Looking to Rifle Hunt Elk in Idaho in 2023

[Gentrys]

Anyone willing to consider letting a guy join their hunting group for Idaho in 2023?
I see that Idaho tags go on sale Dec 1st and hear they sell out in hours.
I'd really like to hunt elk, but also interested in chasing Muleys.
Sawtooth or Salmon sound appealing, but open to other areas.

[carlyoungs]

I plan on hunting idaho for the first time next year also. I am looking for someone to join me. If you are interested pm me and we can chat.

[Magnum_Willys]

Good luck drawing the tag u want.  Better have a list of choices ready.   Got about 30% chance of drawing one of the top 1/3 most popular areas. 
Not sure if or how group still works in idaho now??

[dilleytech]

Good luck drawing the tag u want.  Better have a list of choices ready.   Got about 30% chance of drawing one of the top 1/3 most popular areas. 
Not sure if or how group still works in idaho now??

General tags are over the counter first come first serve. No luck needed.

[bear]

Luck is needed to get a decent place in line.  80% of the people I know that tried to get tags last year ended up not getting them

[meatwhack]

How a group draw works in Idaho now is approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of the guys in a group get a tag for the area your group wants to hunt.

[Magnum_Willys]

Good luck drawing the tag u want.  Better have a list of choices ready.   Got about 30% chance of drawing one of the top 1/3 most popular areas. 
Not sure if or how group still works in idaho now??

General tags are over the counter first come first serve. No luck needed.

If you live in WA you must of not hunted Idaho last year................. it all changed for Non-Residents.

[bkaech]

Not all units sell out in a matter of hours, only the most sought after, the hard part for a first-timer is knowing which units will sell out quickly, and which you have a few days to get your tags. I am trying to figure that part out as I am thinking about trying a new unit next year, but not sure which ones will be available. Combine that with having multiple hunters in a group trying to get a tag for the same unit, it is a little daunting. My advice, go to Montana instead, that way there are less people trying to get the tag in Idaho that I want, he he. 

[Gentrys]

I've been to Montana a couple of times.  Just wanted to check out Idaho.  If any of you guys have a potential spot for another hunter, I'd be happy to meet with you soon to see if I'd be a good fit in your camp.

[Taco280AI]

If Idaho is what you want, I'd try to find others who want to hunt there and form your own group. Jumping into an established group that has done the scouting, put in the time and sweat, has their go-to spot(s), and just jump in might be tough. Many have been burned on bringing someone to their spot just to see them the next year, unannounced, with their own new group.

[fishngamereaper]

Idaho tags are no longer a given. And chances are only going to get worse. Even the not popular spots will sell out fast. Trying to jump into a group is only going to reduce that group's chance of drawing the tag they want. So you could be the new guy in a group and end up being the only one to draw....

Selfish side of me wishes they would restrict tags to returning hunters for the first week. But I'll most likely will be a resident within two years anyway so it won't affect me. 

[7mmfan]

The only way you can count on going to Idaho as a group is if they decide to change to an actual drawing instead of this stupid random number queue BS they have going on for individual hunters now. Idaho was so appealing for so long because it was over the counter and the hunting was quite good. Now all they're succeeding in doing is catering to solo hunters and dismantling established hunting groups. As long as they're selling out of tags every year in a matter of hours or days though, they will have no motivation to change anything.

[Magnum_Willys]

I can see why you would want to find a camp before the draw so you try drawing in their area.  But its such a crop shoot now that no one knows what area they will be going to or how big of camp they will have if any.   Four of us setup in a great spot last year, 2 with tags, 2 others without and and 2 others that stayed home.   The spot had been used for years by a big group of hunters that didn't draw enough tags to make it worthwhile.

I'd suggest draw a region, then after the draw maybe you find a camp that's short of hunters that didn't draw?  Good Luck, you are just a couple years late for the Good Old Days in Idaho.

The units you mentioned you have less than a 1 out of 3 chance of tags being available when its your turn - meaning 2/3 of the hunters in hunting party planning on going there won't get tags.  So bringing another tag into camp might be of interest to them.   If everyone in the party draws they won't have room for you !

[Pathfinder101]

Gonna be tough, depending on what unit you are trying to buy a tag. 
Our ID elk camp has fallen apart, since it's nearly impossible for all of us to get tags in the same year.  There were 4 of us.  Last year, 2 got tags, my brother in law and I were SOL.  I sat in the queue from 9 am until 4pm waiting for my number to come up.  At 4pm I had to go into a staff meeting, so I logged off and lost my chance to hunt ID...

[Bucks2Ducks]

The only way you can count on going to Idaho as a group is if they decide to change to an actual drawing instead of this stupid random number queue BS they have going on for individual hunters now. Idaho was so appealing for so long because it was over the counter and the hunting was quite good. Now all they're succeeding in doing is catering to solo hunters and dismantling established hunting groups. As long as they're selling out of tags every year in a matter of hours or days though, they will have no motivation to change anything.

You can put in as a group in every other state, I hope ID keeps things the way they are. I got not-selected in every draw I put in for last year, its nice to have one option that's a little different. And hopefully people will slow down a little next year with the credit card spending, and it wont be so cut throat. I cant be the only one affected by groceries and gas doubling

[7mmfan]

The only way you can count on going to Idaho as a group is if they decide to change to an actual drawing instead of this stupid random number queue BS they have going on for individual hunters now. Idaho was so appealing for so long because it was over the counter and the hunting was quite good. Now all they're succeeding in doing is catering to solo hunters and dismantling established hunting groups. As long as they're selling out of tags every year in a matter of hours or days though, they will have no motivation to change anything.

You can put in as a group in every other state, I hope ID keeps things the way they are. I got not-selected in every draw I put in for last year, its nice to have one option that's a little different. And hopefully people will slow down a little next year with the credit card spending, and it wont be so cut throat. I cant be the only one affected by groceries and gas doubling

I don't want to have to start over in another state. We have a great area in Idaho that we've invested a lot of time and resources into learning. My Dad is 65 and admits he probably only has a handful of years left doing the backcountry hunting we so enjoy, I don't want to spend that learning new ground. I want him to spend it hunting the ground he knows. Idaho has broken the group up though so the likelihood of that happening now is slim.

[Magnum_Willys]

Idaho was better hunting this year for those that got a tag.  Their system is working, just not so much for nonres groups. 

[huntnnw]

That whole waiting room thing is stupid and a broken system. The other issue is some don’t have the luxury of weekday 10am and sit on the phone or online!  I don’t hunt in a group and don’t have a problem , but it needs to change. They need to do a draw for general tags. Whatever is not drawn out will become first come first  serve.

[Magnum_Willys]

A draw would be nice in that you don’t have to wait - you could fill out your list of accepted zones in order and when you are drawn you are assigned the first available zone in you list.  Plus could handle group apps.   
Until then just hope you are one of first 6000 drawn not the last 16,000.