Nicknamed “the Gem State” since its days as a territory, Idaho is known in hunting circles for its diversity of terrain, wide swaths of public land, and hunting opportunities. Big game hunters can expect to target elk, deer, pronghorn, black bears, mountain lions, wolves, moose, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep.
Idaho will now have three draw application periods. The first one is for moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat, and the application period ends April 30, 2025, with draw results available late May.
The elk, deer, and antelope application period runs from May 1, 2025, to June 5, 2025, with results available in early July. Idaho has no point system for hunters; all tags are issued in a random drawing, and therefore all applications have an equal chance.
For elk and deer general tags, Idaho offers capped general season tags for non-residents that will no longer be sold over-the-counter beginning this year. Stay tuned for more information about the 2026 General Tag Non-resident Draw to come later this summer. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is still working with its licensing and draw vendor to create this new process.
Hunters may apply for tags with Idaho Fish and Game.
Huntin’ Fool’s Idaho page is an excellent, updated resource for ongoing Idaho draw changes.
Idaho Draw Process FAQs
Application Dates and Deadlines: Huntin’ Fool lines out Idaho dates and deadlines.
Free for onX Elite members, Hunt Reminder’s Idaho page is also an excellent resource for timely application season reminders.
2025 IDAHO DRAW DEADLINES
Spring Bear
Moose, Sheep, & Goat
Super Hunt Tags First Draw
Deer, Elk, & Antelope
Resident Capped Elk Tags Available
Resident Sawtooth Elk Tags Available
Deadline to pick up Controlled Tags Drawn
Super Hunt Tags Second Draw
Deer, Elk, & Antelope Leftover Draw
2026 Non-resident General Draw
Hunting license and species costs for tags usually include:
- Application fee.
- Hunting license fee to apply (usually need a qualifying license before you can apply).
- Species fee (This is what you pay for the animal you want to hunt. Some you pay upfront at application, some you pay for once you get the tag.).
Point System
- Idaho does not have a point system. All tags are issued via random drawing, and all applicants have an equal chance.
Tag Allocation
- Up to 10% of the total tag quota for controlled hunt permits can be issued to non-residents per species.
- If a controlled hunt has 10 or fewer permits, only one tag may be given to non-residents.
- You may only apply for one of the following: moose, bighorn sheep, or mountain goat.
- If you apply for moose, sheep, or goat, you cannot apply for limited-entry controlled hunts for deer, elk, or antelope unless there are unlimited permits available for the hunt.
New This Year:
- Moose: The number of antlered moose tags has been reduced by four, bringing the statewide total to 513, including both antlered and antlerless moose.
- Bighorn Sheep: The number of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tags has increased by 11, including four for early hunts and seven for late hunts. Two new late hunts have been added in areas 20AL and 37L, while hunts in areas 30 and 36AL have been eliminated. The number of California bighorn sheep tags has decreased by six. There are now 103 bighorn sheep tags statewide
- Mountain Goat: The number of mountain goat tags has decreased by one, bringing the total to 40 tags. Hunt areas 10-1 and 10-2 have been combined into one hunt area with one tag.
Useful Links
- Access the onX Complete Package for Western Application Research.
- Log Into Hunt Research Tools To Start Your 2025 Application Season.
- View Idaho Hunting Regulations.
- Apply for Your Idaho Hunting Tags.
- Read Idaho Hunting News and Updates.
onX Hunt’s Top State Application Tips
- If you are a non-resident interested in moose, you should be applying in Idaho—though drawing a tag is never easy, Idaho does have the best moose draw odds in the Lower 48.
- The 10% total species cap has a meaningful impact for non-residents applying for moose, sheep, and mountain goat hunts. That’s why you see hunts for these species that have non-resident applicants, but no tags drawn. If there are 100 total sheep permits available, that means a maximum of 10 tags can be given to non-residents across all sheep hunt codes. So don’t assume that because a particular hunt didn’t give a non-resident tag last year, that you shouldn’t apply for that hunt this year.
- If you plan to hunt big game in Idaho, consider picking up a wolf permit for $31.75. Unlimited tags are available and can be purchased at participating retailers.
- If you want to hire an outfitter if you draw a tag, make sure an outfitter is available to the hunt/unit you apply for. Idaho’s system is unique, and many areas do not have an outfitter licensed guide at this time.
Your One-Stop Application Season Stop
To maximize your time spent researching and applying—and to help you build your strategy to successfully draw in 2025 and beyond—we’re providing onX Hunt Elite Members with FREE services in one comprehensive package:
- Hunt Research Tools: In-Depth Draw Odds and Application Tools
- Huntin’ Fool: Boots-on-the-Ground Research and Insight
- HuntReminder: Worry-Free Text and Email Reminder Service
- onX Hunt: Map Your Hunt With Research Layers
