Why the huge increase in Idaho NR hunters?

[Praxeus]

There is little doubt why Idaho was sold out (all units) this elk season. I'd like to offer 2 reasons. One...hundreds and hundreds of guys bailed out on Colorado. Colorado just aint what it used to be and after years of hard scrabble hunting, guys are coming to Idaho. When they come to Idaho, thy will find lower elevations but rougher terrain. Two- the proliferation of hunting videos online. Some of the biggest names in archery elk hunting live in Idaho, hunt idaho and film in Idaho. Can you blame guys for not wanting some of that action? No...but.........

At this point, game management will become the name of the game. I predict a eventual draw system for NR tags. Not a bad idea really. Montana has been ahead of the curve on that. Numbers of elk should always trump numbers of hunters ($$$).

 

[Praxeus]

I believe that it eventually go beyond rate increases. I am believing that a draw system for NR hunters is inevitable.

 

[SemperHunter]

I don't know about NR numbers for next year, I know they've reduced the DAV tags for next year, reduced to 300. I'm definitely glad I was able to get in on a DAV tag for this year because there will be far less disabled vets able to hunt next year.

 

[wind gypsy]

There is little doubt why Idaho was sold out (all units) this elk season. I'd like to offer 2 reasons. One...hundreds and hundreds of guys bailed out on Colorado. Colorado just aint what it used to be and after years of hard scrabble hunting, guys are coming to Idaho. When they come to Idaho, thy will find lower elevations but rougher terrain. Two- the proliferation of hunting videos online. Some of the biggest names in archery elk hunting live in Idaho, hunt idaho and film in Idaho. Can you blame guys for not wanting some of that action? No...but.........

At this point, game management will become the name of the game. I predict a eventual draw system for NR tags. Not a bad idea really. Montana has been ahead of the curve on that. Numbers of elk should always trump numbers of hunters ($$$).

I'm not sure if MT is that ahead of the game. There was OTC general elk tags in MT until 2015 or 2016, They just started selling out their NR tag quota earlier than ID did. Once the ID NR OTC tags start selling out almost immediately after being released they'll probably go to a full draw. There were NR OTC tags available for what, 6 months this year?

I'm sure all of the NR quota going all to NRs results in more pressure than it did when a lot of those were a second tag for residents.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

Social media, as you mentioned. Period.

 

[KurtR]

There is little doubt why Idaho was sold out (all units) this elk season. I'd like to offer 2 reasons. One...hundreds and hundreds of guys bailed out on Colorado. Colorado just aint what it used to be and after years of hard scrabble hunting, guys are coming to Idaho. When they come to Idaho, thy will find lower elevations but rougher terrain. Two- the proliferation of hunting videos online. Some of the biggest names in archery elk hunting live in Idaho, hunt idaho and film in Idaho. Can you blame guys for not wanting some of that action? No...but.........

At this point, game management will become the name of the game. I predict a eventual draw system for NR tags. Not a bad idea really. Montana has been ahead of the curve on that. Numbers of elk should always trump numbers of hunters ($$$).

They sold out last season also. So statistically speaking 12815 is 12815. There are not any more non residents as its just impossible but there has been a huge influx of people moving to Idaho. Its just an assumption but the increase is from the resident side. Either way what ever Idaho decides i am fine with its there state and i am just visiting.

 

[Chucklehead]

There isn't a huge increase NR hunters. Maybe a small one. This was the first year all NR general tags went to NRs. There were usually leftovers that went to residents as 2nd tags. So the demand has skyrocketed but not really overall #s.
And a straight draw system for general tags wouldn't do anything for NR numbers. Tag #s would probably stay about the same. Only difference would be how they are distributed.
If they capped every unit it would be more effective. That way it spreads everyone out a little. And makes people commit to a unit. I wish they would do this in Idaho and Colorado.
I don't see them going to draw. They don't draw for Sawtooth or DC tags... And those are way more in demand than general.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Look right here. Rokslide.

I disagree with the colorado idea because non resident otc tags are booming here as well. I think it’s as simple as everyone wants to hunt elk and it’s easy to get on a forum and find the info to do it. Couple that with the success stories people post and it often looks easy and glamorous.

 

[MuleyFever]

It’s getting harder to hunt in the east if you don’t own property. That sends a lot of hunters west.

 

[87TT]

NR caps on units will help a lot. Some units are worse than others for NR tags.

 

[Rob5589]

I bought my tag about 3 weeks prior to the opener. So they didn't all sell out immediately.
For reference; all the deer tags in two of the most popular zones here in California sold out before the opener. They never used to sell out, ever.
This year, amongst other things, is an anomaly. After next year, when people are back at work, and don't have extra gov't money, the picture will be clearer.

 

[Smack7]

It doesn't help that Idaho's non-resident prices are cheaper than most other states and some units don't have caps.

 

[sneaky]

Same number of NR tags as there have been for 20 years. Covid and free govt money was the perfect storm for this year. Even then, a few NR tags were returned and bought by residents. You're not going to see a huge drop in pressure next year either when the zone caps take effect and prices go up. There's still going to be pressure from the huge increase in resident hunters. I think you must have missed the dozen other threads that already discussed this.

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[sneaky]

It doesn't help that Idaho's non-resident prices are cheaper than most other states and some units don't have caps.

Both of those change for next year. Time will tell, I'll just wait for the thread that will get started complaining about the resident pressure after that.

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[Goodtimekiller]

Thank goodness, i mossed out on an id nr tag so was forced to go to co. There were decent tags available even after the second draw and i was able to kill a bull in pretty easy terrain compared to what i hunted in id the last 2 years.


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[Smack7]

Both of those change for next year. Time will tell, I'll just wait for the thread that will get started complaining about the resident pressure after that.

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It will be interesting to see how it plays out

 

[bgbuck153]

We left hunting Colorado to go to Idaho simply because as everyone knows Idaho has a 6x6 behind every other tree and zero hunting pressure and an abundance of NR tags. It was a no brainer

 

[Riflehuntr19]

There’s a good number more hunters despite the cap remaining the same. In the last 15 years many years the cap wasn’t filled. Then residents were buying thousands. Now there’s a different hunter for each tag. Probably more harvest from it too because most residents didn’t fill second tags, just messed around with them, of course there are exceptions for total snipers who shot two good bulls.

Let alone all the campers out and thousands of Californians moving to Idaho and becoming residents. Major pressure all around.

 

[Customweld]

The changes coming next year will quiet folks down for a while, but a lot of the complainers fail to recognize the elephant in the corner. The burgeoning population in Idaho is eventually going to force the hand to a different management avenue. NR tags have been static for many years (as stated above). This year very few were left over for residents to pick up as a second tag. The

 

[theleo91386]

Both of those change for next year. Time will tell, I'll just wait for the thread that will get started complaining about the resident pressure after that.

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I'm not accusing you of this, but just by this site alone it seems many life long/long time Idaho residents only moved there in the last 2 to 3 years. I always enjoy seeing the "no room left" or "only us residents should" comments left by some California transplant that's been there a month.