
- Hunt 3023: Sep. 15 – Dec. 1; Hunt 3025: Nov. 1 – Nov. 14 (2025 dates per IDFG Hunt Planner). Verify Hunt 3024 dates in current brochure.
- Muzzleloader season
- All legal methods permitted within controlled hunt season windows
Moose in Unit 6 use riparian willow flats and brushy regenerating clearcuts, particularly along the St. Joe River and Middle Fork of the St. Maries. Draw odds are very low — Hunt 3023 had 572 applicants for 15 permits (3% resident success in 2026 draw); Hunt 3025 had 80 applicants for 5 permits (6% success). Success rates are exceptional at or near 100%. Point accumulation is required to be competitive. Unit 6 encompasses 673,825 acres per Hunt Planner records.
Mountain Lion — season & harvest
- Tag type
- Statewide OTC tag with individual harvest quota (hunters must report harvest).
Mountain lion are present throughout Unit 6 following deer and elk concentrations. Hound hunting is a primary method. Verify current season dates and any unit-specific quotas in the current IDFG regulations.
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 & harvest39% success
- Tag type
- Over-the-counter Regular Deer Tag (unlimited) and dedicated White-tailed Deer Tag (unlimited); no draw required.
- Reported harvest
- 1,282
- Archery season
- Aug. 30 – Sep. 30, 2026; Dec. 10 – Dec. 24, 2026 (verify exact 2025 dates in current brochure)
- General season
- General any-weapon season and White-tailed Deer Tag seasons; verify exact 2025 dates in current IDFG Big Game Seasons and Rules PDF
- Muzzleloader season
- Antlered white-tailed deer muzzleloader season Nov. 15 – Dec. 1 (per Hunt Planner 2026 dates); verify 2025 applicability in current brochure
White-tailed deer dominate the deer harvest in Unit 6 at approximately 88% of deer taken. The 2025 season produced 1,559 deer total (39% success, 3,961 hunters). The clearcut edges, alder draws, and riparian corridors along the St. Joe and its tributaries concentrate deer.
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 6 is a 673,825-acre (approximately 1,053-square-mile) Panhandle unit centered on the St. Joe and St. Maries river drainages, encompassing portions of the St. Joe and Clearwater National Forests in Kootenai, Shoshone, Benewah, Clearwater, and Latah counties, with St. Maries as the nearest significant town. The eastern half of the unit lies primarily within the St. Joe and Clearwater National Forests, while the western half is a mix of private, BLM, and state parcels; it is one of Idaho's top-tier elk units.
Moderately steep forested terrain with elevations ranging from approximately 2,200 to 5,800 feet. River valleys along the St. Joe and Middle Fork of the St. Maries cut through the mountains, creating a rugged but generally accessible landscape. Approximately 85% of the unit is forested, 12% rangeland, and 3% dryland agriculture (IDFG Hunt Planner: 84.42% forest, 12.38% rangeland, 3.2% dryland agriculture).
The eastern half of the unit falls within the St. Joe and Clearwater National Forests; the western half contains a mix of BLM parcels (3.44%), Idaho state lands (10.06%), and private ground (44.12%). Primary highway access is via Idaho Route 3 southeast of St. Maries and the St. Joe River Road (Forest Road 50), which follows the St. Joe River east from St. Maries into the National Forest. Key interior forest roads include Forest Road 321 and Forest Road 301 near the mouth of the Middle Fork of the St. Maries River. The unit has no federally designated wilderness areas. It is difficult to get more than a couple of miles from a road, ATV trail, or motorcycle trail except in a few roadless canyon drainages. Access Yes! properties are available at Mica Creek Drainage on the St. Joe River and Hugas Creek and St. Joe River Basin for access across private land.
The unit is dominated by pine, cedar, and fir forests typical of the Idaho Panhandle. Decades of commercial logging have produced clearcuts in various stages of regrowth, creating productive edge habitat with abundant grass, browse, and forbs. Secondary growth in openings and drainages includes willows, alders, birches, aspen saplings, and berry bushes. Mature timber stands persist across the eastern National Forest lands. This mosaic of old-growth timber and regenerating clearcuts provides superior big game habitat compared to much of the surrounding Panhandle region.
Unit 6 supports a strong elk population and is designated one of Idaho's top-tier elk units (2025 season: 589 elk harvested, 16% success, 3,685 hunters). White-tailed deer dominate the deer harvest at approximately 88% of the deer taken; mule deer are also present (2025: 1,559 deer total, 39% success, 3,961 hunters). The St. Joe and surrounding drainages harbor Shiras moose, supported by riparian willows and brushy regrowth. Black bear and mountain lion inhabit the forested terrain. Gray wolf packs are established in the Panhandle and present in the unit. Elk and deer generally summer at higher elevations on the eastern National Forest lands and migrate to lower-elevation private and mixed lands on the western side of the unit during winter, following river drainages and south-facing slopes.
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Boundaries: IDFG official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 36d ago.