idaho otc nonres tags sold out for 2021?

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Mar 11, 2021
hey guys i am new to idaho but always hear that they have OTC tags for muleys. i read on the site they sold out of their 14,000 already and its only march 3rd..... is there a possibility they will go on sale again or is that it for the year? kinda a bummer.
 
hey guys i am new to idaho but always hear that they have OTC tags for muleys. i read on the site they sold out of their 14,000 already and its only march 3rd..... is there a possibility they will go on sale again or is that it for the year? kinda a bummer.

That is correct for deer. Those are all sold out.

There are some elk tags left that could be purchased in 3 zones from what it is showing online.

Under the General quota, they went on sales December 1 for this year.

This year, things changed where you couldn’t think of Idaho as an after fact and had to commit ahead of time for their deer and elk tags. They also limited how many tags were offered per zone instead of prior years having those tags being allowed to be used in multiple zones. This was to limit how many non residents could be hunting in specific zones as Idaho residents were complaining of over crowding. Not to mention, they also went through a price hike.

I am not saying one is right or the other is wrong, but this was the “verbiage” used to explain the thought process.




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I feel opening up OTC tags December 1 only serves to create a non res frenzy where people buy the tag as “insurance” in case they don’t draw in any other state. I’m positive a good number of tags will get returned as soon as other states draws come out and peoples plans change. I’m also sure there’s some money to be made by Idaho in selling the tags twice : )


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I feel opening up OTC tags December 1 only serves to create a non res frenzy where people buy the tag as “insurance” in case they don’t draw in any other state. I’m positive a good number of tags will get returned as soon as other states draws come out and peoples plans change. I’m also sure there’s some money to be made by Idaho in selling the tags twice : )


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Expensive way to go, if you end up returning the tag.
 
I feel opening up OTC tags December 1 only serves to create a non res frenzy where people buy the tag as “insurance” in case they don’t draw in any other state. I’m positive a good number of tags will get returned as soon as other states draws come out and peoples plans change. I’m also sure there’s some money to be made by Idaho in selling the tags twice : )


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Im not sure you can return tags in idaho...


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Im not sure you can return tags in idaho...


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I know in the past you’ve been able to for medical reasons or deployments, but I thought I had read an article from Idaho F and G stated that you could now return tags but not licenses. Entirely possible I’m wrong, could be confusing states I suppose.


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I know in the past you’ve been able to for medical reasons or deployments, but I thought I had read an article from Idaho F and G stated that you could now return tags but not licenses. Entirely possible I’m wrong, could be confusing states I suppose.


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You’re right...I just checked...you can get a refund on a sliding scale.


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We have a death grip on western big game hunting and states declaring war on non resident tags is only making it worse.

There is no other game in town.

Used to be we could all hunt out our back doors, time goes by and population increases, those wood lots turned into subdivisions. Suddenly it is hard to find a place to hunt and quota hunts turn into preference point hunts.

Used to be that most NR hunted out west a time or two a lifetime. Lately we have more and more guys going every year, some multiple seasons every year. Plus most folks figured out that the hunting isn't as difficult as many make it out to be.

Then the states see a rising set of locals who don't want to allow the mass quantities of NR show up and kill all their trophy critters.

Not many states are gonna turn away the NR cash cow tho. Fees will increase, quotas may change, but they need to make $x$ every year before begging for federal funds. Gotta come from somewhere.
 
We have a death grip on western big game hunting and states declaring war on non resident tags is only making it worse.
a factor to keep in mind is the the animals are defined and managed as a natural resource. Its a finite resource. I prefer to appreciate the current system even though it has its flaws. I’ve lived in states where the animal numbers for too low for OTC hunts and so I applied for a draw every year for like 6 years and never got a tag. One of the reasons I moved back to Idaho was for the opportunity to hunt every year on public land. i left a state with huge tax breaks to move back to Idaho. Everything we do has an opportunity cost attach. I too wish there were more animals in more western states to have lower cost and higher opportunity but I’m afraid those days are long gone.
 
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