Travis Bullock, owner of Mile High Outfitters, breaks down Idaho’s new lottery draw system for elk, deer, and trophy species, explaining how increased demand, widespread confusion, and shifting regulations are reshaping how hunters plan and access tags in Idaho.
Highlights:
- The new lottery system has led to significant confusion, with many hunters applying without fully understanding outfitter tag allocations, service requirements, or unit availability tied to guided hunts.
- While the lottery improves convenience by eliminating in-person and online waiting lines, it does not reduce non-resident tag pressure and may contribute to continued overcrowding and higher demand.
- Idaho Fish and Game has successfully used supply-and-demand dynamics and licensing requirements to maintain high demand and revenue, though the long-term result may be more non-resident applicants and added strain on already popular hunt units.
The lottery elk and deer draw results were posted last month, and successful applicants were excited. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing. We had requests from successful hunters wanting to know if we could guide them in just about every unit in the state. It felt like very little research was done before hunters applied. I was amazed at how many hunters thought outfitters no longer had allocated tags. The system is new, and I’m sure folks will get it figured out.
Along with the successful applicants, there were many phone calls from hunters who didn’t draw that were looking for the cheapest way possible to get a guaranteed tag. Some wanted drop camps, some wanted meat packing, and some were willing to slip a few bucks under the table to buy a tag with no service attached. Outfitters are not allowed to sell tags without a service. Meat packing is not considered a service for allocated tags. Sadly, most of our drop camps were already booked before the draw results came out.
The second lottery is getting ready to happen. The application period is February 5-15. It looks like most elk zones and many deer units have tags that were not picked up, so there is a chance that if you did not draw the first time, you could get a tag in the second lottery. Whether or not you are successful in either of these two lotteries for elk and/or deer, you can still apply for the controlled hunt for elk and deer or trophy species. The controlled hunt application period for elk/deer/pronghorn is May 1- June 5. The application period for trophy species (sheep, moose, and goat) is April 1-30.
So, what happens if people either do not draw in the second lottery or don’t pick up their tags? Any tags left after the second draw will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis starting April 23rd. Returned Sold-Out Tags | Idaho Fish and Game
Most outfitters have their fish and game units where they guide on their website, but you can also view them here. OGLB-Outfitters-By-Hunt
How does this new system affect my chances of drawing an elk, deer, or trophy species tag in the controlled hunt? Your odds of drawing an elk or deer tag in the controlled hunt probably won’t change with this new system, but the extra spotlight Idaho is under could bring more attention to an already crowded state. With the new lottery system forcing people to purchase a license first, I think we will find that, because there are more non-resident hunting licenses sold, hunters could apply for trophy species as well. Regardless of whether they drew an elk/deer tag in the lottery, they can apply for either trophy species or elk/deer/pronghorn in the controlled hunt. This new system could also encourage more hunters to travel to Idaho to hunt bears, turkeys, wolves, or any other game animals where the tags are not limited. Forcing non-residents to purchase the license before applying may make more money for IDFG, but it is not helping with the overcrowding issue that most hunters complain about. The lottery did not reduce any non-resident tags.
Idaho seems to be a hot topic right now. Fifteen years ago, Idaho struggled to sell its non-resident elk and deer tags. Today, non-residents are restricted to a lottery because demand is so high. What changed? In my opinion, two things have changed. First, we have wolf seasons, and game herds have rebounded where hunters have kept pressure on the ever-expanding wolf packs. Secondly, IDFG has figured out supply and demand. Remember thirty years ago when Beanie Babies were the craze? Why did people keep buying them? They bought them because Ty Inc. told us that there was a limited supply and if we were to collect them all, we had to buy them now before they ran out! It’s called scarcity marketing, and Idaho Fish and Game has figured it out. If IDFG can sell one fewer tag than what they supply, they can keep this demand. One of the cards that keeps playing into this hand is the sale of a non-resident tag as a second tag. There are plenty of residents who would gladly pay for a second elk or deer tag, especially since it costs residents much less than what a non-resident pays. Anyone can purchase a second tag, but ninety percent of second tags are sold to residents, and ninety percent of those residents qualify for price lock. The result is IDFG makes much less money off the sale of a second tag to a resident vs. a non-resident.
The good thing about the new lottery system is that you don’t need to travel to Idaho and physically wait in line for a week in cold weather to purchase a tag. Neither do you have to sit in front of your computer in a waiting room all day staring at a progress bar to see that you’re number 20,000th in line. Unfortunately, on the day the results are posted, you are now 20,000th in line to see if you drew.
Regardless of how you feel about the new lottery system, we are fortunate to live in a country that allows us so many hunting opportunities. Even if you don’t draw that coveted deer or elk tag in Idaho, you can still hunt wolves, you can have unlimited tags, and you can hunt any time of year. Why not take your son or daughter wolf hunting in Idaho? You can help take the predation pressure off our game herds. Choose a date that works for your school-age child because the season is open year-round, and you can spend some quality time with family.
Lastly, don’t forget about the three-day fishing license attached to every non-resident hunting license. Residents did not receive this gift, given by the IDFG commission years ago. With the mild winter we have had so far, the Steelhead here on the Salmon River haven’t been impeded by ice jams and have moved upstream just below our house. Even if you don’t draw a tag of any kind, you can still come fishing, and this year, the Steelhead are stacking up!