Idaho Unit 70 Moose Hunting Guide

Idaho Unit 70 is a limited-quota moose hunting unit tucked into the broader "70s" cluster of units that regularly come up in forum discussions among moose hunters chasing a once-in-a-lifetime tag. Spanning 242,878 acres with elevations ranging from 4,387 to 8,703 feet, this unit offers a mix of lower-elevation river drainages and higher alpine terrain typical of Idaho's backcountry moose country. With 61% public land, Unit 70 gives DIY hunters a solid base of accessible ground to work with, though the remaining private acreage means careful attention to land boundaries is still part of the game.

Every moose hunt in Unit 70 is limited-quota — there is no general season here. Hunters draw a specific tag, and every hunt on the books, including those for antlered bulls, runs through Idaho's draw system. That makes Unit 70 a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most hunters who draw it, and the data backs up just how limited that opportunity is: this is a small-tag-number unit where every permit matters.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 70 Worth Applying For?

The harvest numbers out of Unit 70 tell a clear story: this is a unit with very low hunter numbers and consistently strong success. Looking at the most recent six years of data pulled by HuntPilot, success rates have been exceptional:

• 2025: 9 hunters, 7 harvested — 78% success
• 2024: 9 hunters, 9 harvested — 100% success
• 2023: 9 hunters, 9 harvested — 100% success
• 2022: 6 hunters, 6 harvested — 100% success
• 2021: 6 hunters, 6 harvested — 100% success
• 2020: 8 hunters, 8 harvested — 100% success

Five of the last six years on record show perfect or near-perfect success, with only the 2025 season dipping slightly to 78%. For a species as difficult to hunt as moose — slow-growing populations, conservative tag allocations, and unforgiving terrain — this kind of consistency is a strong indicator that hunters who draw Unit 70 are finding and killing animals at a very high rate.

That said, context matters. These are small sample sizes — six to nine hunters per year — which is typical for moose units nationwide given how conservatively states manage the species. A 100% success year with nine hunters is a meaningful data point, but it also means the margin for an off year (like 2025) is built into a program with very few total permits. Hunters should read these numbers as "this unit performs well when you draw it," not as a guarantee.

Trophy-wise, the counties overlapping Unit 70 carry a moderate history of trophy-class moose production. That puts Unit 70 in a reasonable middle tier — not among the handful of elite units that produce headline bulls every year, but with enough documented trophy history to suggest a hunter putting in the time can find a mature, representative bull. Given the county-level nature of trophy record-keeping, that history is shared with neighboring units, so it should be read as a regional indicator of quality rather than a unit-exclusive guarantee.

Combine a consistently high success rate with moderate trophy potential and a majority-public-land unit, and Unit 70 shapes up as a genuinely good draw for anyone who pulls the tag. This isn't a unit where success is a coin flip — the historical data suggests that if a hunter draws here, they have real odds of filling the tag, and a fair chance at a solid, mature bull in the process.

Access & Terrain

Unit 70 spans a notable elevation gradient, from 4,387 feet up to 8,703 feet, which gives hunters a range of habitat types to work through over the course of a season — from lower river-bottom and drainage country up into higher timbered and subalpine terrain where moose often retreat as temperatures rise or hunting pressure builds. With 242,878 total acres, there's plenty of ground to cover, and the 61% public land figure means the majority of the unit is open to public access, giving DIY hunters a workable base without needing to lean heavily on private landowner permission.

There is no wilderness designation within Unit 70 according to the available data, which means nonresident hunters are not subject to any mandatory guide requirement tied to wilderness boundaries. This unit should be approached as road- and trail-accessible backcountry rather than deep wilderness pack-in country, though hunters should always verify current access conditions and seasonal road status before committing to a plan.

Forum chatter around the broader "70s" unit cluster consistently references this as solid moose country with hunters recounting good bulls taken in neighboring units in the group. While specific unit-by-unit intel from hunters is thin and anecdotal, the general sentiment lines up with the harvest data: this pocket of Idaho has a reputation among moose hunters as producing results for those who draw a tag and put in the scouting time. Given the elevation range available, hunters should plan to glass both lower drainage habitat early in the season and be ready to push higher if animals move with pressure or weather. HuntPilot's mapping tools, including the public land overlay and terrain layers, are useful for identifying specific drainages, water sources, and elevation bands worth scouting before heading into the unit.

Herd Health & Harvest Trends

While detailed population survey data (bull:cow ratios, herd composition counts) isn't available in the structured data for Unit 70, the harvest trend itself offers a useful proxy for herd health. A unit sustaining 100% hunter success across five of the last six years, with harvest totals matching or nearly matching hunter numbers every season, points toward a stable, huntable moose population that isn't being over-pressured by its conservative tag allocation. Idaho's moose management generally keeps permit numbers low specifically to protect herd health, and Unit 70's numbers are consistent with that strategy working as intended.

The slight dip to 78% success in 2025 is worth noting but shouldn't be read as a red flag on its own — a single harder season with seven of nine hunters filling tags is still a strong outcome relative to moose hunting nationally, and may reflect weather, animal movement, or simple variance in a small sample rather than any decline in the herd.

How to Apply

Idaho moose tags are allocated entirely through the state's limited-quota draw system — there is no over-the-counter option and no general season for moose anywhere in the state, including Unit 70. Both residents and nonresidents must apply through Idaho Fish and Game's controlled hunt draw to be considered for a tag in this unit.

Idaho's draw system does not use preference points or bonus points of any kind. Every application — whether it's a hunter's first year applying or their fifteenth — carries identical odds in that year's draw. There is nothing to accumulate, build, or bank. The only lever hunters have is which hunts and units they choose to apply for, since the draw itself is a straight random allocation of available tags among that year's applicant pool.

This structure means there's no benefit to waiting or "saving up" before applying to a strong unit like Unit 70. Hunters serious about drawing this tag should simply apply every year, since each year stands alone. Given how few permits move through Unit 70 annually based on the harvest data, prospective applicants should expect this to be a highly competitive draw regardless of application history.

Application dates and fees change every cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and application structure, see HuntPilot's Idaho state page at /states/id, or check Idaho Fish and Game's current controlled hunt regulations directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is harvest success like in Idaho Unit 70? Harvest success in Unit 70 has been exceptionally strong in recent years. Four of the last five recorded seasons — 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020 — posted 100% hunter success, with every hunter who drew a tag filling it. The 2025 season saw a slight dip to 78% success (seven of nine hunters). With yearly hunter numbers running between six and nine, this is a small but consistently productive unit for tag holders.

How big are the moose in Unit 70? Trophy data for the broader area shows a moderate history of trophy-class moose production in the counties overlapping Unit 70. That places the unit in a solid middle tier — not known for producing an outsized number of elite bulls every year, but with a documented track record of mature, quality animals coming out of the region. Because trophy records are logged at the county level and shared across neighboring units, this history should be read as a regional signal rather than a Unit 70-exclusive guarantee.

What is the terrain like in Unit 70? Unit 70 covers an elevation range from 4,387 to 8,703 feet across 242,878 acres, offering a mix of lower drainage and river-bottom habitat along with higher timbered and subalpine country. With 61% public land, the majority of the unit is accessible without needing private landowner permission, and there is no wilderness designation in the unit, meaning nonresidents face no mandatory guide requirement here.

Is Idaho Unit 70 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — Unit 70 stands out as a strong moose unit for hunters who manage to draw a tag. The combination of consistently high harvest success (100% in most recent years), a majority-public-land base for access, and a moderate regional trophy history makes this a unit where, if drawn, hunters have real odds of both filling their tag and encountering a quality bull. The main hurdle is the draw itself, which — like all Idaho moose hunts — is a pure random lottery with no points system to lean on.

Do I need a guide to hunt moose in Unit 70? No wilderness acreage is listed for Unit 70, so there is no mandatory guide requirement tied to wilderness access in this unit. Nonresidents can pursue a DIY hunt here, though as with any Idaho backcountry unit, scouting ahead of the season and understanding public/private land boundaries — easily checked using HuntPilot's public land overlay — will go a long way toward a successful hunt.