Idaho's unit 36, in the Sawtooth Mtns, is an OTC hunt that's very popular for elk hunters who don't draw in the controlled hunt drawing. It's so popular that they've had to cap the tags at about 1500 for residents. This year they're doing it a new way. Tag sales open on 7/12. At 10am, 50% of the tags will be available at vendors around the state through the F&G's computerized system. At 1pm, the other half will be available online. Last year they sold out in under an hour. Expect massive delays in internet connections.
Not too many years ago, we could buy these tags as late as the end of August. Things have sure changed in recent years.

I guess they want the money sooner rather than later. Cheers NC

What do you mean by that? Money has nothing to do with it.

36 and 36A used to be about the best elk hunts anywhere...draw or general, in any state. It went downhill fast when the wolves showed up, and by about 2000 was nearly elkless, at least in the mountains away from homes.

It apparently has made a major comeback, with people seeing 2-3 mature bulls in each and every drainage these days. I don't know what has changed...the wolves are still there, but I am sure they're not nearly as thick as they were in the 2000 era...no catastrophic fires have gone through the area that I know of (up by Seafoam and the Boy Scout camp yes...but not south of Stanley unless I didn't hear of it), which I think is what made the Selway herd get so huge in the mid 1900s. It has to be something with the habitat...

With all the insect killed trees, if a fire ever gets going south of Stanley, it'll be one for the record books. We used to hunt an area near Decker Flats. Now there is so much deadfall that you can't even walk through it. It'll be a real cooker if a lightning bolt ever hits it. It needs burning but it won't be one that any live trees will survive.

There was a major fire straight east of Stanley not too many years ago. The feed should be coming back on that one by now.

Not only have things changed in 36, the Salmon zone sold out the end of May. I must be missing something while I'm there.

They don't start selling the Salmon zone B tags until 7/10. Look on page 38 of the regs.
That's for residents, though. The non-res tags have been for sale for since December.

Rock that is what I was referring to the non resident b tags. Last year it was mid Aug before the tags were gone. 3 years ago the tags did not sell out. Last fall I was shocked at the number of hunters I saw in the Northern part of the zone. I chatted with two fellows from Cal, they said it was their first time elk hunting, and they had called Idaho F&G and was told that the Salmon zone had the most game and the easiest ground to hunt in the state. My first trip to Idaho was in 1983, things sure have changed since then. Looking forward to getting back in the fall.

I haven't hunted the northern part of that zone but I've hunted the southern part. It definitely is NOT the easiest ground in the state.

As a followup: They started selling the tags at 10am Wed. I read that some guys were standing in line 24 hrs in advance. That's nuts. I don't know how long it took to sell them out but last year it was just a few hrs. I'm sure glad we drew in our controlled hunt. I'm not about to stand in line like that.