2026 Idaho Nonresident Deer & Elk

[rmyoung1]

You need to know the unknowable, given there is no past data on how many people are interested in each unit.i agree it doesn’t change the odds. It just adds on another layer of complexity.

I am already very curious about the probabilities of drawing these better general tags. It’s gonna be interesting

 

[westbranch]

Plenty of Panhandle B tags, everyone should apply!

 

[SAJ-99]

I am already very curious about the probabilities of drawing these better general tags. It’s gonna be interesting

I suggest everyone hold off a year until the draw odds get more clear. And that $190 license, outrageous! Ignore the state completely to protest.

 

[seeth07]

I could be totally wrong but I would argue the odds are going to be extremely better to get the general tags than what they were before with the login fun show. Fronting that $200 license fee to apply is pretty brutal for these general hunts if you don't hit. Most of the controlled hunts that you would be also then eligible to apply for are in the range of 1-15% at a random draw so it is asking quite a bit up front for just a chance to get a tag.

Yes, Diamond Creek and a few others will be put down as a first choice for many and those odds won't be great. But most of them I bet are very high if not 100%.

The real loser is the draw odds for the controlled hunts. Expect those numbers to all get cut in half at least.

 

[rmyoung1]

I could be totally wrong but I would argue the odds are going to be extremely better to get the general tags than what they were before with the login fun show. Fronting that $200 license fee to apply is pretty brutal for these general hunts if you don't hit. Most of the controlled hunts that you would be also then eligible to apply for are in the range of 1-15% at a random draw so it is asking quite a bit up front for just a chance to get a tag.

Yes, Diamond Creek and a few others will be put down as a first choice for many and those odds won't be great. But most of them I bet are very high if not 100%.

The real loser is the draw odds for the controlled hunts. Expect those numbers to all get cut in half at least.

I wish they’d make the applicant choose and run the general and controlled draws at the same time, Wyoming style.

 

[Matthew57]

The real loser is the draw odds for the controlled hunts. Expect those numbers to all get cut in half at least.

Given your logic that general odds will be better, why do you think this?

 

[SAJ-99]

Yes, Diamond Creek and a few others will be put down as a first choice for many and those odds won't be great. But most of them I bet are very high if not 100%.

yeah, you know and I know, and you know i know, and i know you know I know, do you still want DC as the first choice?

I would take the other side in that 100% odds view. There are only 10,000ish tags and 40,000 people would log in each year. I wonder if the move await from wasting a day of your life will result in more applicants (hence the $fee requirement)?

 

[brymoore]

Given your logic that general odds will be better, why do you think this?

Theoretically, every NR who applies in the general tag draw and buys a license, can apply in the trophy or DEA draw. DEA would only cost an app fee. Trophy app would have to front the tag fee.

 

[seeth07]

yeah, you know and I know, and you know i know, and i know you know I know, do you still want DC as the first choice?

I would take the other side in that 100% odds view. There are only 10,000ish tags and 40,000 people would log in each year. I wonder if the move await from wasting a day of your life will result in more applicants (hence the $fee requirement)?

I don't see how it would be more than the 40k that would try. It was free and I logged in last year on as many browser windows using different ips as I could. Im sure I'm not the only one that had 10 plus in queue. Add in the $200 app cost and I think that number really drops. There will be for sure tags that go to 2nd and maybe even third choice and beyond

 

[idelkslayer]

It will be very interesting to see how the first year plays out and how people adjust in subsequent years.

 

[Irrelevant]

Theoretically, every NR who applies in the general tag draw and buys a license, can apply in the trophy or DEA draw. DEA would only cost an app fee. Trophy app would have to front the tag fee.

Yeah, I could see the competition for gen tags going down, but controlled hunts almost have to go up with this. Everyone who bought a license in order to just "try" for a general, will now definitely be putting in for a controlled hunt.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Yeah, I could see the competition for gen tags going down, but controlled hunts almost have to go up with this. Everyone who bought a license in order to just "try" for a general, will now definitely be putting in for a controlled hunt.

Unlimited controlled hunts might get hit the hardest. Which will probably lead to no more unlimited controlled hunts.

 

[Irrelevant]

Unlimited controlled hunts might get hit the hardest. Which will probably lead to no more unlimited controlled hunts.

Damn I didn't think about those. I hope they yank the string back on those.

 

[brymoore]

Unlimited controlled hunts might get hit the hardest. Which will probably lead to no more unlimited controlled hunts.

I think there aren’t any unlimited control hunts for NRs. They capped them a few years ago. Middle Fork hunts come to mind. There may be others I’m missing.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

I think there aren’t any unlimited control hunts for NRs. They capped them a few years ago. Middle Fork hunts come to mind. There may be others I’m missing.

I thought there was a riverbottom deer hunt and a pronghorn one to. But I could be wrong.

 

[brymoore]

I thought there was a riverbottom deer hunt and a pronghorn one to. But I could be wrong.

There could be. I’m familiar with the Middle Fork hunt capping.

 

[westbranch]

I thought there was a riverbottom deer hunt and a pronghorn one to. But I could be wrong.

Yeah, a few of the archery only deer and most of the archery only pronghorn tags are/were unlimited for NR.

 

[lastlight]

Wrap your head around this. In a unit I hunt there is more nonresident archery tags than resident.

What’s everyone best guest for resident 2nd tag opportunity? Are the days of 2 deer and 2 elk tags gone?

 

[Elktrack]

Wrap your head around this. In a unit I hunt there is more nonresident archery tags than resident.

What’s everyone best guest for resident 2nd tag opportunity? Are the days of 2 deer and 2 elk tags gone?

Yeah, some of these qoutas just don’t make sense. I just don’t understand how they came up with these numbers. Maybe they’re trying to concentrate NR in certain areas? It’s going to be really interesting to see how this plays out. IMO, they are overselling tags in a few areas. Gonna be some disappointed people.