Here goes idaho

[bearpaw]

Idaho Non-Resident Tag Numbers
The total number of non-resident elk tags and deer tags sold in Idaho each year was set long ago, the number of tags has not increased or decreased for nearly 30 years. None of the recent actions by F&G have changed overall non-resident tag numbers.

The move by IDFG in 2021 establishing non-resident deer tag quotas in each unit was due to non-resident hunter crowding in certain units. The total number of tags sold statewide remained the same but unit quotas force more even non-resident hunter distribution across all units in the state by limiting non-res hunters to 10%-15% in each unit, thereby reducing non-resident crowding in certain units where it was a problem.

IMO: Non-resident deer and elk tags are already essentially on a draw in Idaho, when you get in line at sales locations your position in line determines if you will get tags, when you are placed in the waiting room online your randomly assigned number dictates if you will get a tag or not get a tag. Due to increasing numbers of non-residents wanting to hunt Idaho the F&G has tried to come up with a system to provide non-residents a fair chance without implementing a draw, I commend them for that. But with ever increasing numbers of non-residents wanting to hunt Idaho I think HB 587 has a good chance of becoming law. With ever increasing numbers of non-residents wanting tags a draw may actually be a fairer way to distribute non-resident tags and F&G will likely increase funding through increased license and application sales associated with a draw, so they may support the bill, that is an unknown at this time. However, I think these are only band-aids for smaller issues, there's a much larger problem that IDFG faces!

The Real Elephant In The Room:

1,391,802...Idaho Population in 2004
1,964,726...Idaho Population in 2023
572,924 Population Increase From 2004 to 2023 (41% increase)

USFWS says 15.9% of people in Idaho hunt. A recent survey revealed that 1 in 10 people moving to Idaho cited a primary reason was for hunting. I couldn't find an exact number of resident licenses sold in 2023, but these two metrics suggest there may be anywhere from 57,000 to 91,000 more resident hunters in Idaho today than there was in 2004.

Eventually F&G will be forced to limit resident hunters in some manner and I have been told by people who would know that its already being discussed.

I am personally a big proponent that we need deer zones like our current elk zone system. Continues to allow all residents to hunt but limits the amount of unit hopping that people can do. Some zones with quotas, others unlimited. The most important thing to me is to continue to allow each resident to continue to hunt deer each year. As an aside, leave the whitetail tags as is and unlimited in number so maybe more people will be encouraged to shoot whitetails if their favorite mule deer zone sells out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I highly doubt they would make residents draw all deer and elk tags, I'm more inclined to think deer zones or some sort of season reductions or limitations on mule deer are more likely to happen. There is already increasing limitations on mule deer harvest in many units. Elk numbers and whitetail numbers are strong outside of the wolf infested areas, I doubt they are considering any serious limitations for residents on elk or whitetail.

[huntnnw]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

[andrew_in_idaho]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

This is exactly my point, and why we need to limit residents in some way without going to a draw only system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[boneaddict]

It was on the discussion block for Washington for OIL to limit non resident.   Here is the copy paste.

Moose, goat,
sheep

Cap the number of permit available to out-of-state residents (e.g., 10%)

 Not necessary
current number is
already lower.

[dreamingbig]

Every nonresident that wants to hunt moose, sheep or goat is putting in for Washington draws for sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[baldopepper]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

This is exactly my point, and why we need to limit residents in some way without going to a draw only system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm betting Idaho.will be on a draw system for residents within the next few years.  How do you.limit participation without loosing money?  Simply go to a drawing system, insist you must buy a license before applying, and then tack on an application fee.  You kill two birds with one stone- you limit participation and you actually make more money.  Too tempting for western states game departments to pass  up.
 

[TeacherMan]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

This is exactly my point, and why we need to limit residents in some way without going to a draw only system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm betting Idaho.will be on a draw system for residents within the next few years.  How do you.limit participation without loosing money?  Simply go to a drawing system, insist you must buy a license before applying, and then tack on an application fee.  You kill two birds with one stone- you limit participation and you actually make more money.  Too tempting for western states game departments to pass  up.
 

That’s a pretty big jump but it definitely would give me fuel to move back to AK 😂

I think doing out of state tags this way will be a good thing coming from a resident point of view. Same amount of tags sold but computer pirates will be able to buy them from their office desk. A lot less effort! Come hunting season a good chunk will still be sitting at those desks and either not get to go or only go for a couple days. Just my hopes lol…

[Duckslayer89]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

This is exactly my point, and why we need to limit residents in some way without going to a draw only system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm betting Idaho.will be on a draw system for residents within the next few years.  How do you.limit participation without loosing money?  Simply go to a drawing system, insist you must buy a license before applying, and then tack on an application fee.  You kill two birds with one stone- you limit participation and you actually make more money.  Too tempting for western states game departments to pass  up.
 

Go to a point system for non residents and double the price. Then lower the tag number in half. Charge them 100 dollars a point. Punishing residents isn’t the answer.

[ipkus]

Point systems and particularly states that square them are nothing but Ponzi schemes with diminishing returns.  States that reserve the majority of tags for the highest point holders guarantee that anyone that started hunting in the last 10-15 years will never draw the best tags in those states in their lifetime.

As someone who’s been in the game in 9 states for going on 30 years, I can say with certainty that I’d prefer if points didn’t exist and every state was a random draw every year. I've had a lot of great hunts playing the game, but my kids and yours are screwed because of it.

[andrew_in_idaho]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

This is exactly my point, and why we need to limit residents in some way without going to a draw only system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm betting Idaho.will be on a draw system for residents within the next few years.  How do you.limit participation without loosing money?  Simply go to a drawing system, insist you must buy a license before applying, and then tack on an application fee.  You kill two birds with one stone- you limit participation and you actually make more money.  Too tempting for western states game departments to pass  up.
 

Go to a point system for non residents and double the price. Then lower the tag number in half. Charge them 100 dollars a point. Punishing residents isn’t the answer.

I don’t think it would be a punishment for residents if they were limited to a portion of the state rather than the current free for all model. The population of Idaho is simply growing too fast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dvolmer]

Just been reading all of the posts on here. Interesting. I will say that I could see this coming ten miles away with the crazy way they have done it the past few years.  My guess is that you will see some kind of point system emerge for NR hunters and draws for most NR hunts in some form or fashion. It’s not just the massive population increase that is pushing all of this. Yes, it is a major factor, but Idaho sees the revenue that Wyoming, Montana, and other states systems are generating in NR licenses and point systems. They want their piece of that fat pie too!  And they will get it too. Ya gotta love all these new companies (GoHunt, HuntingFool, etc, etc) spoon-feeding the idiots on how to draw and get tags. It is a major force behind this exponential demand increase we have had in the last 5 or so years.  Man I love the internet!!!

[fowl smacker]

Just been reading all of the posts on here. Interesting. I will say that I could see this coming ten miles away with the crazy way they have done it the past few years.  My guess is that you will see some kind of point system emerge for NR hunters and draws for most NR hunts in some form or fashion. It’s not just the massive population increase that is pushing all of this. Yes, it is a major factor, but Idaho sees the revenue that Wyoming, Montana, and other states systems are generating in NR licenses and point systems. They want their piece of that fat pie too!  And they will get it too. Ya gotta love all these new companies (GoHunt, HuntingFool, etc, etc) spoon-feeding the idiots on how to draw and get tags. It is a major force behind this exponential demand increase we have had in the last 5 or so years.  Man I love the internet!!!

I think WDFW mismanagement of our state has far more to do with the demand increase in Idaho than GoHunt, HuntingFool, etc does.  HuntingFool has been around a lot longer than the last 5 years.  I think I still have some of the magazines from 2000 or somewhere in there.

[dvolmer]

Just been reading all of the posts on here. Interesting. I will say that I could see this coming ten miles away with the crazy way they have done it the past few years.  My guess is that you will see some kind of point system emerge for NR hunters and draws for most NR hunts in some form or fashion. It’s not just the massive population increase that is pushing all of this. Yes, it is a major factor, but Idaho sees the revenue that Wyoming, Montana, and other states systems are generating in NR licenses and point systems. They want their piece of that fat pie too!  And they will get it too. Ya gotta love all these new companies (GoHunt, HuntingFool, etc, etc) spoon-feeding the idiots on how to draw and get tags. It is a major force behind this exponential demand increase we have had in the last 5 or so years.  Man I love the internet!!!

I think WDFW mismanagement of our state has far more to do with the demand increase in Idaho than GoHunt, HuntingFool, etc does.  HuntingFool has been around a lot longer than the last 5 years.  I think I still have some of the magazines from 2000 or somewhere in there.

I agree that this is another major factor.  It definitely is a combination of a lot of things. Washington hunting is in the tank for sure and guys are looking elsewhere for a decent experience.

[huntnnw]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

This is exactly my point, and why we need to limit residents in some way without going to a draw only system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm betting Idaho.will be on a draw system for residents within the next few years.  How do you.limit participation without loosing money?  Simply go to a drawing system, insist you must buy a license before applying, and then tack on an application fee.  You kill two birds with one stone- you limit participation and you actually make more money.  Too tempting for western states game departments to pass  up.
 

Go to a point system for non residents and double the price. Then lower the tag number in half. Charge them 100 dollars a point. Punishing residents isn’t the answer.

That fixes nothing! The non resident quota hasn’t changed in 40 plus years. There’s been 12,700 or so elk tags for example. So your saying cut them to 6k? In 5 years the new “ residents” moving to Idaho will exceed 6k you cut. The problem is Idaho resident hunting pressure keeps going up every year! And Idaho has done nothing to limit hunting pressure simply cannot continue to operate as you did in 1980. 990,000 have moved to Idaho since 1990.

[idaho guy]

It’s coming for Idaho residents. Simply cannot keep adding residents and operating the same as 50 years ago.

This is exactly my point, and why we need to limit residents in some way without going to a draw only system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm betting Idaho.will be on a draw system for residents within the next few years.  How do you.limit participation without loosing money?  Simply go to a drawing system, insist you must buy a license before applying, and then tack on an application fee.  You kill two birds with one stone- you limit participation and you actually make more money.  Too tempting for western states game departments to pass  up.
 

Go to a point system for non residents and double the price. Then lower the tag number in half. Charge them 100 dollars a point. Punishing residents isn’t the answer.

That fixes nothing! The non resident quota hasn’t changed in 40 plus years. There’s been 12,700 or so elk tags for example. So your saying cut them to 6k? In 5 years the new “ residents” moving to Idaho will exceed 6k you cut. The problem is Idaho resident hunting pressure keeps going up every year! And Idaho has done nothing to limit hunting pressure simply cannot continue to operate as you did in 1980. 990,000 have moved to Idaho since 1990.

 

i agree with huntnw. The problem is new resident pressure. Idfg will have to make some changes for residents. It sucks but is reality. like you said Non resident pressure hasnt changed for 40 years. Would have been nice to leave non res otc but it was getting a little chaotic ha ha. So many people complained it was inevitable they would at least propose a draw alternative. Ironically I think demand will go up signifigantly when/if it goes draw. Hunting fool, go hunt will be trying to "educate" everyone on the draw and offering to add Idaho to their draw "strategy" Also get ready for every inflencer social media guy to do a podcat every day on the new Idaho draw! More hunters will put in if it goes draw, as hunters will be sold on it by all the variouse companies and people making money off draws and out of state hunting