Idaho Bonus point system

[WRO]

“We just moved to Idaho, we love it here! We wouldn’t change a thing”!

Ten minutes after being Idaho residents:

“You know, we really don’t like how things are done here, we should change it to how it is where we moved from”

No state is perfect, I never thought that when I moved here.

It’s got a lot of redeeming qualities though.

 

[WRO]

Yep! That’s why it terrifying, although currently minority opinions, that there a lot of new residents who want to hunt elk/deer every 3 years under the guise that there will be less people in the woods and better hunting for mature animals. I’ve heard this enough times that concern me of a novel mind virus that should be eliminated.

These people will use every last piece of technology and think that owes them success, eat tag soup, then complain the hunting sucks because the other guy they saw ruined their hunt so we should all sacrifice OTC.

There’s changes coming, because things are changing. I can’t think of a state that has remained relatively stable management wise in the west.

10 years ago, you could buy a second NR tag and or a NR tag during season.

10 years ago there were 300k less Idaho residents.

 

[idelkslayer]

There’s changes coming, because things are changing. I can’t think of a state that has remained relatively stable management wise in the west.

10 years ago, you could buy a second NR tag and or a NR tag during season.

10 years ago there were 300k less Idaho residents.

You know what hasn't really changed? Hunter numbers in Idaho. Everyone likes to say there are more but they're wrong. Maybe more of them are applying for controlled hunts, but there aren't more of us than 40 years ago.


(And before anyone points to 1987-1991 to say things used to be better, those years were a fluke. A perfect storm of conditions that were never seen in the decades before, and haven't occurred since. And ended with one of the worst winter kills Idaho has ever seen.)

The rush for NR tags and the resulting difficulty to buy second tags is a recent issue caused by the NR unit quotas that were created in 2019, not anything to do with changes in population. Everyone also seems to forget that NR tags sold out every year prior to 2008, and it was the recession that created the second tag opportunity as a way for IDFG to recoup revenue and sell out those tags.

One final point, since you have brought it several times already. And it is a valid point. The real danger to our mule deer is development of winter range. Point systems will do nothing to help. Point systems would only change how we slice the shrinking pie.

Maybe, instead of wasting our time on point systems we would be better off petitioning our legislators for protections of mule deer winter range. Maybe we should encourage them to be proactive about protecting mule deer instead of wasting their time on more dumb trespassing, muzzleloader, and lighted nock bills.

 

[MallardSX2]

Bonus and Preference systems are a money racket and a joke. Absolutely don't fall for it.

 

[Grundy53]

You know what hasn't really changed? Hunter numbers in Idaho. Everyone likes to say there are more but they're wrong. Maybe more of them are applying for controlled hunts, but there aren't more of us than 40 years ago.

View attachment 852891
(And before anyone points to 1987-1991 to say things used to be better, those years were a fluke. A perfect storm of conditions that were never seen in the decades before, and haven't occurred since. And ended with one of the worst winter kills Idaho has ever seen.)

The rush for NR tags and the resulting difficulty to buy second tags is a recent issue caused by the NR unit quotas that were created in 2019, not anything to do with changes in population. Everyone also seems to forget that NR tags sold out every year prior to 2008, and it was the recession that created the second tag opportunity as a way for IDFG to recoup revenue and sell out those tags.

One final point, since you have brought it several times already. And it is a valid point. The real danger to our mule deer is development of winter range. Point systems will do nothing to help. Point systems would only change how we slice the shrinking pie.

Maybe, instead of wasting our time on point systems we would be better off petitioning our legislators for protections of mule deer winter range. Maybe we should encourage them to be proactive about protecting mule deer instead of wasting their time on more dumb trespassing, muzzleloader, and lighted nock bills.

Well said

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk

 

[IdahoBeav]

“We just moved to Idaho, we love it here! We wouldn’t change a thing”!

Ten minutes after being Idaho residents:

“You know, we really don’t like how things are done here, we should change it to how it is where we moved from”

That's largely a myth, especially in terms of politics.

Yep! That’s why it terrifying, although currently minority opinions, that there a lot of new residents who want to hunt elk/deer every 3 years under the guise that there will be less people in the woods and better hunting for mature animals. I’ve heard this enough times that concern me of a novel mind virus that should be eliminated.

These people will use every last piece of technology and think that owes them success, eat tag soup, then complain the hunting sucks because the other guy they saw ruined their hunt so we should all sacrifice OTC.

I don't know where you are finding these people, but it has not been my observation at all. OP might be the only transplant that I have seen make the points suggestion, and he's really just asking the question to get input from others on this site. From what I notice, the typical guy screaming for points is not your average guy on RS. It's a long time resident at or near retirement age that is upset he hasn't drawn the tag(s) he has wanted for decades and feels he deserves more than others, and he thinks points will solve his problem, not thinking through that should a points system be implemented, he doesn't get compensation for unsuccessful draws in the past. These guys are also the ones that typically blame NR for everything.

Most transplants that I encounter are grinning ear-to-ear just to be able to buy an OTC mule deer tag.

 

[WRO]

One final point, since you have brought it several times already. And it is a valid point. The real danger to our mule deer is development of winter range. Point systems will do nothing to help. Point systems would only change how we slice the shrinking pie.

Maybe, instead of wasting our time on point systems we would be better off petitioning our legislators for protections of mule deer winter range. Maybe we should encourage them to be proactive about protecting mule deer instead of wasting their time on more dumb trespassing, muzzleloader, and lighted nock bills.

They won’t do anything unfortunately, heck they can’t even put laws in place ensure safeguards to ensure domestic cervids don’t spread to wild animals.

Idaho is ran by ranchers at the end of the day, wildlife will always take second to their interests.

 

[Customweld]

That's largely a myth, especially in terms of politics.

It's all in good humor, I like to give the new residents a hard time. Although the myth seems to hold true the closer to the urban areas that you are.

 

[BRTreedogs]

for the Mr otc just ban buying tags for others and make us buy a license and a single login to participate in the look see.

If we had to buy a license to even see what’s left I’m sure it would thin people down

 

[IdahoBeav]

It's all in good humor, I like to give the new residents a hard time. Although the myth seems to hold true the closer to the urban areas that you are.

In the North End of Boise and surrounding areas, no doubt.

 

[idelkslayer]

Another point for this discussion stems from how few controlled hunts this would even affect. I'm referring to antlered or either sex tags, also excluding youth and unlimited; because let's be honest, we're talking about drawing buck tags as adults. If we assume that point systems do function for hunts with high drawing odds. Let's theorize that 15% or higher would rotate hunters through every 7 years and we live in a fairytale land with no point creep.

Out of the 83 controlled hunts that fit the criteria above there are only 37 mule deer controlled hunts in Idaho with 15% odds or higher, and 21 of those are archery or muzzleloader hunts. Leaving only 16 rifle controlled hunts that we are squabbling over about point systems possibly having a positive effect. (And for the most part it's complaints about rifle tags that drive this conversation.) Only 16 hunts and it's likely that very few of them are the ones that people complain about never drawing.

The remaining 46 controlled hunts all have less than 15% drawing odds and 39 of those are less than 10% and there seems to general agreement that no points system helps with single digit odds.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

That's largely a myth, especially in terms of politics.


I don't know where you are finding these people, but it has not been my observation at all. OP might be the only transplant that I have seen make the points suggestion, and he's really just asking the question to get input from others on this site. From what I notice, the typical guy screaming for points is not your average guy on RS. It's a long time resident at or near retirement age that is upset he hasn't drawn the tag(s) he has wanted for decades and feels he deserves more than others, and he thinks points will solve his problem, not thinking through that should a points system be implemented, he doesn't get compensation for unsuccessful draws in the past. These guys are also the ones that typically blame NR for everything.

Most transplants that I encounter are grinning ear-to-ear just to be able to buy an OTC mule deer tag.

Goes to show the major cultural difference in north vs south Idaho. Long time residents up here could care less about drawing tags down south (generalizing here). They just want to hunt every year. Transplants to North ID have point game ideas…

 

[Customweld]

Goes to show the major cultural difference in north vs south Idaho. Long time residents up here could care less about drawing tags down south (generalizing here). They just want to hunt every year. Transplants to North ID have point game ideas…

Other than moose, you guys really don't have much for controlled hunts. Idaho is a much different state north of the Salmon and even much more so north of the Clearwater. I don't blame you at all for not wanting to travel south of either river.

 

[idelkslayer]

Other than moose, you guys really don't have much for controlled hunts. Idaho is a much different state north of the Salmon and even much more so north of the Clearwater. I don't blame you at all for not wanting to travel south of either river.

Some of us travel south every fall. Having grown up and lived in various locations in southern Idaho before moving north I make pilgrimage each fall to hunt mule deer.

 

[IdahoBeav]

Goes to show the major cultural difference in north vs south Idaho. Long time residents up here could care less about drawing tags down south (generalizing here). They just want to hunt every year. Transplants to North ID have point game ideas…

WT are managed on a different line, and I'm assuming they're doing pretty good considering that IDFG had been running tooth collection studies the past several years, and there were no proposals involving limiting seasons or 2nd tags. If there is an unfortunate change in the mule deer regulations, hopefully WT opportunity will remain plenty.

 

[Customweld]

Some of us travel south every fall. Having grown up and lived in various locations in southern Idaho before moving north I make pilgrimage each fall to hunt mule deer.

You head south for mule deer, and I head north for whitetail!

 

[idelkslayer]

WT are managed on a different line, and I'm assuming they're doing pretty good considering that IDFG had been running tooth collection studies the past several years, and there were no proposals involving limiting seasons or 2nd tags. If there is an unfortunate change in the mule deer regulations, hopefully WT opportunity will remain plenty.

We hear it up hear too. Not necessarily a call for points but there are those who are constantly complaining about crowding, season length, too many young bucks in the harvest, etc. One thing we do have going for us in north Idaho is the ability to blame the ultimate boogey-man for crappy hunting, wolves. It's always the wolves fault if you don't have a successful season. The wolves probably take some of the blame off of IDFG.

One unit I hunt up here for deer (whitetail) is down almost 50% on total harvest since 2015 although it is only 30% down from a longer term average. Another unit is down 30% from the 2015/16 peak but pretty close to long term averages. It seems to me that the whitetails have seem impacts similar to mule deer but to a much lesser degree.