Idaho Tags

[mdwest]

HOUSE BILL 587 – Idaho State Legislature

legislature.idaho.gov

Looks like things are changing in Idaho..

I am suddenly super grateful that we grabbed elk and deer tags for the 2024 season a couple of months ago when we could… things are about to get more challenging moving forward I believe..

 

[JimP]

That's going to be happening all over.

There is a scuttle butt that the same thing is going to happen in Colorado where non residents will have to put in for a draw for all elk tags.

 

[flatwater bill]

Ya.....the first come first served que was becoming unmanageable.....the demand for tags in the West, where there is extensive public land, has gone crazy in the last 3 years. In the distant past, when Idaho had good Mule Deer numbers, the non-res tags sold out in 4 or 5 days. After the deer die off in 91-92 the Dept couldn't sell the quota. That gradually changed....until the Covid fiasco. Then demand went crazy. It was high time to have a lottery and not be, say, number 44,000 waiting in the que.....congrats on your tags..........I hope you kill one of the two or three remaining bucks in Idaho....FWB

 

[mdwest]

I’d honestly be just as happy with a doe.. for me it’s all about the experience…

Simply stomping around the mountains of Idaho for a week will be the reward…

If we actually take a deer or elk.. or both… that will just be a huge bonus…

 

[HuntingGold]

Ya.....the first come first served que was becoming unmanageable.....the demand for tags in the West, where there is extensive public land, has gone crazy in the last 3 years. In the distant past, when Idaho had good Mule Deer numbers, the non-res tags sold out in 4 or 5 days. After the deer die off in 91-92 the Dept couldn't sell the quota. That gradually changed....until the Covid fiasco. Then demand went crazy. It was high time to have a lottery and not be, say, number 44,000 waiting in the que.....congrats on your tags..........I hope you kill one of the two or three remaining bucks in Idaho....FWB

You captured the history very well. In the late 90's, I didn't have to buy my tags until I entered the state in Mid October. A second tag was also available!

 

[CoElkHunter]

That's going to be happening all over.

There is a scuttle butt that the same thing is going to happen in Colorado where non residents will have to put in for a draw for all elk tags.

According to the 2024 Colorado Big Game guide I just received in the mail, available NR tags available for bear, deer, elk and pronghorn have been reduced from 35% of the total tags available to 25%. And, ALL the over the counter antlered elk tags for the second and third seasons in ALL of the northwest units are restricted to private land only for the next two seasons due to the massive die off from the 2022-2023 winter. Members of our group hunted Unit 4 as always the first season this past October and didn't see any elk. Two hunted the second season and saw one cow. The Bears Ears herd in this area used to be the first or second largest herd in the state. Very sad.

 

[AustinL]

With the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado those herds stand no chance of recovering