Two maps on top of each other
Game Management Units are the accounting polygons biologists use for harvest data, but elk seasons are set at the zone level: 28 elk zones, each bundling several units under shared dates and tag rules. Two adjacent units can have completely different elk seasons if they sit in different zones. Always figure out your zone before you memorize your unit.
A concrete example: Weiser River zone
The Weiser River zone covers Units 22, 32 and 32A. In 2026 the general A tag there meant archery August 30–September 30, while the general B tag meant any-weapon October 25–November 3. Same ground, same species, totally different legal windows depending on the letter on your tag. Every zone has its own version of this table.
How to look yours up
Use the IDFG hunt planner filtered by elk zone rather than by unit — it shows the A/B tag seasons, weapon splits and any controlled hunts layered on top. Screenshot or print the zone table for your hunt; zone boundaries and tag rules are the two things hunters misremember most often in the field.