Frequently Asked Questions
We get a lot of questions. We post here answers to questions we're being asked frequently. If you have a question not answered here, please contact us. Urgent questions should be directed to your nearest office. Some answers change over time; please take note of the "answered" date.
Displaying 1651 - 1675 of 3534 questionsA:
Yes; your white-tailed deer tag would be nonresident price ($301.75).answered 10/20/2013
Q: Moose tags
If a person was to draw a controlled tag can he/she draw super hunt tags in following years or is it a "1 moose per lifetime" rule in Idaho?A:
If you are lucky enough to be chosen for the moose super hunt tag it would allow you to get a moose in addition to one you have already harvested.answered 10/19/2013
Q: Do I need to where hunter orange
During rifle huntsA:
Idaho doesn't require that you wear hunter orange while big game hunting. It is required if you are hunting upland birds on WMAs where we plant pheasants.answered 10/18/2013
Q: How can we change hunting units to 3point or bigger?
3 point or biggerA:
If you wish to make any changes to rules or offer suggestions for rule changes, the best approach is to talk to your regional fish and game biologist and manager at the regional office closest to you. They will discuss with you the biological reasons for their rules and proposals, and you can discuss your proposal with them. Point restrictions have been around for a long time and there are plenty of reasons for or against implementation. Often the reasons vary by unit because of habitat, hunting pressure, social issues, etc.. Talking to your regional biologist is the first step in the process. If the proposal passes biological reasoning, then it goes to the public for input, then to the commission for adoption or rejection.answered 10/17/2013
A:
You can purchase a tag and use it at any time before or during a general season for elk. Check the zone you want to hunt for details and be aware that some zone have quotas for tags that may have already been reached. If you were drawn for a controlled elk hunt you would have needed to pick-up your tag prior to August 1st. After August 1st, all tags not picked-up go into a 2nd chance drawing. F08answered 10/17/2013
Q: I bought a whitetail tag instead of a regular deer tag; can I exchange them?
I mistakenly had my wife get herself a whitetail only tag when I should have asked her to get a general deer tag. Can she exchange the whitetail tag for a general deer season tag?A:
Exchanges can be made if the season for the tag you have has not been open. They can only be done at a Fish and Game office.answered 10/16/2013
A:
Exchanges can be made if the season for the tag you have has not been open. They can only be done at a Fish and Game office.answered 10/15/2013
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You can get a duplicate from any vendor. Vendors are listed on our website in the License section.answered 10/15/2013
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It depends on which license your son has. If he bought a Jr. Small Game license in January when he was 11, but is now 12 and wants to hunt deer, he will need to purchase a Jr. Hunting License in order to purchase a deer tag.answered 10/15/2013
A:
Yes, you can, but you must purchase the tag before you shoot a big game animal.answered 10/15/2013
Q: If I only have a steelhead permit can I take a picture with a salmon.
If I am fishing for Steelhead, with proper license and permit, and I catch a Chinook salmon without a salmon permit. Can I legally take a "safe for the fish" picture with the fish before releasing it? I am not saying beaching the fish or tossing it up on shore for a picture but can I take a picture of it in the water or have someone take a picture of me just barely holding it out of the water before releasing? If it is out of season, and I legally can not harvest/target chinook could I take a picture with one if it were caught?A:
As long as you exercise caution when handling the fish and don't cause mortality, you can take a picture with your fall Chinook before releasing. F08answered 10/14/2013
A:
Hunting Hours Big game animals may be hunted only from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.answered 10/13/2013
Q: What can I hunt if I purchase a hunting passport?
If I purchase a hunting passport and am 11 years old then what can I hunt? What is the price on the game that I can hunt is it normal price?A:
Information about the hunting passport can be found on our website under the license tab or at https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/licenses/?getPage=332.answered 10/13/2013
Q: I have Hunters Ed next weekend and deer season ends the fallowing Thursday, can i still get a tag?
If so wear in gem county and how?A:
Sorry for the delay in responding. Yes, all you need to do is show your hunter education card when you purchase your license and tag.answered 10/13/2013
Q: If one receives a Super Hunt from the hunt report lottery, elects Elk, is this Elk tag additive?
If one receives a Super Hunt from the 2012 hunting report lottery, elects Elk, is this Elk tag additive to the general hunt Elk tag already possessed by virtue of purchasing the Sportman's package? In other words, does the recipient get to potentially take 2 elk?A:
If you are drawn for a superhunt tag, it is in addition to whatever regular season or controlled hunt you already have (or obtain) for the year. So...you could take 2 elk for that season.answered 10/12/2013
Q: What paper work do you need from a land owner for them to be put in on the land owner tags?
Can you send me the paper work to get registered for the land owner tags? ThanksA:
There are two landowner tag programs: 1. Landowner Permission; 2. Landowner Appreciation. The best source of assistance on both programs would be to contact the Landowner-Sportsmen Coordinator at your nearest Fish and Game Office.answered 10/12/2013
A:
No, every hunter who hunts for big game or turkey must have their own tag.answered 10/12/2013
A:
There is no waiting period in Idaho. Once you buy your license and tag, you can immediately go hunting (provided the season is open). Years ago (30+) there was a waiting period of 24 hours to dissuade people from illegally killing a deer or elk and then going to the closest vendor and buying a license and/or tag. With current forensic technology and real-time uploading of license purchasing information, we can easily prove a case when someone tries this unethical hunting trick.answered 10/11/2013
A:
Yes, so long as you have a valid state trapping license and all the state trapping rules, and county, or city laws and ordinances are being followed. Coyotes are listed as a predator and can be hunted/trapped year-long. However, coyote pelts are only valuable from November - February and usually are trapped or killed at other times of year due to depredation concerns on domestic animals. Private land trespassing laws are still in effect.answered 10/10/2013
A:
Only if the unit is open for doe hunting and there is no "youth-only" requirement for hunting antlerless deer. If antlerless hunting in the unit is youth only, a hunter 18 or older cannot kill a doe---whether they have a passport or a regular hunting license.answered 10/10/2013
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Update notice: Idaho statute changes effective July 1, 2015 changes the weapon definitions for some felons. Please review this updated answer for clarification on this change.The following answer remains intact for historical purposes.It depends on the felony. Under Idaho law, anyone convicted of any of 36 felonies may not own, use or carry a firearm, which the law defines as "any weapon from which a shot, projectile or other object may be discharged by force of combustion, explosive, gas and/or mechanical means, whether operable or inoperable." This includes firearmes, muzzleloaders and archery equipment. The right can under some circumstances be restored, unless the crime was murder in the first or second degree, or if conviction included the use of a firearm in the commission of any the listed felonies. (For a list of felonies see Idaho Code Title 18, Chapter 3, section 18-310.)A person convicted of a felony in another state comparable to any crime enumerated in Idaho Code Section 18-310 (2) may not possess a firearm, muzzleloader or archery equipment unless the felony conviction has been expunged or pardoned by the jurisdiction of the conviction.answered 10/9/2013
A:
NO, the controlled hunt tag is only valid in the area specified in the Big Game rule booklet and the season dates listed for that hunt. That tag can be used nowhere else in the state. If you didn't fill your tag during the controlled hunt, you can purchase a leftover nonresident deer tag and hunt a general season hunt. F08answered 10/9/2013
Q: Can I hunt for deer in multiple zones with one tag?
If I buy a general deer tag for one zone, can I still hunt in other zones that have longer seasons?A:
Deer tags are not issued for one zone like elk tags are. They can be used in any unit that is open for hunting deer.answered 10/9/2013
Q: What are the legal hours to track wounded game?
If you've hit a big game animal and are tracking it so it can be recovered (like by following a blood trail), can this be done at any time of the day or night? I see in the reg's that a blood tracking dog can only be used during official hunting hours, but I didn't see any other clarification.A:
The IDFG Commission has only established hunting hours. For most game species it is 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunrise. Waterfowl hunting ends at sunset. There is also commission rule and state law that requires hunters to make a reasonable effort to retrieve any wounded game species, which would include into the evening and past established shooting hours. This rule does not authorize hunters to further "take" game outside of the established shooting hours.answered 10/8/2013
A:
Tags are issued to a specific person so the other hunter cannot just use the tag. The new hunter must purchase their own license and tag.answered 10/8/2013