Idaho elk: the NR draw

[Fullfan]

I hope I'm one of the 300 lucky ones! I think I put in for the right choice(s). If I don't get it, I'll have to try again next year

Same here, 4 of us that are DAV also put in .

 

[Beendare]

Received some info yesterday, take it for what it is wort. And don't blast me for posting what I was told by a very reliable source.

59k nonresidents applied for deer and elk.
3000 DAV's applied for the 300 elk tags and the 500 deer tags.

I'm just passing along what I was told.

Dang, my WAG in post 26 was pretty close....

 

[Rebo]

Same here, 4 of us that are DAV also put in .

Did you enter as a group?

 

[Fullfan]

Did you enter as a group?

Yes for the Dav tags, also entered the normal draw. Was under the impression, that if we did not draw a Dav tag we would be automatically entered. The system let us enter the normal drawing.

 

[Rebo]

Yes for the Dav tags, also entered the normal draw. Was under the impression, that if we did not draw a Dav tag we would be automatically entered. The system let us enter the normal drawing.

I did not enter the normal drawing. If I don’t draw the DAV I’ll likely just do a Midwest whitetail hunt. I entered day one and the codes were all wrong but I just entered the codes till the units I picked came up. Luckily someone at IDFG caught the error and emailed me that my choices might be wrong, I called and they gave me the proper codes for the units I wanted and I got back in.

 

[Fullfan]

I did not enter the normal drawing. If I don’t draw the DAV I’ll likely just do a Midwest whitetail hunt. I entered day one and the codes were all wrong but I just entered the codes till the units I picked came up. Luckily someone at IDFG caught the error and emailed me that my choices might be wrong, I called and they gave me the proper codes for the units I wanted and I got back in.

We had the same problems with the hunt codes being diff than the actual zone. Called IDFG, was informed they were aware of the issue and were working on it. Also was asked to wait an hour and try again. Which we did and it went smooth.

 

[Rebo]

We had the same problems with the hunt codes being diff than the actual zone. Called IDFG, was informed they were aware of the issue and were working on it. Also was asked to wait an hour and try again. Which we did and it went smooth.

I hope you guys get it and I do as well and maybe we run into each other along the way. Good Luck, and thanks for your service.

 

[Customweld]

I hope you guys get it and I do as well and maybe we run into each other along the way. Good Luck, and thanks for your service.

Best of luck to both of you guys. Hope you draw out and have fun!

 

[Rebo]

Best of luck to both of you guys. Hope you draw out and have fun!

Thanks! I know that if I draw I'll have fun regardless of outcome, I just hope my e-scouting and research has led me to the right spot(s)

 

[SouthernCharm]

Was there a release date? I know have to purchase by the 20th.

 

[ProRoad]

First week of January I'm pretty sure. " or maybe for Christmas!

• Jan. 2026 (early) | Results announced"

Everything a nonresident hunter needs to know about the 2026 tag drawing

If you’re a nonresident hunter looking to hunt deer or elk in Idaho next year, the process is going to look a little different—and much improved. The new framework replaces the historical first-come, first-served tag sale that occurred online and at license and tag vendors, which frustrated many...

idfg.idaho.gov

 

[sneaky]

Hunt partner talked me into applying this coming year for a species other than Elk. Told him it's a 1 off, no way in heck I'm paying $200 non refundable for crap odds and no points more than once. As you mentioned, points will be coming for NR once the masses figure out $200/year gets them nothing.

Hasn't affected draw participation in NM, or NV for that matter. As low as draw odds are in NV it's the same as not having preference points. People throw in every year in multiple states that have you front the money. All of a sudden idaho does it and it's a bad idea? That's comical.

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[sneaky]

What I really want to know (admittedly selfishly) is how seemingly non-residents are getting to early access to apply for capped zone tags in December when residents have to wait until July...

As I understand it, non-residents are allotted UP TO a specific percentage of capped zone tags, NOT set aside a specific percentage of available tags. So, by allowing nonresidents to apply early and presumably take X percent of tags in a given capped zone out of play; are we not potentially decreasing opportunity for residents to get those same capped zone tags?

Seems kinda screwy to me...

(I'll be calling IDFG in the AM to clarify that this is the case)

No. Because a lot of the zones that are capped for NR, are uncapped zones for residents. You are making a mountain out of a molehill

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[sneaky]

I've hunted every western state, many multiple times and I have never seen hunting pressure like I saw in that unit when I hunted it with my son. Only reason I did was I had moved to W WY and was not a WY res yet. Never again! I think many guys get caught up in the number of elk that are in a zone and don't realize that some of the best hunting in the West can be in units with not that many elk, but also not that many hunters

I can count on one hand the number of hunters I've seen in Diamond Creek when I hunted it over the years. Most I ever saw in a season was 2 I think? Not hard to get away from people in there.

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[sneaky]

NV you can apply dirt cheap, you just can't apply and build points dirt cheap. NM is one of the cheapest states to apply.

Lol. You're in about $200 a year to apply in NV. You gotta front the money for NM. What are you on about?

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[sneaky]

This is how Idaho gets you guys to Bite so HARD !! Idaho F&G also claims that almost every elk & deer unit in Idaho is at or above Quota's but according to their published harvest reports these #s do NOT even come close to adding up.. But by all means take the word of a F&G person that is NEVER in the field ... They love your $$$

Plenty of elk here in Idaho. They're just all on private land now due to predator pressure and public land pressure. It's no big secret. Same reason they hire sharpshooters to kill elk in private every winter due to depredation.

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[sasquatch]

Hasn't affected draw participation in NM, or NV for that matter. As low as draw odds are in NV it's the same as not having preference points. People throw in every year in multiple states that have you front the money. All of a sudden idaho does it and it's a bad idea? That's comical.

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If they dumb enough to want points to “feel they got something” then they very well deserve the greatly reduced the # of times they’ll draw over their lifespan.

Put me in the F No to points group. Look at point systems all around. They’ve done nothing but create a creep issue and ruin chances of hunting.

People can Take the $200 elsewhere if they don’t like it.


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[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Lol. You're in about $200 a year to apply in NV. You gotta front the money for NM. What are you on about?

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Again, you have the option to apply in NV without purchasing a license…. NM is $65 and $13 per species, no one ever draws so they give all your money back. But sure, both are super expensive, no one should apply.

 

[K_pem]

No. Because a lot of the zones that are capped for NR, are uncapped zones for residents. You are making a mountain out of a molehill

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I have already resolved this as mentioned in my later comments.