Bingham leads Idaho's counties at 14 on the Buck Index, and Madison and Nez Perce share that displayed score. On the national scale, Idaho's counties score low; 30 of the 44 counties score 3 or below. The index compares documented big-buck history per estimated bow-huntable acre from 2011 through 2025 on a 0 to 100 scale. It gives hunters a county comparison, while permits and property access remain separate decisions.
KEY FINDINGS
- Bingham leads at 14. No Idaho county is marked as inside a big metro, so Bingham is the leader for the whole state. Madison and Nez Perce share that displayed score of 14.
- Jefferson and Teton share a displayed score of 12. Bonneville, Benewah and Kootenai share 11, and Boundary and Bonner share 10.
- Thirty of the 44 counties score 3 or below. Elmore, Valley and Owyhee share a displayed score of 2, in forty-second to forty-fourth place.
- All 44 Idaho counties are included. The score is a relative Buck Index, not an official county harvest rate.
Idaho county finder
Where does your county rank?
Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
10 of 44 entries shown
| State rank | County | Buck Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bingham | 14 |
| 2 | Madison | 14 |
| 3 | Nez Perce | 14 |
| 4 | Jefferson | 12 |
| 5 | Teton | 12 |
| 6 | Bonneville | 11 |
| 7 | Benewah | 11 |
| 8 | Kootenai | 11 |
| 9 | Boundary | 10 |
| 10 | Bonner | 10 |
01County comparison
Bingham leads, with Madison and Nez Perce sharing 14
Bingham holds first place at 14. Madison and Nez Perce share a displayed score of 14 in second and third place. Jefferson and Teton follow at 12, in fourth and fifth place. The national scoring frame matters: Bingham's 14 sits on a 0 to 100 scale built for the whole country, so the score reads against that wider comparison.
The denominator is modeled bow-huntable habitat. A county with less qualifying acreage can rank high when its documented big-buck history is concentrated relative to that acreage. The score does not identify which parcel produced that history or whether a hunter can gain access to it.
02County comparison
Five counties score 12 or higher, and 27 share a score of 3
Bonneville, Benewah and Kootenai follow at 11, and Boundary and Bonner share a displayed score of 10. Lemhi and Shoshone follow at 9, then Idaho and Custer share a displayed score of 6 in thirteenth and fourteenth place.
Bingham in first through Custer in fourteenth span displayed scores from 14 down to 6, an eight-point range. Twenty-seven counties share a displayed score of 3 in fifteenth through forty-first place, from Ada to Blaine. The full table is more useful than a short winners list when a property becomes available outside the first few counties.
03County comparison
Bingham, Teton and Owyhee do not land in the same band
Teton ranks fifth at 12. Lemhi is eleventh at 9, and Owyhee is forty-fourth at 2.
Bingham's 14 is above Teton's 12 and Owyhee's 2 under this measure. That is a documented difference in county history after the acreage adjustment. Explaining the gap would need evidence beyond the score.
04County comparison
Pair the county score with the state's current rules
The state wildlife agency's deer hunting information supplies the agency context for management and rules. This report does not allocate management-unit harvest totals to counties. Before a county becomes a trip, check the unit and permit conditions for the exact ground being considered.
The state wildlife agency's where-to-hunt information provides the next step for finding places to hunt. Start with a county you can actually hunt, then compare the substitutes that fit the same trip. A move from Bingham to Madison changes the rank number while leaving the displayed Buck Index at 14. Access may make that decision long before the index does.
05Basis of this report
Sources and method
FDR derived this October 17, 2026 snapshot from the 2011 through 2025 history window. Scores use estimated bow-huntable acreage and national scaling. They are sensitive to reporting and modeled-area choices. The public display ranges from 0 to 100, with no interpretation as harvest odds, population density or guaranteed access.
Compare the other states in the FDR county report series.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Derived FDR scores on a national 0 to 100 scale. History: 2011 through 2025. Captured October 17, 2026. Order uses the underlying rate before rounding. Zero is a valid score. Not rated means the county has no qualifying bow-huntable acreage or is mostly inside city limits. Counties marked metro sit inside a Census metro area of 1 million people or more.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. FDR county scores and interpretations are independent analysis. A county ranking does not evaluate an individual property.
Keep reading
FDR Scout puts county harvest history like this on the map of the ground you hunt. Open Scout →