Loading intel...
Idaho
Unit 42.
Planning guide for Game Management Unit 42, with sourced terrain, public-land percentages, published schedules, and links to the connected Pro map.
Boundary Map Locked
Pro includes the interactive GMU map, BLM surface-management context, terrain tools, and current wildfire overlays for Unit 42.
See Pro pricingTerrainHigh Desert/Canyon
OwnershipLand breakdown unavailable
Access DifficultySee IDFG
Key SpeciesDeer
Season TypeGeneral & Controlled
ZoneOwyhee
Unit 42 Overview
Idaho Game Management Unit 42 (GMU 42) is a premier hunting destination located in the Owyhee Elk Zone. Home to Deer, Gray Wolf, Mountain Lion, this unit features open sagebrush steppe, where stalking prowess and early morning glassing are critical. Public-land breakdown for Unit 42 is not yet integrated into our database — verify acreage with Idaho Fish and Game's Hunt Planner before scouting.
2026 Regular Schedule
Official Regulation Feed
Species
Weapon
Tag
Dates
Deer
Any Weapon • Regular Deer Tag
Any Weapon
Regular Deer Tag
Oct 10 - Oct 24
Deer
Archery • Regular Deer Tag
Archery
Regular Deer Tag
Aug 30 - Sep 30
Mountain Lion
Any Weapon • General
Any Weapon
General
July 1 - June 30
Gray Wolf
Any Weapon • General
Any Weapon
General
July 1 - June 30
Gray Wolf
Trapping • General
Trapping
General
Sep 10 - Nov 14
Gray Wolf
Trapping • General
Trapping
General
Nov 15 - Mar 31
Prepare for the Hunt
Success in Unit 42 requires understanding the high desert/canyon terrain and public land boundaries. Use Roam Idaho for connected trip planning, then carry an official offline map before leaving service.
- GMU Boundary Overlay
- BLM Surface-management Context
- Current Wildfire Overlay
- Slope, Road, and Wind Tools
Common Questions
Where is Unit 42?
Located in the Owyhee Zone with high desert/canyon terrain.
Is it public land?
Unit 42 is approximately 95.7% public. See full breakdown below.
Unit 42 Boundary
That portion of OWYHEE COUNTY within the following boundary: beginning on the North Fork of the Owyhee River at the Idaho-Oregon state line, south along the state line to the Idaho-Nevada state line, then east along the state line to the El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline, then north along the pipeline to the watershed divide between Battle and Jacks Creeks, then northwest along the divide between Battle, Shoofly, and Poison Creeks to the Mud Flat-Juniper Mountain Road, then west on Poison Creek-Mud Flat Road to the North Fork of the Owyhee River crossing, then downstream to the point of beginning.
Owyhee Zone Context
Southwest Idaho — Owyhee Canyonlands
Owyhee is high-desert hunting at scale — over a million acres of BLM canyon-and-rim country. Elk presence is limited and migration-driven; the zone is more associated with mule deer, antelope, and chukar.
Water sources are the strategic key. Marsing, Jordan Valley (Oregon), and Bruneau are the only meaningful resupply points.
See all units in the Owyhee ZonePlanning
Primary Region
Owyhee Desert
Nearest Supplies
Hunters typically basecamp or resupply in Nampa, Jordan Valley, Marsing.
Climate Outlook
High desert plateau. Dry, windy, and vast. Water is the limiting factor.
Authorities
Always verify regulations with official government entities before heading into the backcountry.
Explore Owyhee Zone Units
Season dates and tag rules sourced from Idaho Fish and Game proclamations. Original IDFG entry for Unit 42: view source.