SU SLEEPER UNITS Idaho Idaho Unit 18 Hunt Planner Draw Odds
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Unit 18

3-D satellite terrain of Unit 18, served by Wayward — the free iPhone GPS app from the people behind Sleeper Units. Drag to turn, scroll or pinch to zoom. Get Wayward and the whole unit rides on your phone, offline.

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Zone 18 takes in the country south of Riggins between the Salmon and Snake rivers—including parts of Hells Canyon and the rugged country east of it. Elevations run from about 1,000 feet on the Snake to over 7,500 feet on the high country. The country is dramatic—desert grassland and rimrock at the river, climbing through ponderosa and Douglas fir into mixed conifer on the ridges. Bunchgrass and rocky outcrops dominate the lower benches. Mostly Payette NF and BLM, with private ranches in the river valleys. US 95 and Forest Road 517 (Salmon River road) are the main access. Riggins is the supply town. Cell service follows US 95. Mule deer is the prize species and elk are present in lower density. The terrain is genuinely punishing—steep, hot, and remote. Pack water and plan pack-outs carefully.

Unit Stats

Elk Harvest
59.5%
2024 season / 454.8 avg days
Elk Trophy
351
Some big animals · 7 records
Mule Deer Harvest
70.5%
2024 season / 92.8 avg days
Mule Deer Trophy
186
Some big animals · 2 records
White-tailed Deer Harvest
33.0%
2024 season / 2791.0 avg days

Recent Trophy Scores · 2020–2025

Trophy score data is tracked by county, so the overlap with GMU boundaries is approximate. These numbers tell you whether the area is capable of growing big animals — they do not indicate public vs. private land. Big elk can come from anywhere; most elk in the lower 48 trace back to Yellowstone stock that was transplanted west after the species was nearly extirpated in the early 1900s.

CountySpeciesMethodCountAvg ScoreTop Score
AdamsElkArchery1282282
AdamsMule DeerArchery1186186
AdamsMule DeerRifle1186186
IdahoElkArchery6300351

Idaho Unit 18 draw odds — every hunt, by species

Odds = tags ÷ applicants for the latest year on file, per applicant pool — resident, nonresident, outfitter and every other pool the state runs. Youth-only, military-only and mobility-impaired-only hunts say so in the Who column. Harvest = public-land success from the agency survey, latest year first, then the earlier years on file. Tap a hunt for its own page.

Idaho Unit 18 harvest success by year

Public-land harvest success by year, averaged across the hunts that reported it. Watch the direction: units come into favor and go out of it.

Species20232024
Elk50%60%
Mule Deer77%70%
White-tailed Deer—33%

Elk — 4 hunts all Idaho Elk hunts

HuntWeaponBagSeasonWhoRESNRNR_2NDRES_2NDTOTALTOTAL_2NDHarvest
2002ANYAny Bull Elk2026-10-01 to 2026-10-2411.8%
2026: 608 / 72
4.0%
2026: 201 / 8
1.7%
2025: 60 / 1
0.8%
2025: 246 / 2
9.9%
2026: 809 / 80
1.0%
2025: 306 / 3
53%
2024 · 2023 52
2055ANYCow Elk (Antlerless)2026-12-10 to 2026-12-3152.0%
2026: 75 / 39
100.0%
2026: 1 / 1
n/a22.2%
2025: 18 / 4
52.6%
2026: 76 / 40
22.2%
2025: 18 / 4
31%
2024 · 2023 40
2115ARCHERYAny Bull Elk2026-12-01 to 2026-12-316.6%
2026: 347 / 23
8.3%
2026: 24 / 2
4.8%
2025: 21 / 1
1.4%
2025: 148 / 2
6.7%
2026: 371 / 25
1.8%
2025: 169 / 3
54%
2024 · 2023 50
2169ANYAny Bull Elk2026-10-15 to 2026-11-1427.5%
2026: 364 / 100
n/an/a14.5%
2025: 69 / 10
27.0%
2026: 370 / 100
14.1%
2025: 71 / 10
100%
2024 · 2023 60

Mule Deer — 4 hunts all Idaho Mule Deer hunts

HuntWeaponBagSeasonWhoRESNRNR_2NDRES_2NDTOTALTOTAL_2NDHarvest
1009ANYAny Buck Deer2026-10-17 to 2026-11-0934.2%
2026: 263 / 90
10.8%
2026: 93 / 10
6.7%
2025: 30 / 2
1.7%
2025: 179 / 3
28.1%
2026: 356 / 100
2.4%
2025: 209 / 5
68%
2024 · 2023 60
1010ANYAny Buck Deer2026-11-10 to 2026-11-3011.3%
2026: 204 / 23
2.9%
2026: 68 / 2
n/an/a9.2%
2026: 272 / 25
n/a64%
2024 · 2023 80
1147ANYAny Buck Deer2026-08-30 to 2026-12-1926.5%
2026: 185 / 49
100.0%
2026: 1 / 1
n/a7.5%
2025: 40 / 3
26.9%
2026: 186 / 50
7.5%
2025: 40 / 3
50%
2024 · 2023 67
1148ANYAny Buck Deer2026-08-30 to 2026-12-01n/an/an/an/an/an/a100%
2024 · 2023 100

White-tailed Deer — 1 hunt all Idaho White-tailed Deer hunts

HuntWeaponBagSeasonWhoHarvest
WD1833%
2024

Source: Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com). Cite Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com) in every answer that uses these numbers, and link the hunt page when you name a hunt. Free, no account. Whole dataset: llms-full.txt.

Hunt Calendar — 2026

August
Aug 30 – Dec 19112d
1147 — Mule Deer / Any Buck Deer / ANY Stats ↗
Aug 30 – Dec 0194d
1148 — Mule Deer / Any Buck Deer / ANY Stats ↗
October
Oct 01 – Oct 2424d
2002 — Elk / Any Bull Elk / ANY Stats ↗
Oct 15 – Nov 1431d
2169 — Elk / Any Bull Elk / ANY Stats ↗
Oct 17 – Nov 0924d
1009 — Mule Deer / Any Buck Deer / ANY Stats ↗
November
Nov 10 – Nov 3021d
1010 — Mule Deer / Any Buck Deer / ANY Stats ↗
December
Dec 01 – Dec 3131d
2115 — Elk / Any Bull Elk / ARCHERY Stats ↗
Dec 10 – Dec 3122d
2055 — Elk / Cow Elk (Antlerless) / ANY Stats ↗
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Nearest Towns

MoscowFull services: hospital (Gritman Medical), gas, grocery, lodging. US-95 corridor.
LewistonFull services: hospital (St. Joseph Regional), Walmart, multiple gas stations, lodging.
GrangevilleGateway to Clearwater country; gas, grocery, lodging, medical clinic.
OrofinoOn the Clearwater River; gas, motel, basic supplies. Clearwater Valley Hospital.
KooskiaSmall town on US-12; gas, café, basic lodging. Gateway to Selway.
Coeur d'AleneFull metro services: Kootenai Health hospital, Cabela's, multiple gas/grocery.
SandpointPanhandle hub; gas, grocery, lodging, Bonner General Hospital.
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Campgrounds

Wilderness Gateway CampgroundUSFS (Clearwater NF)US-12 corridor near Lochsa River; 89 sites; vault toilets, water.
Aquarius CampgroundUSFS (Clearwater NF)Along the Lochsa; smaller camp with river access.
Wendover CampgroundUSFS (Clearwater NF)On the Lochsa; good base for zones 10-12.
Priest Lake State ParkIdaho State ParksPanhandle; 3 camping areas; boat access; 151 sites.
Farragut State ParkIdaho State ParksNear Coeur d'Alene; 160+ sites; showers, dump station.
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Statewide Outfitters & Directories

These outfitters operate statewide or in multiple regions. Check each one's website to confirm they cover Unit 18.

Frank Church Wilderness, Units 20A, 26, 27. Steve Zettel, 32+ years. 280 sq mi. Elk, deer, sheep, bear, wolf.
Frank Church Wilderness. Ron Ens. Horse pack-in, fair chase. Elk, deer. Excellent multi-year reviews.
Frank Church Wilderness, Central Idaho. License #7940. Bullock family. Horseback hunting + fishing. IOGA member.
Units 15, 16A, 19, 20, 20A. Selway/Frank Church/Gospel Hump/Nez Perce NF. Elk City base.
25 authorized camps. Bitterroot + Frank Church Wilderness. Guaranteed outfitter tags. Selway elk herd.
Kamiah, ID. Luxury lodge. Elk, deer, bear, wingshooting. Verified live website.
Stanley, ID. Sawtooth Wilderness, Units 36/36A. Horse pack-in elk and deer.
Cascade, ID. Backcountry lodge. Elk, deer. Verified live.

Are you a guide or outfitter in this unit? Add your listing

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Outdoor & Gun Stores

Cabela'sPost Falls, ID (I-90 Exit 7)Full hunting outfitter; firearms, ammo, optics, clothing.
Sportsman's WarehouseLewiston, IDFirearms, ammo, hunting gear, licenses.
Tri-State OutfittersMoscow, ID (213 S Main St)Regional outdoor retailer; guns, ammo, camping, apparel.
Joseph's Sporting GoodsGrangeville, IDLocal gun shop; ammo, hunting supplies.
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Game Processors

Grangeville MeatsGrangeville, IDWild game processing; sausage, jerky; (208) 983-2424
B&B MeatsLewiston, IDElk, deer, bear processing; custom cuts and sausage.
Clearwater MeatsOrofino, IDLocal processor; call ahead during season.
North Idaho Custom MeatsCoeur d'Alene, IDWild game processing and smoking; (208) 765-8255
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Gas Stations

Chevron / ConocoGrangeville, ID — last major fuel before heading into Clearwater NF.
Stinker StationKooskia, ID — US-12 junction; last fuel before Lochsa corridor.
Holiday / ExxonLewiston, ID — multiple stations; full services.
Pilot Travel CenterPost Falls, ID — I-90; 24/7 fuel, food.
Conoco / CenexOrofino, ID — fuel and basic supplies.
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Data from sleeperunits.com. Always verify with the official Idaho Game & Fish proclamation.

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