Idaho OTC archery tag

[chasers1085]

Hello all,
I'm new to Hunt Talk so I hope i'm doing this correctly. My friend and I are from Utah and Colorado and are wanting to experience a bow hunt of elk in a state that neither of us have hunted. We are going to try for a sawtooth tag, (if they don't sell out in 30 sec). If we are able to get a sawtooth tag, would anyone be willing to give some guidance as far as where to scout, and if we can't get the tag, what would be another good OTC unit with lot's of country and good numbers of elk? We aren't going after trophy elk, anything with horns would be awesome and just want a fun experience. Thanks in advance.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Bannock zone is huge and holds alot of elk, but dont tell anyone.

 

[dgc1963]

Saw tooth tags are a quota tag If I remember correctly so the chance 2 non res can both get maybe slim due to 10% of tags go to non res Im going back to Idaho in 2020 on a dyi theirs a lot of great info on the state web site and everyone in the regional offices are great and can give you a lot of good information

 

[Idhikker]

Saw tooth tags are a quota tag If I remember correctly so the chance 2 non res can both get maybe slim due to 10% of tags go to non res Im going back to Idaho in 2020 on a dyi theirs a lot of great info on the state web site and everyone in the regional offices are great and can give you a lot of good information

This ^

You can and should do your own research. These are good sources that are listed. With how busy Idaho and other Western states are, you don't want a bunch of unit information shared on the interwebs!

 

[ida homer]

Many zones are hunting really well for elk the past 5 years. Many zones also over objective. Pick a zone with plenty of public, research the hell out of it and go.

 

[chasers1085]

Saw tooth tags are a quota tag If I remember correctly so the chance 2 non res can both get maybe slim due to 10% of tags go to non res Im going back to Idaho in 2020 on a dyi theirs a lot of great info on the state web site and everyone in the regional offices are great and can give you a lot of good information

That is good info, thanks! Yeah, chances of us both getting them are slim but we’re gonna try. I’ll give them a call about other areas. Thanks!

 

[chasers1085]

Many zones are hunting really well for elk the past 5 years. Many zones also over objective. Pick a zone with plenty of public, research the hell out of it and go.

Good advice. Thanks for taking time to reply. Good luck this year!

 

[805Bowhunter]

Im pretty sure Sawtooth tags sold out by mid January.

 

[BrianID]

If you are interested in the Sawtooth tag then May 10th is your day.

Nonresident Deer and Elk Quotas and Limits

Nonresident hunters are limited to hunter selected areas-elk zones or deer game management units (GMUs). These tags are limited and sought after. View the list and inventory.

idfg.idaho.gov

 

[chasers1085]

If you are interested in the Sawtooth tag then May 10th is your day.

Nonresident Deer and Elk Quotas and Limits

Nonresident hunters are limited to hunter selected areas-elk zones or deer game management units (GMUs). These tags are limited and sought after. View the list and inventory.

idfg.idaho.gov

I saw that! Gonna be hard to get.

 

[ryansmess]

Saw tooth tags are a quota tag If I remember correctly so the chance 2 non res can both get maybe slim due to 10% of tags go to non res Im going back to Idaho in 2020 on a dyi theirs a lot of great info on the state web site and everyone in the regional offices are great and can give you a lot of good information

I'm planning my first elk hunt in Idaho for 2020 and I'm trying to decide where a first time whitetail hunter from Indiana should hunt. Never hunted the mountains but I've already started training. Any chance I can get some advice/guidance (written,verbal guidance) from you?

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Unfortunately Idaho Fish and Game has created monster with their Elk regulations, IMO. Seems the only chance you have anymore for a decent hunt is draw something good. A temporary action established years ago to increase and improve the herds to entice non-resident revenue have become the norm. As a result, over the counter or general tags seem to bottleneck way too many hunters into popular areas. Even some of the residents are unhappy with the zone allocations and limited choices. Archery is about the only opportunity if you don't draw something. This has increased the archery participation in congested areas tremendously over the past 10 years or so.
I met up with a guy that I know in the area my son and I usually hunt. He said the area he usually hunts got so populated that he got pushed out and was trying the area I hunt. Guess what? The same deal, too many hunters.
I don't have a fix, but it's not the best program...
Good luck and have fun in the hunt, hope for success.

 

[BrianID]

The best advice I could give you is to recognize there is a big difference in OTC tags and controlled tags. Idaho will give you opportunity to hunt elk but OTC isn’t easy. Is there any specific reason you are interested in Idaho? If not, I think you should also consider looking at Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. You could get a tag in any of these states for 2020 with a little planning. There is no reason to drive farther to Idaho if you could have just as good or possibly better hunting with a slightly shorter drive.

 

[ida homer]

I agree with the shorter drive sentiments. People seem to rave about the MT and WY general archery tags. I'm sure they're great.

Wouldn't bother with Colorado, too many people in the woods. Their trails look like highways I could get a vehicle down...

I think your splitting hairs considering the hunt quality of ID vs. MT vs. WY. It's relatively easy to fill a general tag in Idaho. Been seeing "a lot" of 300-330 bulls coming out of general units here, from some absolute killers.

Pick the state you like and learn a unit over 5 years.

 

[dgc1963]

I travel from Pa. so the shorter drive would be nice , hunted Colorado once and lots of trucks and people been in Idaho 5 times first couple were Guided then learned about a few different units in the same zone and havent run into any where the same numbers of other hunters I like the state and lots of folks Ive met over the yrs
Im no way any type of expert but I do believe pick a state find a unit and think of it as a long term plan to get to know a few hunting areas and most of all enjoy the adventure from e scouting to planning to getting their hunting and even heading home. win loose or draw enjoy the ride

 

[ida homer]

Agreed. A lot of NR’s try a unit once and then move on, looking for greener pastures. That’s usually the worst thing you can do, starting over.

Go 5 years in a row. Then you’ll start to get your elk every year.

 

[Local577bowhunter]

Agreed. A lot of NR’s try a unit once and then move on, looking for greener pastures. That’s usually the worst thing you can do, starting over.

Go 5 years in a row. Then you’ll start to get your elk every year.

Totally agree, I’ve hunted the same 10 sq miles of Idaho for eight years now with one year in Colorado in between those. I’m from Ohio and going on solo elk trips took some time to learn but my forth year I finally connected on the sixth day, the next year I killed one within the first 48 hours and I feel like a have a lot better understanding and confidence I can make it happen regularly from here on out, mostly because of hunting the same area and learning it inside out.

 

[publichunter1]

Agreed. A lot of NR’s try a unit once and then move on, looking for greener pastures. That’s usually the worst thing you can do, starting over.

Go 5 years in a row. Then you’ll start to get your elk every year.

I'll agree that is the best way to kill an elk. However, I love going to a different unit every year.

I get to research, see, and hunt new ground every year. I've taken at least a buck or a bull each of my three seasons hunting out West and seen a lot of cool places.

 

[chasers1085]

Unfortunately Idaho Fish and Game has created monster with their Elk regulations, IMO. Seems the only chance you have anymore for a decent hunt is draw something good. A temporary action established years ago to increase and improve the herds to entice non-resident revenue have become the norm. As a result, over the counter or general tags seem to bottleneck way too many hunters into popular areas. Even some of the residents are unhappy with the zone allocations and limited choices. Archery is about the only opportunity if you don't draw something. This has increased the archery participation in congested areas tremendously over the past 10 years or so.
I met up with a guy that I know in the area my son and I usually hunt. He said the area he usually hunts got so populated that he got pushed out and was trying the area I hunt. Guess what? The same deal, too many hunters.
I don't have a fix, but it's not the best program...
Good luck and have fun in the hunt, hope for success.

Seems that way in Utah too. Unless you draw a limited entry unit, you don’t have good options that aren’t insanely packed with hunters. Thanks for sharing and good luck to you too!