Non-resident Idaho tag frenzy

There wasn't an issue until they enacted the Dec 1 sale date. Same thing happens in other states when they go to a sale deadline.
Non res tags have went on sale December 1 for a long time. It came down to a few things IMO; one being full on pimping of western hunting by companies and people, hunt research services overreacting to the unit limits placed a few years ago creating a panic buy, and the ease of returning and exchanging tags for something else.

It’s crazy how many tags get turned back in and I suspect a lot of that is because people panic on Dec 1 and buy something they really shouldn’t have
 
Maybe, and I'll lean towards yes. Nothing @Oak said is wrong, and I agree wholeheartedly with all of it. But history shows that ID used to be very popular arguably more so than it is today. Or at least popular enough that they sold out NR tags. Then the great recession drove demand down. Many of us on here started venturing out of state about then and really started with a skewed perspective of "normal" . There's a good chance that we'll see those days again, but it'll take another hard economic period.
But once it’s part of your identity, you will forsake all else to keep your identity. I’m skeptical that a recession would have much effect or that we will ever have another meaningful recession in my lifetime honestly. There is no appetite for responsibility in society anymore.
 
I also think there might be some shenanigans with groups using bots or some other type of computer program to grab tags. I’ve always been amazed how many non residents with ties to one of the tag application services gets tags for themselves and friends in what is one of the hardest to get elk tags where they own a big ranch
 
But once it’s part of your identity, you will forsake all else to keep your identity. I’m skeptical that a recession would have much effect or that we will ever have another meaningful recession in my lifetime honestly. There is no appetite for responsibility in society anymore.
I disagree. Economics trump all. I know people that defined themselves by hunting elk in ID in the 80's. Big wall tents, horses and jeeps, bulls every year. But once it got hard, once you couldn't justify or hell just pay for the costs, once it wasn't fun, people bailed.
 
Take a look at the exponential growth in the human population of Idaho: https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/idaho-population

It is pretty simple, the human population in Idaho and other Western states keeps growing, meaning more demand for tags from residents, while at the same time more wilderness land gets turned into developed areas, resulting in shrinking habitat and game numbers at the same time there are more human hunters looking to hunt.
 
I disagree. Economics trump all. I know people that defined themselves by hunting elk in ID in the 80's. Big wall tents, horses and jeeps, bulls every year. But once it got hard, once you couldn't justify or hell just pay for the costs, once it wasn't fun, people bailed.
I hope your right
 
I also think there might be some shenanigans with groups using bots or some other type of computer program to grab tags. I’ve always been amazed how many non residents with ties to one of the tag application services gets tags for themselves and friends in what is one of the hardest to get elk tags where they own a big ranch
Do you think these hunters might actually be getting outfitter-allocated tags or landowner tags?
 
Do you think these hunters might actually be getting outfitter-allocated tags or landowner tags?
No landowner tags for general season and private land only outfitters get no allocation as they technically aren’t an outfitter
 
No landowner tags for general season and private land only outfitters get no allocation as they technically aren’t an outfitter
The landowner tags I was thinking of were actually for controlled hunt areas in units bordering the Snake River. I recall recently seeing a photo of several good racks lined up along a barn in one of those areas.

I don’t know much about outfitters or tags allocated to them but is an outfitter allocated tag good on private property as well as on public property? Must someone with an outfitter allocated tag actually only hunt with the outfitter or, after acquiring a tag at some agreed upon cost through a outfitter, could he/she hunt DIY or with the assistance of a rancher buddy?
 
I don’t know much about outfitters or tags allocated to them but is an outfitter allocated tag good on private property as well as on public property? Must someone with an outfitter allocated tag actually only hunt with the outfitter or, after acquiring a tag at some agreed upon cost through a outfitter, could he/she hunt DIY or with the assistance of a rancher buddy?
I don’t think there is really anything in code that addresses these topics. I know of an outfitter a couple years ago that was advertising there allocated elk tags as for sale with no service of any type provided. I found it ridiculous especially because it’s a hard to draw tag and don’t like the idea that an outfitter is so blatantly making money off a public resource and really giving nothing back to it
 
Curious, how many Utah plates are in the Pocatello office parking lot Nov 31st?
I'd hope after the online fiasco last year that IDFG came up with a better solution to NR tags.
I was one of them dude. Purely on the fact that Utah screws its residents over. Non-residents Utah hunters get the better end of the deal.

I just tend to look at things within an abundance mentality versus a scarcity mentality. Pros and cons all the way around. Why worry? 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
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A worse recession than the last ones is coming and will knock down demand for some of these tags, especially the marginal ones that every tom, dick, and harry snaps up and never fills. I don't know when, but it's coming.
I’d be cool if that happens about the time I retire. I’d love to have a regular tag, whitetail tag, plus a and b elk tags about then
 
It used to be 5 to 10 percent of nonresident hunters made the rest look bad. Lately it seams like 90 percent make the rest look bad.

Let me describe opening day of deer in my area. I've hunted the same unit religiously since I was 13. That's 25 years now. Before sunrise I parked my 4 wheeler and hiked 2/3 of a mile to a ridge. Awaiting sunrise I see 6 side by sides driving to the same ridge. That road has been closed for 30 years. They all park a few hundred yards apart. As the sun rises I see deer just below them. This is bullshit... You can see deer and elk but can't tell what they are. Just before legal shooting hours I start screaming at the top of my lungs trying to be very helpfull, "Hey there's deer coming your way! LOOK DOWN BELOW! DEER! RIGHT THERE! HEEEEY, JUST BELOW YOU DEER. THAT ONE MIGHT BE A BUCK! ETC." On and on until I'm out of breathe. Everything non human runs into the trees. Daylight comes and there's NOTHING to be seen. They come over pissed off. Mad as hell saying, "We spent so much money on tags and drove 6 hours and you pull that shit!" I didn't even know they were nonresident until then. Thanks for the tip.

"Just trying to help you guys out." Was all I said.

They didn't even consider they were hunting illegally. Most of them didn't even get off the side by sides. I'm usually the guy happy to help out a nonresident I meet in a canyon. You pay a TON of money to hunt Idaho and that cash helps. If I can get you that once in a lifetime experience I'll guide you on your way. Lately I don't know if it's pressure to kill something to post pics or show it off or what but some people are needing a lesson. I'm definitely switching to the side of limit nonresidents to 10% of even general tags. Much more and I'll happily suggest we just end the nonresident tags. I'll pay more as a resident.
 
It used to be 5 to 10 percent of nonresident hunters made the rest look bad. Lately it seams like 90 percent make the rest look bad.

Let me describe opening day of deer in my area. I've hunted the same unit religiously since I was 13. That's 25 years now. Before sunrise I parked my 4 wheeler and hiked 2/3 of a mile to a ridge. Awaiting sunrise I see 6 side by sides driving to the same ridge. That road has been closed for 30 years. They all park a few hundred yards apart. As the sun rises I see deer just below them. This is bullshit... You can see deer and elk but can't tell what they are. Just before legal shooting hours I start screaming at the top of my lungs trying to be very helpfull, "Hey there's deer coming your way! LOOK DOWN BELOW! DEER! RIGHT THERE! HEEEEY, JUST BELOW YOU DEER. THAT ONE MIGHT BE A BUCK! ETC." On and on until I'm out of breathe. Everything non human runs into the trees. Daylight comes and there's NOTHING to be seen. They come over pissed off. Mad as hell saying, "We spent so much money on tags and drove 6 hours and you pull that shit!" I didn't even know they were nonresident until then. Thanks for the tip.

"Just trying to help you guys out." Was all I said.

They didn't even consider they were hunting illegally. Most of them didn't even get off the side by sides. I'm usually the guy happy to help out a nonresident I meet in a canyon. You pay a TON of money to hunt Idaho and that cash helps. If I can get you that once in a lifetime experience I'll guide you on your way. Lately I don't know if it's pressure to kill something to post pics or show it off or what but some people are needing a lesson. I'm definitely switching to the side of limit nonresidents to 10% of even general tags. Much more and I'll happily suggest we just end the nonresident tags. I'll pay more as a resident.
Why would you yell while out hunting? Get licenses and turn their asses in for illegal motorized travel and be on your way. I’m not surprised they would be pissed at someone yelling
 
Why would you yell while out hunting? Get licenses and turn their asses in for illegal motorized travel and be on your way. I’m not surprised they would be pissed at someone yelling
I was just trying to make sure they knew the deer was there. Did you miss the part where they were on a closed road. They had to off road through sagebrush to even get to that old dozer line. They were 2/3 of a mile from the closest trail...

I've seen the "Who cares I'll just pay the fine." Mentality to doing illegal stuff. I still feel like the best corse of action was to ensure they didn't get a shot off. Oh I ruined an ILLEGAL activity. Oh dang...
 
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It used to be 5 to 10 percent of nonresident hunters made the rest look bad. Lately it seams like 90 percent make the rest look bad.

Let me describe opening day of deer in my area. I've hunted the same unit religiously since I was 13. That's 25 years now. Before sunrise I parked my 4 wheeler and hiked 2/3 of a mile to a ridge. Awaiting sunrise I see 6 side by sides driving to the same ridge. That road has been closed for 30 years. They all park a few hundred yards apart. As the sun rises I see deer just below them. This is bullshit... You can see deer and elk but can't tell what they are. Just before legal shooting hours I start screaming at the top of my lungs trying to be very helpfull, "Hey there's deer coming your way! LOOK DOWN BELOW! DEER! RIGHT THERE! HEEEEY, JUST BELOW YOU DEER. THAT ONE MIGHT BE A BUCK! ETC." On and on until I'm out of breathe. Everything non human runs into the trees. Daylight comes and there's NOTHING to be seen. They come over pissed off. Mad as hell saying, "We spent so much money on tags and drove 6 hours and you pull that shit!" I didn't even know they were nonresident until then. Thanks for the tip.

"Just trying to help you guys out." Was all I said.

They didn't even consider they were hunting illegally. Most of them didn't even get off the side by sides. I'm usually the guy happy to help out a nonresident I meet in a canyon. You pay a TON of money to hunt Idaho and that cash helps. If I can get you that once in a lifetime experience I'll guide you on your way. Lately I don't know if it's pressure to kill something to post pics or show it off or what but some people are needing a lesson. I'm definitely switching to the side of limit nonresidents to 10% of even general tags. Much more and I'll happily suggest we just end the nonresident tags. I'll pay more as a resident.
Where ive hunted you could always tell the nonresidents just by the fact they were the only ones buzzing around closed USFS roads on ATVs. All the locals knews the roads had been closed to motorized vehicles years ago and either walked in or didnt hunt.
 

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