Idaho NR general tag going to draw?

[WRO]

Sounds like you need to get around Idaho more. I’m hunting the units my non residents friends can get every year and we don’t see any crowds. You have to be flexible to hunt every year.

I’d rather learn an area and hunt it consistently than Star Wars otc tags, I’ve get enough out of state tags to solve that itch.

 

[Gobbler36]

I don’t want to stand in line for NR
I do but a draw is going to make way more sense than this mess we have currently and it keeps the outfitters from abusing the current system

 

[Wrench]

People willing to shell out the $ to stand in line pay the state of Idaho 2x and don't tie up virtual waiting rooms to later decide it's too far away.

 

[Wrench]

If they go to online only, I hope they make everyone buy a hunting license regardless and don't refund the tags until after the resident draw dates.

Make people be willing to let the $1500.. ride AND make the hunting license nonrefundable for a chance to draw.

 

[BigTex87]

Any updates on this? When is the next meeting?

 

[steelheadmike]

Next meeting is this week. The Commission will vote to implement a draw framework for the 2026 season.

Commission Agenda - May 21-22, 2025

idfg.idaho.gov

https://idfg.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/5-b-non-resident_tag_issuance_temporary_rule_action_2-rules_draft.pdf

The PDF is the draft language that could be adopted. Looks like they want to run it just like the controlled hunt draw (online, party apps, etc). No word on dates.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

All I need to know (as a resident) is with going to NR draw will it increase or decrease resident 2nd tag opportunities. Thoughts? Guesses?

 

[IdahoBeav]

All I need to know (as a resident) is with going to NR draw will it increase or decrease resident 2nd tag opportunities. Thoughts? Guesses?

I don't think it'll make a difference. We can't get them until Aug 1. Anymore, by that time they've all been returned by NRs at least once.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I don't think it'll make a difference. We can't get them until Aug 1. Anymore, by that time they've all been returned by NRs at least once.

I hope you’re right. I feel it might get worse because with the current system a ton of NR end up with tags that weren’t their first or second choice, thus more inclined to return that tag later. Just a guess tho, who knows.

 

[steelheadmike]

All I need to know (as a resident) is with going to NR draw will it increase or decrease resident 2nd tag opportunities. Thoughts? Guesses?

My guess is it’s going to greatly increase the number of tags available. Going to a draw should keep people from panic buying tags in less desirable units. Instead of those tags being tied up by NRs who dont want them, they will be available.

I may be totally wrong about this but the unavailability of tags on Aug 1 seemed to begin with the implementation of the Dec 1 fiasco. I think the draw may alleviate this as the manufactured demand for tags will be gone. I think.

We’ll have to wait and see come august 2026.

 

[IdahoBeav]

My guess is it’s going to greatly increase the number of tags available. Going to a draw should keep people from panic buying tags in less desirable units. Instead of those tags being tied up by NRs who dont want them, they will be available.

I may be totally wrong about this but the unavailability of tags on Aug 1 seemed to begin with the implementation of the Dec 1 fiasco. I think the draw may alleviate this as the manufactured demand for tags will be gone. I think.

We’ll have to wait and see come august 2026.

Aside from the Sawtooth sale in May, hadn't the NRs been buying Dec. 1 for a number of years before the tags started selling out? Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I though they went up in December. There just wasn't nearly as much demand. Tags were available during the season, and, of course, the deer tags were not unit-specific.

If there are tags left over after the draw, I imagine they will go up for sale first-come-first-serve.

 

[mtnbiker208]

The Dec 1st for non residents has been around for decades, i do believe.

 

[Customweld]

I agree with Mike. I think we are going to see a couple of years of lower leftovers, but I think the less desirable units are going to start to wane in interest. I’m still not convinced they have IOGA satisfied enough to implement yet.

 

[Fullfan]

If they go to online only, I hope they make everyone buy a hunting license regardless and don't refund the tags until after the resident draw dates.

Make people be willing to let the $1500.. ride AND make the hunting license nonrefundable for a chance to draw.

From what I saw by watching the meetings, you will be required to purchase a hunting license and pay a fee to enter the draw. Both are going to be nonrefundable.

 

[LFC911]

From what I saw by watching the meetings, you will be required to purchase a hunting license and pay a fee to enter the draw. Both are going to be nonrefundable.

I bet they don't refund the license and entry fees, that is the price to play in every other state, why would ID give that back?

 

[steelheadmike]

Aside from the Sawtooth sale in May, hadn't the NRs been buying Dec. 1 for a number of years before the tags started selling out? Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I though they went up in December. There just wasn't nearly as much demand. Tags were available during the season, and, of course, the deer tags were not unit-specific.

If there are tags left over after the draw, I imagine they will go up for sale first-come-first-serve.

The Dec 1st for non residents has been around for decades, i do believe.

Yes, the Dec 1 date has been around for a while. The change happened in 2021 when IDFG implemented NR zone specific quotas. Prior to that, if there was a NR tag available out if the ~12,000 NR tags, it could be purchased for use in any uncapped (or capped, if the cap had not been reached) zone. After 2021, each zone had had a quota of NR tags available. Contrary to all the talk of increased demand and blaming it on social media influencers, this policy change solely created the 12/1 circus, nothing else. It really started to snowball when guys would finally get in, see that their top choices were gone and panic buy a tag in a zone that they would have never bought a tag in previously, making that tag unavailable residents come August of the next year.

Anecdotally, I purchased my 2019 NR tag in June and my 2020 NR tag in April. Thankfully, that was my last year to buy a NR tag.

 

[sasquatch]

Yes, the Dec 1 date has been around for a while. The change happened in 2021 when IDFG implemented NR zone specific quotas. Prior to that, if there was a NR tag available out if the ~12,000 NR tags, it could be purchased for use in any uncapped (or capped, if the cap had not been reached) zone. After 2021, each zone had had a quota of NR tags available. Contrary to all the talk of increased demand and blaming it on social media influencers, this policy change solely created the 12/1 circus, nothing else. It really started to snowball when guys would finally get in, see that their top choices were gone and panic buy a tag in a zone that they would have never bought a tag in previously, making that tag unavailable residents come August of the next year.

Anecdotally, I purchased my 2019 NR tag in June and my 2020 NR tag in April. Thankfully, that was my last year to buy a NR tag.

This!!!! Idaho creates its own “panic demand”


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[steelheadmike]

This!!!! Idaho creates its own “panic demand”


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Law of Unintended Consequences

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Ehh IDFG “solely” creating the panic is a bit of a stretch. Social media, tag hub services, podcasts, etc threw gasoline on that fire. No different than when we are short of toilet paper and ammo. Everyone panics like a bunch of dumb fish out of water. Said hunting marketing companies/influencers profit off the panic. To say otherwise is denying the basic fundamentals of marketing.

Even if I was a NR I’m glad IDFG is making the changes and potential non refundable lic and app fees.

 

[steelheadmike]

Ehh IDFG “solely” creating the panic is a bit of a stretch. Social media, tag hub services, podcasts, etc threw gasoline on that fire. No different than when we are short of toilet paper and ammo. Everyone panics like a bunch of dumb fish out of water. Said hunting marketing companies/influencers profit off the panic. To say otherwise is denying the basic fundamentals of marketing.

Even if I was a NR I’m glad IDFG is making the changes and potential non refundable lic and app fees.

Those factors didn’t help, no doubt. But, they were incremental forces but didn’t have enough oomph to create the 12/1 circus on their own.

I think it was the opposite. Those factors were the fire and it was burning slowly. The policy change was the gasoline. Tag numbers and hunter participation have remained steady (even declining at points) for years. The only change was that zones now had a hard quota.

IDFG created a perceived demand (whether or not they intended to) for tags by implementing NR zone quotas.


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