Elk hunting in the Panhandle: 2026 seasons, tags and controlled hunts

Idaho Fish and Game’s 2026 Panhandle Zone table lists general elk seasons by tag.

B tag
Archery for antlered elk runs September 6 to 12. Any-weapon antlered elk runs October 10 to 24. A muzzleloader hunt for antlerless elk runs December 2 to 8 on or within one mile of private land in Units 1, 2, 3, 4A and 5.

A tag
Archery for antlered elk runs August 30 to September 30 and December 10 to 16. Any-weapon antlered elk runs October 25 to 29. Muzzleloader antlered elk in Units 4, 7 and 9 runs November 15 to December 1.

Controlled hunts
The 2026 list for Units 1 through 9 includes antlerless or either-sex hunts on private agricultural lands in Boundary County (100 tags), Unit 3 (two hunts of 50 tags each) and Unit 5 (200 tags), and a 25-tag either-sex hunt in Unit 1. Youth-only antlerless archery hunts offer 25 tags each across Units 1 through 6.

Reporting and rules
Deer, elk and pronghorn tag holders must file a harvest report within 10 days of the kill, or within 10 days of season close if they did not hunt. New technology limits apply to scouting and hunting big game from August 30 through December 31. The deadline to exchange a general-season elk tag was July 31.

The source tables do not always make clear which units a line covers, so check your unit in the official brochure before you hunt.