28 January Time to Apply for Elk and Deer Tags in those OTHER States January 28, 2015By George McQuiston Elk In Rut, General Information, Guided Hunts, Mule Deer Elk Hunts, Mule Deer Hunts 0 As fond as I am of all the opportunities there are to hunt in the great state of Idaho, I am the first to recognize that true hunter/sportsmen and women are always “in search of new adventure” or wanting to “explore new horizons” so they apply for hunts in multiple states in search of that elusive tag that comes with promises of trophy quality elk and deer. If we are all being honest with each other, even I APPLY in other states, but always hunt my home state of Idaho…mostly because I can’t draw a tag either! It is once again round 1 of hunting season also known as “application season”. Wyoming elk applications end January 31st with results by February 28 and Utah begins its application process on January 29 and ends March 5 with results due out by May 29. So be sure to mark in your calendar for the day you open your results envelope or email and it simply says “unsuccessful” that Idaho still has over the counter, OTC, tags and many outfitters have guaranteed elk tags so all is not lost for your 2015 hunting season if you don’t draw your “first choice” hunt. Good luck in the applications and draws and happy hunting this year! Related Posts Idaho OTC Deer Tags: A Finite Resource Idaho has some great opportunities for hunting trophy mule deer with OTC tags on public land—as good as or better than anywhere in the West. General, OTC, any-weapon deer tags are valid in any game unit in the state which is not limited to controlled-hunt tags only. This includes the general deer seasons in Units 27 and 28 where Wild Idaho Outfitters and Castle Creek Outfitters operate. Time is Running Out to Apply for Idaho Controlled Hunt Tags The application deadline to apply for elk, deer, and pronghorn controlled hunts in Idaho is June 5th. Idaho does not use a bonus/preference point system for controlled hunts, so you have the same chance at drawing a tag as anyone else. Last Day to Apply for Idaho Nonresident Elk and Deer Tags This is the first year that Idaho has made nonresidents put in for the formerly OTC (over the counter) general season elk and deer tags and now, today is the last day you can put in for those hunts. Obviously, this is just the first “go round” but for sure, all the good and desirable areas will be gobbled up in this first draw period. Keep in mind that this first draw does not apply to trophy species: moose, mountain goat and bighorn sheep. Idaho Controlled-Hunt Application Period Now Open for Elk, Deer, Antelope, and Fall Bear The tag application period in Idaho for controlled-hunt elk, deer, pronghorn, and fall bear tags runs from May 1 to June 5. Successful applicants will be notified by July 10, and tags must be purchased by August 1. Tags not purchased by August 1 will be forfeited to a second application period, which runs from August 5 to August 15. Nonresidents Must Apply for Formerly OTC Tags this Year in Idaho Seems the only constant in life is change and that adage seems to hold especially true in the hunting world. It seems to me that meetings are held and changes made “just because” every year and this year is no different! Starting today, December 5, 2025, nonresidents who want to hunt elk and deer in formerly OTC units will need to apply for those tags. The application period runs from December 5 to 15, 2025 with results being posted in early January 2026. Idaho OTC Elk Tags: Hurry or Be Left Out There is no other state in the Western US comparable to Idaho when it comes to providing you the opportunity to go elk hunting every year, using OTC (over-the-counter) tags. However, as controlled-hunt tags in neighboring states become increasingly difficult to draw, the demand for Idaho OTC tags has been increasing also. An example of this is the nonresident Salmon B elk tags, which sold out this year in just 3 days (Dec. 1–3, 2019), and resident tags sold out within a week of that. Comment (0) Comments are closed.