Idaho Resident OTC Archery Sales question

[bowrunner81]

I am planning on buying an over the counter resident elk tag for archery this year, but was considering applying for a controlled hunt first. If you apply for a controlled hunt, you have to wait 5 days to purchase an over the counter tag. How long do the over the counter tags usually take to sell out? Would I be risking the chance of getting my chosen over the counter units? The same question applies for deer if you have information on that as well.

Thanks!

 

[GregB]

The five day wait does not apply to deer. For elk it depends on the zone. If it’s not capped then it doesn’t matter. If it is some zone go fast others not so much.

 

[mistertrustee]

Here are the following capped units that you would need to wait 5 days if putting in for a controlled hunt.

Resident Capped Elk Zones

Use the table below to determine availability of these over-the-counter hunts. Looking for nonresident tags? As zones become sold out, they will be indicated below Available tags are not updated in real-time Sold out tags that are returned will be sold on each scheduled Returned Tag Sale date...

idfg.idaho.gov

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[bowrunner81]

That’s super helpful, so if I was wanting a tag that is not on that list, I don’t have to wait the 5 days? And they don’t sell out?

 

[mistertrustee]

That’s super helpful, so if I was wanting a tag that is not on that list, I don’t have to wait the 5 days? And they don’t sell out?

That is correct

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[sneaky]

That’s super helpful, so if I was wanting a tag that is not on that list, I don’t have to wait the 5 days? And they don’t sell out?

You'd still have to wait 5 days, but it wouldn't matter if the unit is uncapped for residents. Better do it this year because capped zones for everyone are coming with the huge increase in resident hunting pressure. We can't blame NR anymore, their numbers have been capped for decades.

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[Pwells10]

You'd still have to wait 5 days, but it wouldn't matter if the unit is uncapped for residents. Better do it this year because capped zones for everyone are coming with the huge increase in resident hunting pressure. We can't blame NR anymore, their numbers have been capped for decades.

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You should see the new deer initiative that has been brought to the table. It’s coming for elk.

 

[bowrunner81]

You should see the new deer initiative that has been brought to the table. It’s coming for elk.

What’s that??

 

[HuntInWild88]

That’s super helpful, so if I was wanting a tag that is not on that list, I don’t have to wait the 5 days? And they don’t sell out?

You are correct. You only have to wait 5 days if you are purchasing one of the capped tags.

 

[sneaky]

You should see the new deer initiative that has been brought to the table. It’s coming for elk.

If there's a way to screw something up, IDFG will find it

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[Pwells10]

What’s that??

In simple terms, pick your unit, pick your season, pick your weapon. There’s an 80 page proposal on it I’ll have to find it and post the link.

 

[Shawn_Guinn]

Unfortunately it might be time if we want to be able to hunt deer and elk every year as residents. The good old days of buy a tag and hunt all the weapon systems available might have to just that.

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

In simple terms, pick your unit, pick your season, pick your weapon. There’s an 80 page proposal on it I’ll have to find it and post the link.

I've heard nothing about this and would love to see a link if you can find it

 

[Pwells10]

I've heard nothing about this and would love to see a link if you can find it

I’ll look for it and send it over.

 

[Pwells10]

For those that want to see the article that was proposed in 20’ it may be coming back to the table from what I’ve been hearing.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/plan-deer-mule-2020-25.pdf

 

[bowrunner81]

Another question, if you apply for a resident Moose tag, do you have to wait the 5 days for an OTC elk tag too?

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

Another question, if you apply for a resident Moose tag, do you have to wait the 5 days for an OTC elk tag too?

No. If you apply for trophy species, the 5 day wait does not apply to capped OTC elk tags

 

[bowrunner81]

Thanks!

 

[blfelts]

If there's a way to screw something up, IDFG will find it

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I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I am jumping on the "squeaky wheel train" I just read another hunter on here standing up for hunters blaming IDFG. I am a hunter to my core; it's honestly the thing I am the absolute most proud of. I can promise you, my entire life is about hunting. I have horses and dogs... just to provide me unique opportunities to hunt.

But I get tired of hunters blaming IDFG. It's sad, and I think it's incredibly short-sighted. You JUST said "there's a huge increase in resident hunting pressure". I have read this comment a million times now - here as well as the public surveys. Everyone is perpetually complaining about hunting pressure and too many tags and not enough deer and not enough mature bucks and blah blah. So what is IDFG to do?

Last summer, we got hit hard with EHD where I live. We lost THOUSANDS of deer. I had several dead deer on my property alone. Now we have CWD. I guess since they reduced deer tags in response to EHD, it will still be IDFG's fault for limiting opportunity. They also increased deer and elk tags to reduce densities relative to CWD, but they will need to continue to intentionally manage CWD areas for low deer and elk densities to try to prevent the spread of this perpetual, always fatal, disease elsewhere. My bet is everyone will STILL blame IDFG for (1) too many tags sold/too much pressure; (2) not enough animals to shoot at, and (3) the well documented, long-term effect of CWD management will always be low animal numbers, younger age classes, and lower quality "trophy"/mature animals available to harvest.

Sorry, but the good ol days are over: too many people, as you stated, and now CWD. Neither is IDFG's fault. I'm in favor of picking a unit and a weapon for deer. We do with elk already. Statewide deer tags no longer makes sense anyway, considering the complaints of hunters. This has been going on long enough that it's certainly has to be a valid argument as well.

At least I still get the opportunity to go in the field with a deer tag in my pocket; albeit, one day that may be limited to a unit rather than anywhere I want to go with an open season. Hunter congestion is real and has been shouted from the rooftops for a while now. Something has to give, and us as hunters have some sort of responsibility in that happening. And if the day ever comes that I don't get have a deer tag in my pocket simply because I am a resident, well I will be sad but I certainly won't blame IDFG for "messing it up". Rather, I will give a hat tip to the vast complexities that everyone (including us as consumptive users of the resource as well as the state who is held in trust of our shared resources) has to deal with. I will still go afield and seek the same fulfillment that these wild places provide me every single time I step foot out there.

 

[Tmcgarrigle]

I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I am jumping on the "squeaky wheel train" I just read another hunter on here standing up for hunters blaming IDFG. I am a hunter to my core; it's honestly the thing I am the absolute most proud of. I can promise you, my entire life is about hunting. I have horses and dogs... just to provide me unique opportunities to hunt.

But I get tired of hunters blaming IDFG. It's sad, and I think it's incredibly short-sighted. You JUST said "there's a huge increase in resident hunting pressure". I have read this comment a million times now - here as well as the public surveys. Everyone is perpetually complaining about hunting pressure and too many tags and not enough deer and not enough mature bucks and blah blah. So what is IDFG to do?

Last summer, we got hit hard with EHD where I live. We lost THOUSANDS of deer. I had several dead deer on my property alone. Now we have CWD. I guess since they reduced deer tags in response to EHD, it will still be IDFG's fault for limiting opportunity. They also increased deer and elk tags to reduce densities relative to CWD, but they will need to continue to intentionally manage CWD areas for low deer and elk densities to try to prevent the spread of this perpetual, always fatal, disease elsewhere. My bet is everyone will STILL blame IDFG for (1) too many tags sold/too much pressure; (2) not enough animals to shoot at, and (3) the well documented, long-term effect of CWD management will always be low animal numbers, younger age classes, and lower quality "trophy"/mature animals available to harvest.

Sorry, but the good ol days are over: too many people, as you stated, and now CWD. Neither is IDFG's fault. I'm in favor of picking a unit and a weapon for deer. We do with elk already. Statewide deer tags no longer makes sense anyway, considering the complaints of hunters. This has been going on long enough that it's certainly has to be a valid argument as well.

At least I still get the opportunity to go in the field with a deer tag in my pocket; albeit, one day that may be limited to a unit rather than anywhere I want to go with an open season. Hunter congestion is real and has been shouted from the rooftops for a while now. Something has to give, and us as hunters have some sort of responsibility in that happening. And if the day ever comes that I don't get have a deer tag in my pocket simply because I am a resident, well I will be sad but I certainly won't blame IDFG for "messing it up". Rather, I will give a hat tip to the vast complexities that everyone (including us as consumptive users of the resource as well as the state who is held in trust of our shared resources) has to deal with. I will still go afield and seek the same fulfillment that these wild places provide me every single time I step foot out there.

They do a good job IMO as well. And changes they have made have improved hunting quality where I hunt. I’ve lived in 3 states so far in my life and Idaho does the best with managing everything of the three. People sometimes talk about how Wyoming does a much better job but here’s the thing… they don’t have the population Idaho has and sure they are seeing growth but not the growth Idaho is. That’s unfortunately going to play a role in this.