Start with your activity, review selected current changes, then open the Idaho Fish and Game guide for the unit, water, species, and date you plan to use.
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What are you planning?
Check selected current changes or open the official planner for an exact unit or water.
Check a CWD unit
See the 2026 deer-testing requirement and whether carcass-transport rules also apply. Source checked .
This checker covers Idaho's selected 2026-2027 CWD testing and management-zone rules. Confirm your exact unit boundary and all carcass exceptions with Idaho Fish and Game.
Next dates to check
Selected closures, canceled access, tag sales, field work, and season openings through September 27. Checked .
Small gameForest grouse, cottontail, and snowshoe hare seasons open
Forest grouse limits are 4 daily and 12 in possession. Cottontail and snowshoe hare limits are 8 daily and 24 in possession. Pygmy rabbit season remains closed.
Through November 14, big-game hunters in designated units may use motor vehicles only on established roads open to full-sized automobiles. Check the official map and exceptions for your unit.
Migratory birdsDove and tagged sandhill crane seasons open
The dove season runs through October 30 with a 15 daily and 45 possession limit. Crane dates depend on the tag; the daily and season limits are 2. Dove hunters need a HIP permit. Crane hunters need a crane tag and a HIP permit with the first tag. A federal duck stamp is not required for either.
Fishing and migratory birdsFall coho, steelhead harvest, and early goose seasons open
Idaho Fish and Game lists September 1 for fall coho, fall steelhead harvest in most rivers, and early goose. Water, area, license, permit, and species rules still vary, so confirm each season in its current guide.
Upland gameChukar, partridge, quail, and sage-grouse seasons open
Idaho Fish and Game lists September 15 for chukar, gray partridge, California and bobwhite quail, and sage-grouse openers. Check the current upland guide for areas, dates, limits, permits, and sage-grouse tags.
Idaho Fish and Game schedules a returned-tag sale for September 17 at 10 a.m. Mountain time. Availability can change before the sale, so check the official returned-tag list and purchase rules.
WaterfowlYouth, Veterans, and Active Military Waterfowl Hunting Weekend
The special waterfowl weekend is September 26 and 27. Eligibility, accompanying-adult, license, permit, stamp, area, and species rules still apply under the current migratory game guide.
Snake, Clearwater, and Salmon rivers · August 18 through November 1; reach dates vary
The daily limit is three adult fall Chinook, but only one may be adipose-intact. The possession limit is nine adults, including no more than three adipose-intact fish. There is no daily limit on jack fall Chinook.
Before you go: Check the live reach status before fishing. The North Fork Clearwater is scheduled to open September 1, and several other reaches close before November 1.
Near Elk City, Clearwater Region · Through September 30
Bag, possession, size, and fishing-rod limits are suspended. Fish may be taken by any method except firearms, explosives, chemicals, or electric current.
Before you go: A valid Idaho fishing license is still required, and no live fish may leave the pond.
Franklin County, Southeast Region · August 14 through October 31
Bag, possession, size, and fishing-rod limits are suspended. Fish may be taken by any method except firearms, explosives, chemicals, or electric current.
Before you go: A valid license is required. No live fish may leave the reservoir, motorized watercraft are prohibited, and flotation devices need proof of aquatic-invasive-species inspection.
Oakley Reservoir, Cassia County, Magic Valley Region · August 13 through November 1
Bag, possession, and size limits are removed. Fish may be taken by any method except firearms, explosives, chemicals, or electric current.
Before you go: A valid Idaho fishing license is still required. Low water and high temperatures are making the reservoir unsuitable for cold- and cool-water fish.
GMUs 14, 18, 23, 63A, 64, 69, and part of Unit 1 · 2026-2027 hunting season
Mule deer and white-tailed deer harvested in the listed areas require a head or lymph-node sample within 10 days. Units 64 and 69 are new for 2026; Units 24 and 32A are no longer mandatory-testing units.
Before you go: If you harvest in GMU 14, GMU 18, or the affected part of Unit 1, also follow the CWD Management Zone carcass-transport rules for deer, elk, and moose.
Parts of GMUs 40, 41, and 42 in Owyhee County · Through September 6 at 11:59 p.m.
BLM extended the closure. Public land inside the fire perimeter and six named road sections remain closed through September 6. Highways 78 and 51 remain open, and the closure does not cover each full game management unit.
Before you go: Do not enter the mapped closure. Check the current BLM order before using Flint Creek, South Mountain, Juniper Mountain, Bachman Grade, Mud Flat, or 45 Ranch roads.
Designated Idaho big-game units; check the official map · August 30 through November 14, 2026
Big-game hunters in designated units may use motor vehicles only on established roadways that are open to motorized traffic and passable by full-sized automobiles. The rule applies to deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear, mountain lion, wolf, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat hunting.
Before you go: Check whether your unit is shaded on Idaho Fish and Game's current map. Land-manager closures still apply, and the rule has limited exceptions for eligible permit holders, downed-game retrieval, camp transport, and private land.
Cress Creek, Little Kelly Canyon, and the Big Rock fire area in eastern Idaho · Current BLM notice has no reopening date
Cress Creek Nature Trail, Little Kelly Canyon Trail, and BLM-managed land inside the Big Rock fire area remain closed while crews assess and repair damage. Several campgrounds and dispersed sites reopened August 14.
Before you go: Check the live BLM notice and closure map before using the Kelly Canyon or Heise area. Do not rely on the broader closures printed in older fire notices.
Parts of GMUs 43, 44, 48, and 54 in the Magic Valley Region · September 1 through September 12; exact treatment days vary
Crews plan to treat about 8,000 acres in named drainages with pre-emergent herbicide. Work at each location is expected to take two or three suitable-weather days.
Before you go: Avoid an active treatment area while the low-flying helicopter and ground crews are working.
Statewide deer, elk, pronghorn, and black bear controlled hunts · Leftover sale began August 25 at 10 a.m. MDT
Second controlled hunt draw results are available through Idaho's licensing system. Tags not drawn in the second drawing went on sale first come, first served.
Before you go: Check your result directly. If you want a leftover tag, check live availability because inventory can change during the sale.
Statewide general and controlled hunt tags · Since July 1, 2026
Eligible reasons for a license and tag refund include death, pregnancy, military deployment, or an illness or injury that disables the hunter for the full season. Rainchecks are limited to military deployment, and wildfires do not qualify.
Before you go: Read the eligibility details before surrendering an unused tag. From August through December, Idaho lists no other-reason tag refund, and the hunting license fee is not refunded.
Regional maps and special-rule waters, salmon and steelhead information, sturgeon and crayfish rules, fish identification, general rules, and license information.
Idaho coverage is a starting point.Wildlf tracks only selected Idaho changes and does not reproduce every unit, species, water, license, access, or in-season rule. Use the official Idaho Fish and Game guide and planner for your exact trip.Verify on Idaho Fish and Game