ID Moose worth it?

[406life]

I've applied for moose in ID for several years. This year the price increase $700 (now $2756) and the dropping odds (~30 % to 8%) has me reconsidering it all. DIY AK and NL isn't much more, but is logistically a bit more of a pain. I may be out on ID Moose, always wanted to shoot an antelope there anyway. Anyone else have thoughts?

 

[Rob5589]

If I was dropping that kind of money on a moose tag I would want to hunt where there are way more animals than Idaho. Ironically, I see a moose every year when in Idaho. Probably because no moose tag lol

 

[CApighunter]

Spendy, but probably still your best odds of drawing a lower 48 moose tag unless you’re heavily invested in other states point systems.

 

[5MilesBack]

After getting my CO moose last year, I wouldn't pay more than what the meat is worth to me. If I had ever moved out of CO before I had drawn, I would have stopped applying because I wouldn't have paid $2k+ for a moose tag. Now, a good elk tag on the other hand......I'd be all over it for $2k.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Your average Idaho moose without a guide or a local friend most likely wont be a trophy, they're around but very hard to find. Something to keep in mind if a trophy or very mature bull is your goal.

I've lived here the majority of my life and it's not often you see a 50"+ bull, but they are there. I've seen a couple 60"+.

If you can afford it and want the experience, I say go for it though because realistically you're not using points or anything that took a long time to accumulate, it's just a draw and pay I believe?

As a NR, when you apply does it let you pick which unit you're applying for? If so, that would make the decision easier IMO.

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

Your average Idaho moose without a guide or a local friend most likely wont be a trophy, they're around but very hard to find. Something to keep in mind if a trophy or very mature bull is your goal.

I've lived here the majority of my life and it's not often you see a 50"+ bull, but they are there. I've seen a couple 60"+.

If you can afford it and want the experience, I say go for it though because realistically you're not using points or anything that took a long time to accumulate, it's just a draw and pay I believe?

As a NR, when you apply does it let you pick which unit you're applying for? If so, that would make the decision easier IMO.

Yeah you get to pick your unit as a NR. It is the same as if a resident applies. Two choices but you have to front the cost of the tag at checkout. Then you get refunded if you aren't selected.

 

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

Yeah you get to pick your unit as a NR. It is the same as if a resident applies. Two choices but you have to front the cost of the tag at checkout. Then you get refunded if you aren't selected.

Honestly you're buying the experience at this point. I live in unit 1 and spend a lot of time in the woods fairly remote and often earlier then most folks between units 1-4 and I see lots of cows, but bulls are not what they were 8-10 years ago.

They used to be all over, you could run into them on a snowmobile or while elk hunting fairly often. I think I have seen 5-6 bulls in the past 4 or 5 years, only 2 I would have shot. I noticed from flipping through this forum as well, most folks who visit and harvest bull moose here are taking younger bulls.

I can't say if it's worth it for you or not, money for you might not be what it is to another, I can only give a honest assessment of what I have personally seen in my neck of the woods.

I will say this with honesty as well, I've been purposely avoiding applying for that tag (it is my dream tag) because I have not seen enough quality mature bulls in recent years. Might be the wolves, who knows.

Might want to tag Ross and ask him if you're hunting the panhandle, he would have the most boot time if I had to guess.

 

[SliverShooter]

I played the out of state moose game thru the late nineties, finally determined hunting DIY moose for two weeks in AK doesn‘t cost much more then hunting Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, or Idaho.

 

[Trial153]

Personally I would do both... keep applying and book trip.
I am done waiting for tags that may never come when I have the ability to secure the tag with an outfitter or LO.

 

[alaska_bou]

Idaho non resident drawing odds are actually much lower than most people realize. Plus, the state doesn't guarantee a single non resident tag and caps the maximum to only 10%. I quit applying in that state years ago because of the poor reciprocity with other western states.

 

[idahoan]

I've applied for moose in ID for several years. This year the price increase $700 (now $2756) and the dropping odds (~30 % to 8%) has me reconsidering it all. DIY AK and NL isn't much more, but is logistically a bit more of a pain. I may be out on ID Moose, always wanted to shoot an antelope there anyway. Anyone else have thoughts?

Even as a resident of Idaho I am thinking of doing the same thing and just going to BC or Alaska. With the tag cuts this year draw odds a much lower than before. You just dont see the moose like you use to....

 

[Sleghammer]

Well opportunities for shiras in the lower 48 are going down everywhere. I believe idaho is still one of the best opportunities for a NR to hunt moose.

As for antelope, Idaho is not a great state for those. Your odds are just as bad or worse if you're hunting with a rifle.

I may be misunderstanding. The non-refundable price increase didn't go up by $700. You're just talking about the tag cost right? If so you may be the first person I heard saying the increase on OIL tags priced them out. The market price to book moose hunts have really soared lately.

 

[hooker]

Washington

 

[npm352]

Idaho is the best state for a nonresident to get a shiras moose tag and it is not even close.

Yes, it won't be a picnic and it won't be like a pronghorn hunt where you sift through 40 males before shooting one, but it is a moose hunt and unless you have max points in WY, nowhere is better.

 

[npm352]

That being said, it is a lot of money if you aren't planning on hunting it this fall even if you don't draw.

 

[Andrew12gauge]

Your odds of drawing an antelope tag in Idaho are lower by far than your odds of drawing a moose tag. Resident pronghorn odds hover in the 3-6% range. Go to Wyoming or Montana if you want pronghorn


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[Wrench]

Washington

He's kidding. I have 35 years of trying.....still nada.

 

[Broomd]

Idaho moose hunting is in trouble; it isn't what it was 10 years ago--at all. I drew in '18 and it was extremely disappointing. I took a small bull, and ID F&G told me that very Fall that big changes (reduced tags) were coming due to very poor harvest totals. Those changes are now reality.

The natives hit them hard in our unit, and now the tribe wants $600 (up from $10) for folks to hunt our unit (for any big game) if you don't live on the rez. Fortunately we do.
The elk hunting idiots who shoot moose by accident etc are really aggravating, and it happens fairly often.
That kind of a mistake should lead to 5 years with loss of hunting rights.

 

[Ntuttle15]

Idaho moose hunting is in trouble; it isn't what it was 10 years ago--at all. I drew in '18 and it was extremely disappointing. I took a small bull, and ID F&G told me that very Fall that big changes (reduced tags) were coming due to very poor harvest totals. Those changes are now reality.

The natives hit them hard in our unit, and now the tribe wants $600 (up from $10) for folks to hunt our unit (for any big game) if you don't live on the rez. Fortunately we do.
The elk hunting idiots who shoot moose by accident etc are really aggravating, and it happens fairly often.
That kind of a mistake should lead to 5 years with loss of hunting rights.

I just dont understand how thats ever possible to shoot a moose thinking its an elk. Or ever misidentifying any species. I honestly think 5-10 is reasonable for somethig like that, just because its so incresibly stupid to do. Its frusterating. Werent there like 5 or 6 moose killed/poached this year around McCall? No wonder you cant get a population built up to be able to open a hunt.. i also think theres a lot of issues with Natives being able to kill so many. Its something people dont address, and i think that has a greater affect and is not addressed at all. Ive talked to many natives that are very wlling to brag about the amount of moose theyve shot and killed in their life. And here we are fighting for a 1-12% odds of shooting our OIL Moose. And poaching also happens way more than we realize. Its very unfortunate.
My understanding of the tribes doing that is that it was becoming necessary because people were just flooding those areas and essentually ruining it for everyone. Its sucky it has to be a minetary way of restricting access... but people were just abusing the land.

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[Deplorable77]

If I was dropping that kind of money on a moose tag I would want to hunt where there are way more animals than Idaho. Ironically, I see a moose every year when in Idaho. Probably because no moose tag lol

^^ this. I see multiple moose every year I hunt Idaho. They don't seem pressured, and in my opinion could care less about our presence. Horses don't spook them and they meander around with a dgaf attitude..