Idaho OTC

Fink

Veteran member
Apr 7, 2011
1,961
204
West Side, MoMo
I wasn't in the market for an Idaho capped OTC tag this year, but follow along anyways. I see a few of the capped zones sold out in a matter of hours yet again. As much as I hate to see more tags go into a draw, it may be time for Idaho to move some of these capped OTC tags into a draw. Buying a tag shouldn't be like trying to order concert tickets... I'd be very unhappy if I had a tag in my cart, go to purchase, and find out they're sold out.
It amazes me that just 5 years ago, I could buy this tag in May, with plenty left to spare, and now the tag sells out in a few hours.
 

mallardsx2

Veteran member
Jul 8, 2015
3,811
3,011
Makes me wonder a couple of things.

I wonder how many people are buying tags in various states with no intention on ever hunting there.

I also wonder how many anti-hunters buy tags to try and keep people from hunting.
 

Bonecollector

Veteran member
Mar 9, 2014
5,852
3,656
Ohio
I bet a lot of tags are purchased and not used even by folks with good intentions, but poor planning and commitment.
 

Yell Co AR Hunter

Very Active Member
Dec 10, 2015
842
672
Yell County Arkansas
I always wonder about the theory of people buying tags such as antis or others with no intent on hunting. I can say they must make a lot more money than I do. If I buy a tag I have been planning for years. It might go unfilled, but it won't be from lack of effort.
 

tim

Veteran member
Jun 4, 2011
2,407
1,057
north idaho
I bet a lot of tags are purchased and not used even by folks with good intentions, but poor planning and commitment.
I don't know if I would say it as harsh as you, but sometimes life gets in the way of hunting. The bud of mine that let me know tags where selling out, bought multiple tags, but was not able to go out for various reason, so the answer is yes.
 

Bonecollector

Veteran member
Mar 9, 2014
5,852
3,656
Ohio
I don't know if I would say it as harsh as you, but sometimes life gets in the way of hunting. The bud of mine that let me know tags where selling out, bought multiple tags, but was not able to go out for various reason, so the answer is yes.
I was thinking more of the non resident.
 

tim

Veteran member
Jun 4, 2011
2,407
1,057
north idaho
the funny or weird thing about all this is, I used to be able to go kill an elk and then go to fish and game and buy another tag.
Now I have to buy both in august(earliest I can buy a tag in Idaho being a resident).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bonecollector

87TT

Very Active Member
Apr 23, 2013
593
1,052
Idaho
the funny or weird thing about all this is, I used to be able to go kill an elk and then go to fish and game and buy another tag.
Now I have to buy both in august(earliest I can buy a tag in Idaho being a resident).
Tags go on sale July 10th for residents. August 1st leftover nonresident tags go on sale
 

ivorytip

Veteran member
Mar 24, 2012
3,760
31
42
SE Idaho
agreed, they need to turn those over to a controlled tag. even for residents it is a race to get the tag you want in certain prime zones. as always when so many people are trying to purchase the same thing at the same time there will most certainly be some crash issues making it a mess for everyone. shouldn't be this way. if i have to work at a crazy 10am time when tags go on sale then i am just out of the chance of getting a tag. also, there seem to be way more hunters than there are tags in some of these areas and i wish Fish and Game would start checking people. i have told fish and game i have had people tell me they have a general tag for unit across the road but still hunt the other side of the road that is a different zone all together. very very rarely do i see an actual fish cop in there at all.
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,581
10,279
56
idaho
might be time to make all units draw hunts with a 1 or 2 year waiting period after drawing bucks/bulls. and triple the price across the boards on all hunts.

I know many won't like this but it would increase odds of drawing a decent hunt and most of the general seasons anymore are nothing but shitshows of humanity.
 

87TT

Very Active Member
Apr 23, 2013
593
1,052
Idaho
If I had the choice to hunt with a lot of people/pressure or not being able to hunt every year where I live, then I choose the people/pressure. I don't have that many years left to hunt and sure don't want to sit out a year just because I drew my back yard. Maybe the people who are traveling a long ways could just spread out a little and try the units that don't sell out in minutes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kidoggy

Fink

Veteran member
Apr 7, 2011
1,961
204
West Side, MoMo
If I had the choice to hunt with a lot of people/pressure or not being able to hunt every year where I live, then I choose the people/pressure. I don't have that many years left to hunt and sure don't want to sit out a year just because I drew my back yard. Maybe the people who are traveling a long ways could just spread out a little and try the units that don't sell out in minutes.
I think my real point here, is that these particular units are already CAPPED. No more or no fewer guys (especially non residents) are going to hunt here. I simply think that a more fair allocation of these tags is a better approach. Rather than having 10,000 people crash a system, vying for 500 tags, why don't we put them in a no preference point draw, and allocate the tags that way. seems much better than "welp, i was in on time, had a tag, but by the time ID processed my payment, there was no tags left"
 
  • Like
Reactions: kidoggy

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,581
10,279
56
idaho
splitting the tag numbers into seperate seasons , couldn't hurt.

I got an OTC cow tag this year . until this year ,I believe there was something like 500 tags in oct and 500 in November .

fish and game decided there was a need to kill off /decrease the herd size , which is all fine and good . if they think it needs done ,fine so be it . problem is ,in their infinite wisdom , they did away with the October hunt completely and capped the November hunt at 2500 , creating a complete cluster$#%k of pressure . they did succeed in their ultimate goal of selling more tags, though I doubt as many elk were killed as in past years . will be very interesting to see what the kill statistics are from this years joke of a season.
my question is ,why on earth would they do such a thing??????
need to kill more elk , fine , sell more tags but wouldn't it have made more sense to have an oct hunt with 1250 tags and then a nov hunt with 1250??????? or even split it into 4 different two week seasons with 6 or 7 hundred tags????????


the logic of their thinking totally escapes me.

it is right up there with the idiot landowners who complain that the herds are to big and choose to protest by not allowing hunter access.

heck if we are really gonna be so stupid with management policies, why not just open the winter grounds to the public and tell people they are welcome to any winterkill the manage to create? ;) :D:rolleyes:
joking of coarse . my point is , there has got to be a more rational approach to management then what they chose . mine may not be the answer either but it sure makes a lot more sense.
 
Last edited:

87TT

Very Active Member
Apr 23, 2013
593
1,052
Idaho
I think my real point here, is that these particular units are already CAPPED. No more or no fewer guys (especially non residents) are going to hunt here. I simply think that a more fair allocation of these tags is a better approach. Rather than having 10,000 people crash a system, vying for 500 tags, why don't we put them in a no preference point draw, and allocate the tags that way. seems much better than "welp, i was in on time, had a tag, but by the time ID processed my payment, there was no tags left"
I think some people wouldn't be happy either way. I have no problem with some zones being control hunts with a random drawing. But not all zones and definitely no point systems. Does ID DFG make some weird calls? Yes. I know guys (me) that have been putting in for controlled hunts for years and have not drawn but I still have a chance and will continue. I think the point systems are killing hunting.
 

kidoggy

Veteran member
Apr 23, 2016
9,581
10,279
56
idaho
I think some people wouldn't be happy either way. I have no problem with some zones being control hunts with a random drawing. But not all zones and definitely no point systems. Does ID DFG make some weird calls? Yes. I know guys (me) that have been putting in for controlled hunts for years and have not drawn but I still have a chance and will continue. I think the point systems are killing hunting.
I would agree on the point system. only issue I really have with ALL hunts being controlled is , I doubt many youngsters would begin hunting under such a system. while lower hunter numbers is not a bad thing, no hunter numbers is
 
  • Like
Reactions: idcwby