Idaho Super Hunt Draw Odds: Which Species Give You the Best Chance?

Idaho's Super Hunt is one of the most unique big-game opportunities in the West. Unlike Idaho's standard controlled hunts, Super Hunt entries give hunters a chance to win a special tag that can be used in any open general or controlled hunt in Idaho for the species drawn.

Super Hunt is available for deer, elk, pronghorn, and moose. Idaho also offers a Super Hunt Combo that includes one tag for each of those four species. There are no Super Hunt tags for bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, mountain lion, or turkey.

Residents and nonresidents can enter, no Idaho hunting license is required just to purchase an entry, and there is no limit to the number of entries an individual can purchase. Idaho Fish and Game currently charges $6 per individual species entry and $20 for a four-species Combo entry, before applicable processing fees.

Most importantly, Idaho does not use preference or bonus points for its standard controlled hunt drawing. Controlled hunts are awarded through a random drawing, so hunters do not accumulate points from year to year.

How the Idaho Super Hunt Works

Idaho holds two Super Hunt drawings each year.

For 2026, the first drawing deadline was May 31, with winners selected in June. The second drawing deadline was August 10, with winners selected in August. Hunters planning for 2027 should verify the upcoming deadlines with Idaho Fish and Game once the new regulations are released.

Idaho awards 34 Super Hunt opportunities annually across the two drawings.

The first drawing awards:

• 8 deer tags
• 8 elk tags
• 8 pronghorn tags
• 1 moose tag
• 1 four-species Super Hunt Combo

The second drawing awards:

• 2 deer tags
• 2 elk tags
• 2 pronghorn tags
• 1 moose tag
• 1 four-species Super Hunt Combo

The two Combo winners can hunt deer, elk, pronghorn, and moose.

Idaho Super Hunt Draw Odds by Species

Unlike a normal controlled-hunt application, you aren't choosing a particular unit when you purchase a Super Hunt entry.

You're entering the drawing for a species.

If you win, the tag allows you to participate in any open hunt for that species in Idaho, including both general and controlled hunts, subject to the rules of the individual hunt.

That means Super Hunt odds should be compared using total entries versus tags awarded, rather than invented unit-by-unit Super Hunt odds.

Deer Super Hunt Odds

Deer receives one of the largest Super Hunt tag allocations.

In the 2026 first drawing, Idaho received 51,173 deer entries for eight tags.

That works out to approximately:

8 ÷ 51,173 = 0.0156%

or roughly 1 in 6,397 per entry.

The second drawing received 12,627 entries for two deer tags, or approximately 1 in 6,314 per entry.

A winning deer Super Hunt tag provides tremendous flexibility because the hunter can pursue deer in any open Idaho deer hunt, including controlled hunts that would normally require drawing a tag.

Elk Super Hunt Odds

Elk also receives eight tags in the first drawing and two in the second.

In 2026, Idaho Fish and Game recorded 21,030 entries for eight elk tags in its published first-drawing statistics.

That equates to approximately:

8 ÷ 21,030 = 0.038%

or roughly 1 in 2,629 per entry.

The second drawing received 17,993 entries for two elk tags, which equates to approximately 1 in 8,997 per entry.

Based on Idaho Fish and Game's published 2026 statistics, elk offered better per-entry odds than deer in the first drawing.

Pronghorn Super Hunt Odds

Pronghorn produced the best first-drawing odds among the three species receiving eight tags in 2026.

Idaho recorded 11,778 entries for eight pronghorn tags.

That's approximately:

8 ÷ 11,778 = 0.0679%

or roughly 1 in 1,472 per entry.

The second drawing had 4,862 entries competing for two tags, or approximately 1 in 2,431 per entry.

For hunters whose main goal is maximizing their statistical chance of winning a Super Hunt species tag, pronghorn deserves serious consideration based on recent entry totals.

Moose Super Hunt Odds

Moose is a completely different proposition because only one moose tag is awarded in each drawing.

The 2026 first drawing received 25,986 moose entries for one tag.

That's approximately:

1 in 25,986 per entry.

The second drawing received another 25,091 entries for one moose tag.

Moose therefore had dramatically longer odds than deer, elk, or pronghorn in the 2026 drawings.

The upside is extraordinary: the winner can participate in any open Idaho moose hunt, including controlled hunts, while following the rules applicable to that hunt.

Super Hunt Combo Odds

The Super Hunt Combo may be Idaho's ultimate lottery-style hunting opportunity.

One Combo winner is selected in each drawing, and the winner receives tags for:

Deer + Elk + Pronghorn + Moose

In the first 2026 drawing, 13,509 Combo entries competed for one winning entry, or roughly 1 in 13,509 per entry.

The second drawing received 6,270 Combo entries for one winner, or approximately 1 in 6,270 per entry.

2026 Idaho Super Hunt Odds Comparison

CategoryDrawingEntriesTags/WinnersApprox. odds per entryPronghornFirst11,77881 in 1,472ElkFirst21,030*81 in 2,629DeerFirst51,17381 in 6,397ComboFirst13,50911 in 13,509MooseFirst25,98611 in 25,986

*Idaho Fish and Game's Super Hunt statistics page currently lists 21,030 first-drawing elk entries for 2026. Hunters should use IDFG's published statistics when evaluating historical odds.

Based on those published numbers, pronghorn provided the best per-entry odds in the first 2026 Super Hunt drawing.

Can You Improve Your Super Hunt Odds?

There are no preference or bonus points to accumulate.

The simplest way to increase your probability is to purchase additional entries, because Idaho places no limit on how many Super Hunt entries a person may buy.

However, every entry costs money, and purchasing additional entries never guarantees a tag.

Hunters should therefore treat Super Hunt as an additional opportunity rather than build an entire Idaho hunting strategy around winning one.

Super Hunt vs. Idaho Controlled Hunts

The distinction is important.

Idaho's regular controlled hunts have limited tag numbers and are awarded through a random drawing. Idaho does not currently operate a preference- or bonus-point system for those controlled hunts.

Super Hunt is separate from that process.

Winning a Super Hunt tag does not prevent a hunter from also holding general-season or controlled-hunt tags. Idaho Fish and Game specifically states that Super Hunt tags are in addition to general and controlled-hunt tags a hunter has applied for or already holds.

FAQ — Idaho Super Hunt

What species are available through Idaho Super Hunt?

Deer, elk, pronghorn, and moose. Idaho also offers a four-species Combo containing one tag for each species.

Does Idaho Super Hunt include bighorn sheep or mountain goat?

No. Bighorn sheep and mountain goat are not Super Hunt species.

Does Idaho use preference points for Super Hunt?

No.

Does Idaho use preference or bonus points for regular controlled hunts?

No. Idaho's controlled hunts are awarded through a random drawing rather than a point system.

Do nonresidents have to buy an Idaho hunting license to enter Super Hunt?

No. Idaho Fish and Game states that a hunting license is not required merely to enter the Super Hunt drawing.

How much does an Idaho Super Hunt entry cost?

Current IDFG regulations list individual deer, elk, pronghorn, or moose entries at $6 each, and the four-species Combo at $20, before applicable transaction fees.

How many Super Hunt entries can I buy?

Idaho places no limit on the number of entries an individual can purchase.

Can a Super Hunt winner hunt controlled-hunt units?

Yes. Winners may participate in any open general or controlled hunt for the species they drew, subject to the rules of the individual hunt.

When are Idaho Super Hunt applications due?

For 2026, the first drawing deadline was May 31 and the second was August 10. Hunters should confirm the official 2027 dates with Idaho Fish and Game once 2027 information is released.

Continue Planning Your Idaho Hunt

The Idaho Super Hunt is a true long-shot opportunity, but it offers something few Western tags can match: the ability to hunt virtually any open Idaho hunt for the species drawn.

TAGZ can help hunters compare Idaho draw odds, research units, understand season structures, and build a broader Idaho application strategy instead of relying on a Super Hunt win.

Explore Idaho draw odds and hunt-planning tools on TAGZ, browse additional strategy articles through TAGZ Insights, or use TAGZ hunt-planning tools.