Unit 44

Elk

Resident licenses

Smoky-Bennett Zone Elk Tag

Availability: General Season

Includes bull elk

A Tag: Archery only — any elk, Units 43 and 48 only: Aug 30-Sep 30.

B Tag: Any weapon — antlerless only, Units 44, 45, and 52 only.

Source: IDFG regulations (2026)

Nonresident licenses

Nonresident Elk Zone Tag

Availability: Draw — see notes

Includes bull elk

Smoky-Bennett Zone general elk tag (units 43, 44, 45, 48, 52).

Nonresident general-season elk tags are not sold over the counter: beginning with the 2026 season IDFG issues them by random draw — first application period Dec 5-15, 2025, second application period Feb 5-15, 2026 — against a statewide nonresident general-season quota of 12,815 elk tags.

Smoky-Bennett Zone nonresident limits — A Tag: 180 nonresident tags (uncapped zone; 26 additional tags allocated to outfitters), archery-only season.

B Tag: 5 nonresident tags (capped zone — 600 total capped tags, of which 593 are resident tags and 2 are allocated to outfitters).

Price: $651.75 nonresident elk tag plus $185.00 nonresident hunting license (Idaho Big Game 2026 Seasons & Rules, Nonresident License, Tag and Permit Fees, prices as of December 1, 2024).

Source: 2026 Nonresident General Tags and Tags Allocated to Outfitters, "Nonresident Elk Tags by Zone" and "Elk Tag Limits for Nonresidents and Outfitters by Zone".

Source: IDFG regulations (2026)

Success rate history

YearHuntersAllSpikeBull6+ pt
HarvestRateHarvestRateHarvestRateHarvestRate
20253377722.8%
20243255216%00%51.5%41.2%
20232845118%00%20.7%00%
20222344920.9%
20212726122.4%41.5%10.4%10.4%
202038513.2%
20197211.4%00%11.4%00%
20182200%
20171500%
201644911124.7%11024.5%00%00%
20153667219.7%6116.7%30.8%30.8%
20141502516.7%2416%00%00%
20131573321%3321%00%00%
20121542717.5%2717.5%00%00%
20111092724.8%2724.8%00%00%
2010921314.1%
2009180158.3%158.3%00%00%
20081492718.1%2617.4%10.7%10.7%
2007881517%1517%00%00%

IDFG doesn't publish harvest by residency.

Source: IDFG harvest statistics, 2025.

Deer

Resident licenses

Regular Deer Tag

Availability: Controlled Hunt

⚠️ No general season data for this species in this unit — see the regulation notes below for details.

Not listed in the 2026 Regular Deer Tag general-season table — controlled-hunt-only for deer in this unit.

Source: IDFG regulations (2026)

Nonresident licenses

Nonresident Regular Deer Tag

Availability: Draw — see notes

⚠️ No general season data for this species in this unit — see the regulation notes below for details.

No nonresident general-season Regular Deer tag is listed for this unit in the 2026 nonresident tag tables — controlled-hunt-only for nonresidents here, and nonresidents drawn for a controlled hunt are not counted against the nonresident quota.

IDFG does not publish a per-unit nonresident cap for this unit.

Source: IDFG regulations (2026)

Idaho's Regular Deer Tag harvest and success-rate figures below combine the mule and white-tailed deer populations into one number — IDFG doesn't publish a single-species breakdown at the unit level.

Success rate history

YearHuntersAll deerAntlered4+ pt
HarvestRateHarvestRateHarvestRate
20258000%
2024351131.4%617.1%00%
20235359.4%59.4%00%
20226058.3%58.3%58.3%
2021882123.9%1112.5%66.8%
20207545.3%34%00%
201910411%11%11%
20181883619.1%3116.5%168.5%
20171001919%1616%00%
20161544428.6%3724%1811.7%
20151002626%1717%1717%
201412497.3%97.3%00%
201300
2012Not published
2011901415.6%1213.3%1011.1%
2010Not published00
20090000
200800
2007Not published

IDFG doesn't publish harvest by residency.

Source: IDFG harvest statistics, 2025.