Idaho 2021 Cost Increase for Non Res

[luvmystang67]

These threads get old. Idaho Finally moved there prices up to other western states cost. That includes the youth prices they are now close to Montana etc. it was overdue and Idaho is still the only good western state with otc tags.

You don't have to look at them if they bother you.   

1) Idaho can do whatever it wants.
2) IDFG is fully funded by tag sales.  I think they should just adjust prices every year and eliminate the quota, let supply and demand balance the cost/tag sales to optimize for their objectives.  If they want to sell 12,000 elk tags, they should just manipulate the price so that 12K sell.
3) People who pay the increases don't like it and will whine about it.
4) As previously mentioned, the NR quotas have been in place for quite a while.  There is not some magic increase in NR participation.  There are however a lot of new residents. 
5) I do not think Idaho will sell out of tags this year, at least not before they go on sale to residents.  We'll see.

[Magnum_Willys]

In the heaviest non-resident percentage zone Idaho fish and game already has the ability to drop non-resident tags to 10% or from over 500 tags down to 180 and I expect they will scale back a bit but just enough to get the non-res percentage below 30-40% or 3 or 4 times more than the minimum allowed.    Yea I would be ticked if a resident. 

[Taco280AI]

I think they should just adjust prices every year and eliminate the quota, let supply and demand balance the cost/tag sales to optimize for their objectives.  If they want to sell 12,000 elk tags, they should just manipulate the price so that 12K sell.

So you think Idaho should price people out? What if it gets to the point of being $5000 for an elk tag, as an example? Or all the western states. You're fine with that?

[Magnum_Willys]

If they want to sell 12,000 elk tags, they should just manipulate the price so that 12K sell.

It reads like they don't see the overall quota as much an issue as much as some zones are 50% non-resident and they want to lower that or spread the non-res around. 

[fishngamereaper]

Making people pick a unit won't reduce the numbers the way they want. What if you have 5000 non rez pick 10a..

If you want to limit non rez in area's it has to go to draw. Like they did with the late season Frank church hunts.

[idaho guy]

These threads get old. Idaho Finally moved there prices up to other western states cost. That includes the youth prices they are now close to Montana etc. it was overdue and Idaho is still the only good western state with otc tags.

problem with that is I have seen guys post AZ,NV,NM and UT prices and how ID is now up there with them yet those states quality is FAR superior than ID. Most non residents are not hunting the mentioned states as a OTC opportunity and are playing the point game and drawing great tags. I and others sure as hell are not paying those prices to hunt OTC in those states. Ill gladly pay NV $1,200 knowing what type of hunt is in store. Same with UT when I draw and the hunt I am in for. Not even the same as ID.

The over crowding in ID is a RESIDENT PROBLEM! the same NR cap on tags has been the same for decades! the change is 40k new resident hunters in last 20 years

 

I agree with you 100 percent the crowding problems is due to new residents. What were capped non residents are now residents and there is no cap on resident tags. I was thinking of Montana prices Idaho is now roughly equal to montana for big game nr combo and youth is also. I haven't ever drawn a quality tag in those states mentioned but if you add up buying the license every year where required and app fees you are paying WAY more than 1200 bucks for a tag. Montana hunting to me you have a  more game than Idaho but I feel like you get better trophy quality in Idaho especially with mule deer. Idaho prices deserve to be at least on par with montana. Price increase was overdue in my opinion but I agree Idahos biggest issue is what to do with all the new residents.         

[luvmystang67]

I think they should just adjust prices every year and eliminate the quota, let supply and demand balance the cost/tag sales to optimize for their objectives.  If they want to sell 12,000 elk tags, they should just manipulate the price so that 12K sell.

So you think Idaho should price people out? What if it gets to the point of being $5000 for an elk tag, as an example? Or all the western states. You're fine with that?

Couple of things.

1) Yes, generally.
2) Tags in Idaho will eventually be $5k in Idaho for non residents.  In 45 years specifically, if historical inflation repeats itself.
3) I think Idaho should work to maximize total dollars for wildlife management, especially since they're self funded.  If they made tags $5000 dollars tomorrow, contrary to popular resident belief, they would not sell out and likely the revenues from NR tag sales would be below today.  You can see evidence of where the right price point is for them based on historical data.  The $650 elk price point was more than NR were willing to spend for the opportunity in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and maybe 2012 as they did not sell out.  I would argue that they should have priced them lower (and they did, anyone remember the $299 2nd elk tag deal) to get the number of sales they wanted to boost revenues.  Using these data points, the "sell out" price is not $5000, not $4000, and might actually be less than $1000 (guess we'll find out for 2021).  I think the quota system forces decisions by people who may not know what their fall looks like and is unnecessary.  Heck, I'd even be a fan of them doing it like ticket sales... first 2000 tags are only $500, but then the next 2000 are 600, etc until they hit a max cap.  Would you care if they hit their 12,000 objective and made each additional tag $5000 at that point?  That would incentivize people to commit early, but still allow big spenders the opportunity to come last minute.
4) I would argue that WA NR prices are more prohibitive than any western state.  That is clear from the lack of NR interest we receive.  Supply of tags far exceeds demand for them.  The fact that I'm willing to pay $1000 for an Idaho tag, but not $40 for a WA tag helps provide one data point.

[7mmfan]

Making people pick a unit won't reduce the numbers the way they want. What if you have 5000 non rez pick 10a..

I'm assuming the unit pick will come with quotas based on non res 5 year avg participation.

[fishngamereaper]

Making people pick a unit won't reduce the numbers the way they want. What if you have 5000 non rez pick 10a..

I'm assuming the unit pick will come with quotas based on non res 5 year avg participation.

Possibly. I would suspect those numbers are pretty inaccurate though. Hard to say. I guess it depends on how accurately people report the units they hunted. If you get a deer in 10a do people also report they bounced around in 11,10, 8 and 8a.

I know for my group in just in one week we bounced between 3 units this year. I would be willing to bet the average out of state hunter probably does the same.

[idahohuntr]

Making people pick a unit won't reduce the numbers the way they want. What if you have 5000 non rez pick 10a..

I'm assuming the unit pick will come with quotas based on non res 5 year avg participation.

Correct...and like elk zones some will sell out fast (e.g., 10a), others probably not.  In fact it may lower tag sales if all that's left are marginal units.

[SpicyTacos]

This is my first year of attempting to hunt out of state in Idaho hopefully with my 10yr old. I was hoping to bounce around a few units. It will be more challenging trying to figure out what to do. It seems to me the price increase and unit specific choice will weed out newcomers. The guys I have hunted with in the past will typically only go where some family member hunted or some place that a friend or family member has a connection to the land. I want to try something different and it just so happens to be the year things are challenging. This is the first year I have decided a year in advance to hunt out of state.  I was given advice from a hunt wa member to buy tags early in case of sell out.

[Karl Blanchard]

This is my first year of attempting to hunt out of state in Idaho hopefully with my 10yr old. I was hoping to bounce around a few units. It will be more challenging trying to figure out what to do. It seems to me the price increase and unit specific choice will weed out newcomers. The guys I have hunted with in the past will typically only go where some family member hunted or some place that a friend or family member has a connection to the land. I want to try something different and it just so happens to be the year things are challenging. This is the first year I have decided a year in advance to hunt out of state.  I was given advice from a hunt wa member to buy tags early in case of sell out.

Theres critters in every unit. Don't leave animals to find animals. You'll have much better success if you focus on a "smaller" area and just learn that area intimately. 

[Mtnwalker]

This is my first year of attempting to hunt out of state in Idaho hopefully with my 10yr old. I was hoping to bounce around a few units. It will be more challenging trying to figure out what to do. It seems to me the price increase and unit specific choice will weed out newcomers. The guys I have hunted with in the past will typically only go where some family member hunted or some place that a friend or family member has a connection to the land. I want to try something different and it just so happens to be the year things are challenging. This is the first year I have decided a year in advance to hunt out of state.  I was given advice from a hunt wa member to buy tags early in case of sell out.

Theres critters in every unit. Don't leave animals to find animals. You'll have much better success if you focus on a "smaller" area and just learn that area intimately.

Exactly what I was about to say. I hunted a new elk tag this year that was good for 3 units and I never made it out of one half of one of the units, and still had lots to learn. That’s between 3 trips and almost 3 weeks in the unit.

[bearpaw]

I haven't noticed any fewer bookings for my Idaho business for 2021, in fact my bookings are coming in earlier. The price increase in reality brings Idaho up to par of what other states are already charging non-residents.

The new quotas Idaho is considering placing on units is meant to spread out non-resident hunting pressure that has gotten out of hand in some units. The total number of non-resident tags is not changing, but IDFG is trying to lessen the non-resident impact on certain units receiving too much hunting pressure from non-residents and move some of the non-resident hunting pressure to other units not receiving as much pressure. I was told that this should be decided today by the IDFG Commission.



(correction made in second paragraph)

[elkboy]

I just received the email from IDFG.  It looks like deer hunters will have to pick a specific unit.  I really wish they could have at least allowed hunters to choose from zones, not just single units, perhaps.