Idaho Hunting Regulations 2026: Licenses, Tags, and Season Dates

For decades, nonresident deer and elk tags in Idaho were first-come, first-served. You logged on at the right time, you got a tag. You didn't, you didn't. It was frustrating, chaotic, and frankly unfair to anyone who couldn't sit at a computer at the right moment.

Starting with the 2026 season, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved a rule requiring all nonresident general season deer and elk tags to be issued through a draw. This is a permanent structural shift — not a one-year experiment. The framework mirrors how Idaho's controlled hunt draws already work, which means most Idaho hunters will recognize the process even if nonresidents don't.

Pure Random System

The draw uses a pure random number system. Idaho Fish and Game does not use preference points or bonus points. Every applicant gets one random number assigned, and tags flow from the lowest number to the highest until quota is exhausted.

There's no advantage to applying multiple years in a row, and no points carry over.

You cannot apply for the draw without first purchasing a valid 2026 Idaho hunting license. For nonresidents, that's a Nonresident Hunting License at $185. That fee is nonrefundable — if you don't draw, you don't get it back.

That said, the license isn't worthless if you strike out on deer and elk. With it, you're eligible to:

• Apply for controlled hunt draws (deer, elk, pronghorn, and others)
• Apply for moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat tags
• Purchase tags from Returned Tag sales throughout the year
• Hunt species that don't require a draw tag

So the license has real utility beyond the general season draw. It's not a total loss if the draw doesn't go your way.

Hunter Education Requirements

If you were born after January 1, 1975, you need proof of Hunter Education certification on file with IDFG before you can purchase a license. Archery hunters also need archery certification on file. If you need IDFG staff to manually add your certification, get that paperwork in early — the agency recommends submitting by December 12 at 2:00 p.m. MST to guarantee processing before any application deadline. After that, add it yourself via your profile at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com.

Key dates for the 2026 nonresident draw system

If you drew a tag in the first period, you cannot apply in the second period for that same species — even if you chose not to claim the tag. You can still apply for a species you didn't draw. There is no second application period for DAV tags.

Once an application period closes, every application gets randomly assigned a number. The draw engine then runs through all applications from the lowest number to the highest, evaluating first choices first.

Idaho nonresident tag draw process flow

If quota remains for your first-choice hunt, you get the tag. After all first choices are processed, the engine loops back to the beginning and evaluates second choices for everyone who didn't get their first — skipping applications that already won or where no quota remains. This repeats through fifth choices.

Group Applications

You can apply with up to four hunters as a group. The group is treated as a single application — no extra entries for being a group. If the draw reaches your group application and there aren't enough tags left for all members, the group gets nothing. One tag left and a four-person group next in line means the group is skipped.

Application Limits

Up to five hunt choices per application. Regular deer and white-tailed deer tags share one application — you don't need separate apps for each subspecies. Elk gets its own application.

Most hunters submit two — one elk, one deer. DAV hunters can submit up to four: DAV Elk, non-DAV Elk, DAV Deer, and non-DAV Deer.

The license cost is just the entry fee. Tags carry their own costs on top. Nonresident tag prices vary by species. Confirm current tag fees directly with IDFG at the links below, as the Commission retains authority to modify allocations and fees during the season-setting process (final 2026 seasons and rules were set for approval in March 2026).

DAV hunters pay reduced fees on DAV-specific tags — but only in uncapped elk zones for elk. If a DAV hunter wants a capped elk zone, they enter the standard nonresident draw and pay full nonresident tag prices.

This distinction matters a lot for both regular nonresidents and DAV hunters.

Uncapped zones have no hard ceiling on nonresident tag numbers — tags are available more broadly, and for certain hunter categories (like junior mentored and DAV), they may be available over-the-counter after the draw process completes.

Capped zones have a firm nonresident quota. These are the zones that generated the most competition under the old first-come, first-served system, and they're the zones where the draw matters most. Capped zone tags go through the draw for all nonresidents, including junior mentored hunters.

The 2026 Nonresident General Tags brochure identifies which elk zones are capped and which are uncapped — download it from idfg.idaho.gov before you apply. You'll also need it to find the specific hunt codes used when submitting your application.

DAV Hunter Process

Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Nonresident DAV hunters can participate in both the standard Nonresident Draw and a separate DAV Draw. To access the DAV draw, you need a NONRES HUNTING/3-DAY FISHING – DAV license. The DAV draw offers reduced-price tags for Regular Deer, White-tailed Deer, and Elk (uncapped zones only at the DAV price).

There's only one DAV application period — December 5–15 — because DAV hunters get an extended claim window through March 20.

Eligibility paperwork for DAV status must have been received by December 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. MST to guarantee processing before the application period closed. If a DAV hunter succeeds in both the DAV Draw and the Nonresident Draw for the same species, they pick one tag — not both.

Junior Mentored Access

Hunters with a NONRES HUNTING - JR MENTORED license only need to enter the draw if they're applying for a capped elk zone. Uncapped elk zone tags and all deer tags are unlimited for junior mentored hunters and become available over-the-counter after the draw process wraps up — typically late spring.

Lifetime License Holders

Former Idaho residents with Lifetime Licenses are treated closer to residents. They purchase tags out of the resident quota and don't need to participate in the nonresident draw at all. Tags for this group become available in late June or early July when resident tags go on sale.

Residents are not part of the nonresident draw system. Idaho residents purchase general season deer and elk tags over-the-counter when they become available — typically late June or early July. Resident tags for capped elk zones do have quotas and separate processes; check the Resident Capped Elk Zones page at idfg.idaho.gov for specifics on units with resident caps.

Residents born after 1974 also need hunter education certification, same as nonresidents.

Applying for the nonresident general season draw doesn't affect your ability to also apply for controlled hunts. These are separate processes. Controlled hunts typically offer more restricted access to premium units with tighter harvest management — antler restrictions, spike-only rules, limited entry areas, and so on.

Controlled hunt applications for deer, elk, pronghorn, and other species run on their own schedule. DAV hunters have their own controlled hunt opportunities as well. The draw results from the nonresident general season draw don't carry over or interact with controlled hunt applications.

When successful applicants don't claim their tags by the deadline, those tags don't disappear. The system recycles them:

• Tags unclaimed by the January 20 deadline go back into the pool for the second application period
• Tags unclaimed by the March 20 deadline enter the first Returned Tag Sale of the year

Returned Tag Sales

Returned Tag Sales are open to any licensed hunter — resident or nonresident — who missed the draw or wants additional opportunity. Dates for these sales are announced at idfg.idaho.gov. They can sell out fast depending on the unit, so watch the IDFG website and sign up for notifications if you're relying on this as a backup.

Chronic Wasting Disease is a real consideration in several Idaho units for 2026, and it carries legal teeth — not just a recommendation. Certain Game Management Units require mandatory CWD testing before you can transport harvested deer out. In some units, specific transport restrictions apply to how you can move carcasses and parts across county or state lines.

Affected Units

Units with CWD requirements noted in the 2026 tag brochure include portions of Units 1, 14, 23, 24, 32A, and others. This is not a complete list — the tag brochure and the Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure have the definitive unit-by-unit breakdown. Check both before you hunt.

Interstate Transport

If you're hauling a deer across state lines from an affected unit, federal interstate transport rules may also apply depending on your destination state. Don't assume it's fine because you followed Idaho's rules — your home state or destination state may have its own CWD import restrictions.

Not every unit offers every weapon season. The tag brochure flags units with archery-only, muzzleloader-only, or short-range-only restrictions. Examples from the 2026 nonresident tag list:

If you're applying for a unit with a weapon restriction, you need the right equipment and — for archery — the certification on file. The Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure defines what qualifies as "short range" equipment in Idaho. Check it before you assume your rifle hunt is on.

The 2026 Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure was scheduled for Commission approval in March 2026 and publication in April 2026 at idfg.idaho.gov/big-game. Specific season open and close dates for deer, elk, and other species are in that document — not the tag brochure, which covers quotas and hunt codes.

Historical Patterns

Historically, Idaho general seasons follow patterns like:

• Archery deer and elk: typically September
• General rifle deer: typically October into November
• General rifle elk: typically October into November
• Late seasons: unit-dependent, can run into December

These dates shift annually based on Commission decisions and cannot be confirmed until the 2026 brochure publishes. Do not hunt based on prior-year dates alone.

Everything runs through GoOutdoorsIdaho.com. If you've bought an Idaho license in the past ten years or so, you likely already have an account — log in with your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Pre-Application Checklist

Before applying:

• Confirm your mailing address is current — tags are mailed to the address on file
• Confirm your email is current — draw results and license confirmations go there
• Have your hunter education certification on file (or add it via your profile)
• Have the 2026 Nonresident General Tags brochure open — you need the specific hunt codes
• Know the deer GMU or elk zone you want to apply for before you start

IFDG also has a mobile app with step-by-step application instructions and a walkthrough video on the nonresident draw page.

The nonresident draw covered in this article applies specifically to general season deer and elk. Other species operate differently:

• Pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat are controlled hunts and have their own application processes and timelines
• A valid nonresident hunting license (the same $185 license) qualifies you to apply for these
• Draw odds, quotas, and application windows for these species are listed separately at idfg.idaho.gov

Upland game, waterfowl, and turkey don't require draw tags for most seasons — check the Upland Game, Furbearer, and Turkey brochure and Migratory Birds brochure for those regulations.

As of February 2026, the second application period just closed. A few things remain in process:

• Second draw results: announced early March 2026
• Claim deadline for all remaining tags including DAV: March 20, 2026
• Final 2026 Big Game Seasons and Rules: Commission approval March 2026, publication April 2026
• Returned Tag Sales: dates announced after March 20 deadline passes

If you're planning a 2026 Idaho hunt and haven't applied yet, your remaining paths are the Returned Tag Sales and controlled hunt draws. Watch idfg.idaho.gov for sale announcements.

The bottom line: The 2026 nonresident draw is Idaho's biggest structural change to tag access in years — if you're hunting deer or elk as a nonresident, the draw is now the only way in for general season, and you have to pay for your license before you know if you drew.

• Nonresident Deer and Elk Tags (draw information, application portal): https://idfg.idaho.gov/licenses/tag/quotas/nonresident
• Everything a nonresident hunter needs to know about the 2026 draw: https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/everything-nonresident-hunter-needs-know-about-2026-tag-drawing
• Second application period details: https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/second-application-period-nonresident-general-season-deerelk-tags-february-5-15
• 2026 Nonresident General Tags and Tags Allocated to Outfitters (PDF): https://idfg.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/seasons-rules-big-game-supplemental-proclamation-2026-2.pdf
• Big Game Seasons and Rules (publishes April 2026): https://idfg.idaho.gov/big-game
• GoOutdoorsIdaho.com (license purchase and draw applications): https://gooutdoorsidaho.com
• IDFG Licenses Office (corrections, DAV paperwork): [email protected]

Last Updated: February 23, 2026