Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting tag insanity

In many cases, getting the tag is the hardest part of the hunt. They're in high demand. In Idaho, there are OTC tags but mostly in the north half of the state. Here in the southern half, most are by lottery...with a few exceptions. Let the games begin.

There are a couple units where cow tags are OTC. Last year, each unit had 2500 tags. These are wintering areas and they need the number of cows reduced. Last year one of these unit had a very successful season and they met their goals so they reduced the tags this year from 2500 to 700. This is the hunt we wanted. Last year we were there when the elk arrived for the winter. Suddenly there were elk everywhere and 5 of us got 4 cows all the same day. Yesterday the tags for these units went on sale at 10am. There were only a half dozen hunters in line at the store where we went. The lady had each of us put all of our needed license info on a paper and when the system went live at 10am, she typed like crazy getting all of our tags as fast as she could print them. Another lady was pulling the tags off the printer and collecting our money. We were competing with other stores across the state along with the online system. While she was doing that, I was playing with my phone and looking at the online system. I looked at it about 4 min before it went live and it said that I was #2430 in line with an expected 1 hour wait. When my number came up, I had 10 min to get online or I would go to the back of the line. Waiting in the store seemed to be a better deal. We got our 3 tags but they were sold out for that hunt within 90 min.

One of the most popular elk hunts in the state, the Stanley Basin area, offers 1500 bull tags. We used to hunt it a lot but I don't play that game any more. The tags go on sale tomorrow. You can either buy them onlline or go to a store or to one of the Fish and Game offices. They've announced that because of construction congestion, the main office in Boise and it's parking lot are off limits to camping this year. I can't imagine having to camp out to be in line to buy a tag. They'll sell half the tags like that and the other half will go on sale online a few hours later. They'll be sold out within an hour or so. They've talked about making this hunt a lottery but hunters seem to want to play this game every year so they haven't done it.

In the lotteries, Idaho has no point system. Each year, all applicants have the same chances of drawing. The IDFG has polled hunters many times to see if they wanted a point system and the hunters have always said no. The results of the lotteries came out a few weeks ago. In the past, hunters who didn't draw would be in line for these OTC tag sales along with those who didn't apply for lotteries. Last year they changed that. Hunters who didn't draw can buy the OTC tags but they have to wait 5 days after the tags go on sale. In the more popular hunts, the tags will be sold out by them.

Some years ago, they were getting a lot of anti-hunters who'd apply in the lotteries. If they drew, they had no intention of buying tags or hunting. It was just a ploy to reduce hunters. So, the IDFG decided that all tags in the lottery hunts must be bought by Aug 1 or its forfeited. Then they have a 2d chance drawing in Aug for them. The antis can still buy a tag and not hunt but most won't spend the money to do that so they still end up in the hands of hunters.

All those things mentioned are ten fold in Colorado, except the point system. It was a circus when they went online and at stores at the same time.More often than not,ntheir computer system crashed within the first five minutes. This was before they had the 2nd drawing which only gave CWP more money

The 2nd draw gives preference to all youth applications .So unless there are several hundred tags left for the draw, all the 20,000, + adult applications are donating i$7 or $9 to CWP ,because all those low number of tags are awarded to youth. Adults never even get into the cue

Idaho has a few youth only lottery hunts. The hunters have to be under a certain age, 18 I think. It's been suggested that they have a few senior hunts in easier areas for us old farts who can't climb like we used to. I doubt anything will come of it, though. They have those special hunts to encourage kids to start hunting. Us seniors don't need any encouragement, just easier access.

Ever hunted Idaho? I have hunted both Idaho and Colorado and I wouldn't say those tag issues are 10 fold in Colorado.

Everyone thinks their problems are the worst, just like everyone thinks their elk country is the roughest.

The world continues to turn.

Rockchuck the first year they did those cow hunts were a joke. People shot indiscriminately. There were wounded and crippled elk all over. Heard of a couple people shot at. We hunted the last week of that season and saw 1 cow. I didn’t put in for the next year for a lot of reasons. Big mistake. I went up for thanksgiving and I could have killed a cow everyday. I am glad they reduced the tags.

Whether you see elk is 95% weather dependent. Last year they didn't move until the 3d week of Nov. It got down below 0 farther north in Fairfield and there was some snow. It wasn't a lot of snow but the elk moved en masse. We saw hundreds, mostly on private land, of course.

That first year when it snowed early they killed them early. The last week they were near impossible to find. I have 2-3 private ranches I had access to and the elk weren’t there. We did find some on the last day but the snow was so deep we couldn’t get in there. Last year they were on those ranches everyday. Timing.

I was duck hunting on some private ground. When the ducks weren’t flying I was making phone calls to see if anyone had a tag.

This year they've added unit 44 to the hunt. If they haven't moved, that's where they will likely be...on private ranch land most likely.

I hadn’t heard that but then again I haven’t really kept track of this year. I’m sure I will hear all about from my family that owns land up there. Hopefully the reduced tag numbers will limit the chaos.

Tuesday Utah put 17500 any bull tags on sale. I was told they used to take 2 months to sell out, if they sold out at all. Tuesday they were sold out in under 8 hours.

At least they put a limit on numbers. Colorado has no limit an any OTC tags.It's pumpkin patch of orange out there

AARGGGH!!
Idaho's Sawtooth zone is one of the premium bull hunts in the state. There are only 1500 tags and they sell out in under an hour. They put 750 on sale at 10AM this morning at vendors and F&G offices, then the other 750 online at 1PM. I had one of the online tags all but in my hand...but in my other hand was one of 3 cow tags that we bought on Monday. Before the online tags went on sale, I got curious about how hard it was to get one. I got online 20 min. before it went live and got on a waiting list. At 1pm, all the ones on the list were sorted in random order for as long as the tags lasted. When your number comes up, you have 10 min to get signed in and nail down the tag. My number came up 49 out of 750. All I had to do way pay my money. Of course my partners wouldn't have tags and I'd be alone. I'd rather hunt cows with friends. Big antlers don't do much for me any more. If the guy with #751 knew what I'd done, he likely would buy me a very large cold one.

I bought a capped general tag when they all (except the Sawtooth) went on sale on Monday, for an area I have hunted a few times. I was logged in before the 10 AM tee time and was (IIRC) #2638 in line. I believe that number reflected the number of people statewide trying to buy tags, not just the ones wanting the specific capped tag that I was after. I am curious if they all sold out within the hour. They used to last for weeks, if they sold out at all.

I got it, so at least I get to go but man....what a shïtshow.

We hunted the Sawtooth zone for many years. After the draw results came out in early July, if we didn't draw closer to home, we go buy Sawtooth tags. Sometime we'd wait until Aug to get them. Then, maybe 10 or 15 years ago, people discovered the zone and tags would run out within days after the draw results came out. Now it's come down to this 1 hour fiasco. Plus, if you applied for a draw, you can't buy a capped tag for 5 days after they go on sale. That gives you an absolute zero chance of getting one as they're sold out 4 days 23 hrs before you're eligible.

Yeah don’t participate in that schidt show. General A tag where I live. Any elk during archery, so if a bull fits the bill enough to bother in the heat, he gets an arrow. If not, any weapon for a cow from the end of October through mid November. If that doesn’t work, then I try to whack a cow with the .58 during muzzleloader season all through December. And I’ve still got two kids at home who can hunt the A and B seasons.

And they say the sport of hunting is dying......what a joke....

Just what I was going to say. We finally drew tags for the first time in three years. Pisses me off to no end to see all thenout of state vehicles here on opening day but UT f&g gets lots of money for out of state tags. Governers tag goes to the highest bidder and can run into the six figure range these days. I have some connections in Africa and it’s now cheaper to shoot some species there than here. Sad times as fall mule deer and elk hunting was always looked forward to by the entire family.

Don’t be scared of the Selway/Bitterroot region. It’s torturous as many can attest but we seem to find great animals regularly without the crowds. You’ll need a frame pack & some moxy but the rewards are still there. If whitetail are your thing - do some research around main drainages in lower country - you might be surprised. My .02

I thought I was going to miss my chance at utah otc tag again this year.
Tags were supposed to go on sale at 8 am.
Logged in at 7:45 and I was number 13,564 in line.
That was pretty boring and stressful 2 hours watching my phone refresh automatically every 15 seconds.
I Got my tag though.