Idaho offers some of the best Shiras moose draw odds available for non-residents. A big reason for this is that no state will be close to matching the 51 total non-resident permits to be drawn this year. Idaho also has a high up-front application cost, a non-refundable fee structure, and a draw system that prevents those applying for a controlled hunt for another species from applying for moose. As such, for anyone serious about hunting Shiras moose, it is an easy decision to apply in Idaho. The approach for selecting a moose unit will be quite different from a sheep or goat applicant’s approach because of the variety of units with difficult access or decreased trophy potential that attract fewer resident and non-resident applicants alike.

From the steep and thickly timbered units in the north to the more open and less physical units in the south, Idaho offers just about every kind of terrain imaginable to hunt moose in. Last year, it turned out to be an above average season for Idaho’s moose hunters. The statewide average antler spread of 38” and 84% overall success rate were both higher than any season in well over a decade. For the second consecutive year, 11 bulls were taken that hit or passed the 50” mark. Another highlight for the 2025 season was the 90% overall success rate throughout the panhandle units, an encouraging sign that the population has finally stabilized and may even be on the rebound.

Make sure to do your part in supporting these moose populations if you are hunting this part of the state by having a couple of wolf tags in your pocket! For higher success hunts for bulls in the 40” range, look towards the southeastern portion of the state. Much of this country is a mixture of private and public land, and most units have plenty of public land for the self-guided hunter. Area 54 continues its hold as the best unit in the state, and, as usual, a few absolute giants were taken here in 2025. Anyone drawing this tag in their pocket will have a very realistic chance at taking a Boone and Crockett bull.

Idaho will again be issuing a total of 510 antlered moose permits for 2026. Non-residents are eligible to draw up to 10% of these permits. In 2026, a total of 1,039 non-residents applied for a bull moose permit and in 51 were successful in the draw. If you take away the 113 non-resident applicants for area 54 alone, 1 in 25 non-residents applying in the other 92 antlered hunts across the state had their names pulled. Most good opportunities don’t last forever, and these moose hunt likely aren’t exception. Take a look at our tables, and if you have questions about the hunts with better odds or any of Idaho’s other moose units, make sure you give us a call!

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