ID Big Game Draw

You guys found any information on how the heck they are structuring the draw? I called an office last week, and they coudln't answer the question.

Are they processing one's entire app (New Mexico and Washington format), or running each choice as an individual draw like Oregon?
 
You guys found any information on how the heck they are structuring the draw? I called an office last week, and they coudln't answer the question.

Are they processing one's entire app (New Mexico and Washington format), or running each choice as an individual draw like Oregon?
The later is what I have heard.
 
You guys found any information on how the heck they are structuring the draw? I called an office last week, and they coudln't answer the question.

Are they processing one's entire app (New Mexico and Washington format), or running each choice as an individual draw like Oregon?

They will look at everyone’s 1st choice before moving on, then 2nd, etc.
 
IDFG will drop official draw odds on their Hunt Planner after the first draw just like always. For the brand new non res draw Dec '25 apps, year one’s a WAG based on hype, but by summer '26 they’ll post real numbers.
 
It is definitely more fair but I think it sucks that they only look at your first choice (and everyone else's) before they to onto the second choice. By the time they come back around to the second choices, all the good tags will be gonzo. I think a better strategy will be to put your 2nd or 3rd choice first and then try to upgrade during the turned back tag sales?!? At least then you have a better chance of getting tag and aren't shut out at the jump.
 
I am interested to see how this all plays out. Hopefully it is better for everyone than the mad scramble that it has been the last few years.

I am also saddened that it has come to this. I bought my first Idaho Elk tag, a Diamond Creek A tag, as a non-resident, on the internet in July or August 2007 no problem. My how times have changed! When we left Texas 5 years ago I saw the writing on the wall and knew non-resident elk tags were going extinct. That's terrible. I still like to go on travel hunts.
 
Every year except this year I’ve hunted ID. I’ll put in for this but I need to do some more research on units to prioritize given how the draw will look
 
It is definitely more fair but I think it sucks that they only look at your first choice (and everyone else's) before they to onto the second choice. By the time they come back around to the second choices, all the good tags will be gonzo.
Not sure how that is more fair, I like NV where if you get drawn they go through all of your choices and you get a tag if available. The random draw with no points itself is what makes it fair IMO, I think it's more fair to give the person who's name was pulled first a tag.

If doing it the same as the current system is they might as well only allow 1 choice, I mean 95% of the tags normally sell out in the first 2hrs, if the draw follows suit then there won't be any tags available for second choice anyway. It makes more sense in the general draw because there are a bunch of tags that nobody wants, and they put them as second choice, i.e., late cow tags.
 
Luckily for everyone, including me as a resident, IDFG doesn't care about what's fair. They're simply trying to uncluster the process for all involved. They don't care what tag you want, what tag you get or what choice it was. They sell all the tags either way.
 
Luckily for everyone, including me as a resident, IDFG doesn't care about what's fair. They're simply trying to uncluster the process for all involved. They don't care what tag you want, what tag you get or what choice it was. They sell all the tags either way.

Plenty of NR elk tags are still available this year (at least in October) I know because I almost bought a second out of 68 remaining in just one unit. This better continue or I’m burning down the house haha.
 
I am interested to see how this all plays out. Hopefully it is better for everyone than the mad scramble that it has been the last few years.

I am also saddened that it has come to this. I bought my first Idaho Elk tag, a Diamond Creek A tag, as a non-resident, on the internet in July or August 2007 no problem. My how times have changed! When we left Texas 5 years ago I saw the writing on the wall and knew non-resident elk tags were going extinct. That's terrible. I still like to go on travel hunts.
The system has been patently unfair for four years now, border state guys camping out in late Nov. and loading up for their non-res buds. Locals doing the same for their out-of-state pals.
Very thankful for this new system, the same guys around here pounding the same elk areas year after year now have some headwind, other non-res may get that chance that they never had due to the ridiculous 'vendor' loop hole. And those 'new guys' won't have the same area insight that the system 'users' (I won't say abusers) had year after year.

A byproduct may be that this could create more opportunity for locals! +1!
 
Plenty of NR elk tags are still available this year (at least in October) I know because I almost bought a second out of 68 remaining in just one unit. This better continue or I’m burning down the house haha.
It depends on whether or not anyone will include those 2 or 3 undesirable zones on their applications and if they will actually buy the tag and if they will later return it. I think the tags will ultimately still wind up in the last returned sale of the year and won't sell for days or even weeks, just as it is now. Luckily for you and me, we are not limited to the particular zone of the nonres tags. Unlike with deer, the tags aren't open for all general zones, but we can buy these tags as any zone that is uncapped for residents.
 
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