Idaho Bound!

[mdwest]

Had to sit in front of the laptop for 3 hours this morning in the queue trying to get out of state elk and general deer tags for Idaho for the 2024 season... but...

We were SUCCESSFUL!

THe wife and I pulled an elk tag and a general deer tag for the panhandle, and then managed to get another elk tag and general deer tag for dworshak..

Ive got a good friend that works for the forestry service that lives in the Dworshak area that regularly hunts the panhandle thats going to serve as our "guide".. He bagged a monster 6x6 bull just a couple of weeks ago.. and manages to get on good elk and deer pretty much every year.. so we're extremely hopeful.. we've been planning this trip with another friend here in TX for the better part of the last year (he also managed to pull an elk and a general deer tag).. but with the way out of state tags work in Idaho, we werent too terribly sure things would work out..

Area 9 in the panhandle has a huge bear and wolf population.. so we plan on grabbing a couple of wolf tags as well and giving that a go...

Im more excited right now than Hunter Biden with a fresh baggie full of crack!

Anyone else making plans for a big stateside hunt of any sort in 2024?

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Congratulations good sir.

Stateside... Well, it's too early here in Alaska to know with certainty but...

Spring brown bear on the coast is always a possibility, and might become a priority this year.
Fall moose is always a thing, and this year I am hunting for me; last year it was my buddy.
We have a local area draw for caribou; I'll put in when that comes up.
The statewide draw season is open; I plan to put in for bison, muskox, and goat.
I have had talks with a friend about doing a Kodiak deer hunt.
I have a friend's son who wants me to venture south to hunt turkeys with him.
There are also a couple of potential chances to deer hunt down yonder, if I choose.

The statewide draw would alter the trajectory of some of those listed possibilities.

All that to say... nothing in stone yet.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Congrats!!

My random queue number was 22k and change. I was getting some stuff from @gizmo delivered + working, so I didn’t even mess with it knowing there are less tags than that.

Like @Tundra Tiger my focus is trying to draw a couple Alaska tags (Moose & Bear) for a hunt I’ve got a deposit on. I’ll also apply for the OiL species in ID, while applying for everything species wise in AZ, CO, UT, WY, NM, and a couple species in other states like Tule Elk in CA, Moose in the NE states, and Elk in some eastern states. Should be pretty close to drawing several tags in some of those states. I think WY will be a points only application for Elk, Deer, and Pronghorn for the next few years after last years winter kill. The draw results from around the country will dictate my 2024 hunt plans and if Africa is on the calendar or again or getting bumped back.

 

[John1989]

I sat in line for hours and was picked to buy tags and was mysteriously bumped out and then my number was 40,000 after the “error” fuck Idaho fish and game I will never give them my money ever.

 

[mdwest]

Congrats!!

My random queue number was 22k and change. I was getting some stuff from @gizmo delivered + working, so I didn’t even mess with it knowing there are less tags than that.

Like @Tundra Tiger my focus is trying to draw a couple Alaska tags (Moose & Bear) for a hunt I’ve got a deposit on. I’ll also apply for the OiL species in ID, while applying for everything species wise in AZ, CO, UT, WY, NM, and a couple species in other states like Tule Elk in CA, Moose in the NE states, and Elk in some eastern states. Should be pretty close to drawing several tags in some of those states. I think WY will be a points only application for Elk, Deer, and Pronghorn for the next few years after last years winter kill. The draw results from around the country will dictate my 2024 hunt plans and if Africa is on the calendar or again or getting bumped back.

You would have waited 3 hours.. but would have gotten tags for sure..

I signed in at 9AM MTN (1 hour early).. so did the wife and the buddy.. .

Once they put us in the random queue I was #27000, the buddy was #32000 and the wife was #41000...

Options started getting limited by the time I got in.. but we were all able to pull both deer and elk in the areas we planned for (Dworshack and Panhandle)..

Sitting and waiting for 3 hours after the queue opened (4 hours total including the time spent waiting for the queue) was a bit ridiculous..

But hopefully it'll be worth it this time next October!

 

[mdwest]

I sat in line for hours and was picked to buy tags and was mysteriously bumped out and then my number was 40,000 after the “error” fuck Idaho fish and game I will never give them my money ever.

That seriously SUCKS! I would be raging if that happened to me after the 4 hour wait.. (took 5 total hours by the time my wifes tags were purchased)..

 

[John1989]

That seriously SUCKS! I would be raging if that happened to me after the 4 hour wait.. (took 5 total hours by the time my wifes tags were purchased)..

I was in the first 1000 in the Queue and didn’t get a tag……. I sent these screenshots to the Idaho department of fish and game and they currently have a supervisor looking in to it and are going to try to help me with some kind of resolution so it may work out yet…… but I was pretty pissed at lunch time lol.

 

[cash_tx]

Congratulations, and very happy for you!

The only stateside hunt i have brewing is a "potential" nilgai hunt in deep South Texas, but the arrangements still have some developing to do.

 

[mdwest]

I was in the first 1000 in the Queue and didn’t get a tag……. I sent these screenshots to the Idaho department of fish and game and they currently have a supervisor looking in to it and are going to try to help me with some kind of resolution so it may work out yet…… but I was pretty pissed at lunch time lol.

I would definitely be upset..

If you manage to get them to issue you a tag, and can get anything in either Dworshak or the Panhandle let me know.. we can coordinate efforts

 

[John1989]

I would definitely be upset..

If you manage to get them to issue you a tag, and can get anything in either Dworshak or the Panhandle let me know.. we can coordinate efforts

Lol for sure I’ve got all the gear for a 10 day backpack hunt so let’s make AH camp and find a 400 inch bull. I love the smell of smokeless powder and a hot 338 win mag in the morning

 

[mdwest]

We've got a 16 man yukon tent with a couple of wood burning stoves and a couple of old army cots... Im betting we could figure something out

Ive got a new 300 H&H that needs to get its legs stretched out next october

 

[Boela]

I had the privilege of hunting with some friends just outside of Preston, Idaho this year. We arrived the October 14th and were hunting on opening day. It was an amazing experience!!!

If at all possible, have a look at Day Mountain Ranch. It is a great property to hunt and you will not be disappointed.

 

[Tra3]

Idaho has, unfortunately, limited their tags for nonresidents. I hunted there 5 years in a row and we had good success with elk every year. The last few years I haven’t drawn a tag. I didn’t try this year, maybe I should have, but it was annoying to have such a significant drop in chances to get tag over just a few years.

It is an absolutely beautiful state. Those that drew tags are going to have a great experience.

I’ll continue returning to Montana to hunt with family as I do every year.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

You would have waited 3 hours.. but would have gotten tags for sure..

I signed in at 9AM MTN (1 hour early).. so did the wife and the buddy.. .

Once they put us in the random queue I was #27000, the buddy was #32000 and the wife was #41000...

Options started getting limited by the time I got in.. but we were all able to pull both deer and elk in the areas we planned for (Dworshack and Panhandle)..

Sitting and waiting for 3 hours after the queue opened (4 hours total including the time spent waiting for the queue) was a bit ridiculous..

But hopefully it'll be worth it this time next October!

Were you able to get DAV tags? Knowing how few non-res DAV tags there are since they capped it, I wasn’t going to spend hours waiting. I much preferred their old system. Congrats to you though! Can’t wait to hear about the hunt. I’ve hunted units 19 and 14 several times, as well as 11a, 10a, and 10 (sheep mountain range) for everything from Elk & Deer to Turkeys, Bears, and Wolves.

Hopefully given the points I have in the other states, I’ll draw something. If not, I’ll look at planning another trip to Africa, maybe look at an Ibex in Spain, Roe Deer or Red Deer somewhere in Europe, Caribou on the Haul Road in Alaska or in Greenland, Aoudad OTC, etc. Plus there’s a lot of cancellation opportunities that come available throughout the year so it’s not the end of the world for me.

 

[mdwest]

The DAV hunts for both elk and deer were all gone within the first hour…

The system they have in place is certainly a PIA… taking an entire morning off and still not having any assurance of getting a tag is a bit crazy… I’m just thankful we got lucky..

My buddy was at a hardware store near the ID/WA border the morning tags went on sale… he said there was a line out the door of WA residents trying to buy tags… he talked to a friend of his that works at the hardware store at the end of the day… he was told over half the line didn’t get tags and went home empty handed…

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

The DAV hunts for both elk and deer were all gone within the first hour…

The system they have in place is certainly a PIA… taking an entire morning off and still not having any assurance of getting a tag is a bit crazy… I’m just thankful we got lucky..

My buddy was at a hardware store near the ID/WA border the morning tags went on sale… he said there was a line out the door of WA residents trying to buy tags… he talked to a friend of his that works at the hardware store at the end of the day… he was told over half the line didn’t get tags and went home empty handed…

Thats kinda what I figured. They go quick i had a buddy around 14,000 that was sold out by then

 

[Matthias5662]

Congratulations! I have family in Orofino and Lewiston. We horseback hunt up around Dworshak and the Clearwater River area. The number of elk around are usually pretty good although they've suffered in the past in the Lolo area. There are indeed wolves there. Kudos if you manage to nail one of those - some local bars will still give you a free pitcher of beer for it. It is heavy country, bring your good boots.

The best of luck to you and your party!

 

[mdwest]

Congratulations! I have family in Orofino and Lewiston. We horseback hunt up around Dworshak and the Clearwater River area. The number of elk around are usually pretty good although they've suffered in the past in the Lolo area. There are indeed wolves there. Kudos if you manage to nail one of those - some local bars will still give you a free pitcher of beer for it. It is heavy country, bring your good boots.

The best of luck to you and your party!

Im definitely going to have to invest in some additional cold weather gear and kit over the next several months.. Ive got what I think is nearly perfect clothing/boots/gear for TX, most of the southeastern much of the southwestern US, Africa, and most of Europe..

but I am not rigged up properly for hunting in the north western US at all..

we did a week long hunt on Kodiak Island back in 2019.. I thought I had the right kit... I was WRONG.. I stayed cold and wet for 6 days straight..

I am going to seek out a heavier jacket (waiting on the next Sitka pro plan sale to happen) and pants.. better socks.. better boots.. better gloves.. better cap.. etc..

and giving some pretty serious consideration to a good quality spotting scope.. right now the only spotting scope Ive got is ok for a range beater used to spot holes in paper at 100 yards.. but its completely unsuitable for trying to spot game at 1000+ yards...

 

[Rem280]

Had to sit in front of the laptop for 3 hours this morning in the queue trying to get out of state elk and general deer tags for Idaho for the 2024 season... but...

We were SUCCESSFUL!

THe wife and I pulled an elk tag and a general deer tag for the panhandle, and then managed to get another elk tag and general deer tag for dworshak..

Ive got a good friend that works for the forestry service that lives in the Dworshak area that regularly hunts the panhandle thats going to serve as our "guide".. He bagged a monster 6x6 bull just a couple of weeks ago.. and manages to get on good elk and deer pretty much every year.. so we're extremely hopeful.. we've been planning this trip with another friend here in TX for the better part of the last year (he also managed to pull an elk and a general deer tag).. but with the way out of state tags work in Idaho, we werent too terribly sure things would work out..

Area 9 in the panhandle has a huge bear and wolf population.. so we plan on grabbing a couple of wolf tags as well and giving that a go...

Im more excited right now than Hunter Biden with a fresh baggie full of crack!

Anyone else making plans for a big stateside hunt of any sort in 2024?

What number did you start out in line? I was 16k something and got below 2k before the Elk tag I wanted was gone. Maybe 1 hour and 45 minutes. Congrats on the tags.

 

[randallhebert]

Plan on bear hunting around Challis this spring