Unit 75, Idaho
Unit info
- Game species
- Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Elk, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Gray Wolf, Moose
- Group
- Bear River Elk Zone
- Area
- 379 mi²
- Public land
- 43%
Elk — season & harvest11% draw15% success
- Tag type
- OTC A Tag (Bear River Zone, Units 75/77/78). B Tag (550 tags, draw/capped, first-come after July 8). Controlled Hunt 2045 (25 tags, antlered, draw). Beginning 2026 nonresident general tags are capped.
- Tag quota
- 25
- Resident applicants
- 204
- Non-res applicants
- 60
- Reported harvest
- 96
- Archery season
- A Tag: Aug 30 – Sep 30 (any elk). B Tag archery: Aug 30 – Sep 14 (spike or antlerless).
- General season
- A Tag any weapon: Oct 25 – Nov 15 (antlerless only). B Tag any weapon: Oct 15 – Oct 24 (antlered). Controlled Hunt 2045 (Hunt Area 75-1): Oct 1 – Oct 14 (antlered, 25 tags, draw).
- Muzzleloader season
- A Tag muzzleloader: Dec 1 – Dec 31 (antlerless only).
The OTC A Tag any-weapon season in October and November is antlerless only. Bull elk in any-weapon season requires either the B Tag (Oct 15-24, 550 capped tags) or Controlled Hunt 2045 (25 draw tags, Oct 1-14). The archery season (Aug 30-Sep 30) is the primary opportunity for antlered elk on an A Tag. Elk are concentrated in forested drainages during archery season. The Motorized Hunting Rule reduces hunting pressure in backcountry reaches.
Deer — season & harvest19% success
- Tag type
- OTC general tag (resident and nonresident; beginning 2026 nonresident general tags are capped/draw-allocated). Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are legal antlered animals; 2025 harvest was 100% white-tailed deer in the any-weapon season.
- Reported harvest
- 139
- Archery season
- Aug 30 – Sep 30 (antlered mule and white-tailed deer; OTC, Hunt 80801)
- General season
- Oct 10 – Oct 24 (antlered mule and white-tailed deer; OTC, Hunt 80800). Controlled hunt 82307: Oct 1 – Nov 30, antlerless white-tailed deer only, 100 draw tags.
- Muzzleloader season
- None (no separate muzzleloader deer season listed for Unit 75)
The 2025 harvest was entirely white-tailed deer; mule deer are present but white-tails dominate the take. The Motorized Hunting Rule limits road access, rewarding hunters who access Strawberry Canyon and Emigration Canyon drainages on foot or horseback. Only antlered deer are legal in the general and archery seasons; antlerless white-tailed deer require a controlled draw tag (Hunt 82307, 100 tags). Private land (57% of unit) holds a significant portion of deer; securing permission or focusing on USFS lands in the canyon drainages is important.
Draw odds for Deeraren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Moose — season & harvest8% draw
- Tag type
- Controlled draw only (antlered)
- Tag quota
- 20
- Resident applicants
- 241
- Non-res applicants
- 0
- General season
- Aug 30 – Nov 23 (2025 season; 2026 tags not yet posted as of data collection). 5 controlled draw tags.
Moose are present but harvest opportunity is extremely limited via controlled draw. Riparian areas and willow drainages provide habitat.
Gray Wolf — season & harvest
- Tag type
- OTC tag (Idaho general wolf tag, valid calendar year with hunting license)
- General season
- Public land season Jul 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2027. Motorized Hunting Rule applies Aug 30–Nov 14. No federal court trapping closures affect Unit 75 hunting (trapping seasons open per 2026 rules). Dogs allowed; no hound hunter permit required for hunting.
Wolves are present in the southeast region. Opportunity is incidental for most big game hunters. Wolf hunting (not trapping) in Unit 75 is open July 1–June 30 on public land. Expanded hunting methods apply Nov 15–Mar 31 on private land.
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
- Reported harvest
- 156
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 general tag (unlimited). Bear identification test required.
- Archery season
- Same as general (any legal weapon allowed during take season)
- General season
- Fall: Aug 30 – Oct 31. Spring: Apr 15 – Jun 30. Bait prohibited in Unit 75. Dogs prohibited during entire take season (Aug 30–Oct 31 and Apr 15–Jun 30). Motorized Hunting Rule applies.
Bear are present in forested USFS lands. Bait and dogs are both prohibited in Unit 75 (group 68, 68A, 70, 71, 72, 73, 73A, 74, 75, 77, 78 per 2026 regulations). General OTC tag; limited harvest pressure given access constraints. Bear identification test required before hunting.
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
- OTC general tag (unlimited)
- General season
- Jul 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2027. Dogs prohibited: Jul 1–Aug 29, Oct 1–Nov 30, Apr 1–Jun 30. Motorized Hunting Rule applies Aug 30–Nov 14.
Mountain lion are found throughout the forested ranges of the unit following deer and elk. General OTC tag; year-round season with dog use restrictions.
Draw odds for Mountain Lionaren't on file for this unit yet. Check your state wildlife agency website for current draw statistics.
Season & harvest data is published for Elk, Deer, Moose, Gray Wolf, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Mountain Lion so far. White-tailed Deer also occur here — that data can be added as the community contributes.
About this unit
AI-compiled · sourcedIdaho Game Management Unit 75 occupies the Bear River Range in southeast Idaho's Region 5, covering portions of Bear Lake, Caribou, and Franklin Counties, with Montpelier as the nearest service hub. The unit sits on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest (Montpelier Ranger District) and is bounded by U.S. 30, State Highway 34, U.S. 89, and internal county roads including the Strawberry Canyon-Emigration Canyon corridor. Public land totals approximately 43% of the unit (USFS 36%, BLM 4%, State 3%); private land is 57%. A Motorized Hunting Rule applies throughout the unit for all big game.
The unit encompasses the southern Bear River Range, a subrange of the Caribou Range, running roughly 60 miles long and 20 miles wide along the Idaho-Utah-Wyoming border zone. Elevation ranges from valley floors near Montpelier (approximately 6,000 ft) to high ridges approaching 9,800 ft. Topography is a mix of steep forested slopes, open sagebrush benchlands, canyon drainages (Strawberry Canyon, Emigration Canyon), and agricultural valley edges. Phosphate mining operations occur across portions of federal lands in Caribou and Bear Lake Counties, primarily reclaimed to grassland.
Primary highway access is via U.S. 89 through Montpelier and State Highway 34 northwest toward Soda Springs. U.S. 30 forms the northern boundary. Key internal routes include the Maple Grove Hot Springs county road and the Hot Springs-Strawberry Canyon Road connecting through to Ovid. Public land is managed by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Montpelier Ranger District (322 North 4th St, Montpelier, ID 83254; 208-847-0375) covering approximately 36% of the unit; BLM manages roughly 4%. There are no designated wilderness areas within the unit. A Motorized Hunting Rule applies throughout Unit 75 for all big game — hunters must consult the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) and are restricted to designated motorized routes. No Access Yes properties are currently available. The Strawberry Canyon drainage has very limited road access.
Lower elevations and valley margins support sagebrush-steppe and dryland grasses interspersed with agricultural fields. Mid-elevation slopes carry mountain mahogany, aspen stands, and mixed shrub communities that form critical deer summer range. Upper slopes and ridges are dominated by lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and quaking aspen. Forest covers approximately 37% of the unit, rangeland 22%, dryland agriculture 13%, and irrigated lands 25%, with riparian areas making up the balance.
White-tailed deer and mule deer are the primary big game quarry; the 2025 harvest was 100% white-tailed deer in the any-weapon season. Deer populations declined after the severe 2022-23 winter but rebounded across two favorable winters and were trending upward through 2025. Elk (Rocky Mountain elk) are present as part of the Bear River Zone (Units 75, 77, 78); the Southeast Region herd was at or above management objectives through 2025. Black bear inhabit forested slopes with bait and dogs prohibited in Unit 75. Mountain lion are present year-round. Gray wolf has an established huntable population in southeast Idaho. Moose occur in the unit as a controlled-hunt species in riparian and willow drainages. Wild turkey and sage-grouse are present along with upland birds including forest grouse, pheasant, chukar, and sharp-tailed grouse. Sandhill crane occur in the broader Bear Lake and Caribou County lowlands.
Questions, tips & discussion
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Boundaries: IDFG official Game Management Units. Community info last updated 36d ago.