By Roger Phillips, Idaho Fish and Game public information specialist
High demand for limited tags in the popular Sawtooth elk zone caused a quick sell out on Sunday, July 10, so Fish and Game will review its options to alleviate the buyers’ rush for those tags.
Due to increased interest, Fish and Game moved the start time of the sale from midnight to 10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time to give people the option of buying at a vendor during regular business hours or online. Hunters bought 496 resident Sawtooth Zone A-tags and 1,290 Sawtooth Zone B-tags in less than an hour, which left many other hunters seeking those tags empty handed.
“With the extreme demand for those tags, we will be working with the public to identify options for issuing those Sawtooth Zone elk tags in the future,” said Michael Pearson, Fish and Game’s administration bureau chief. “We understand people’s frustration, and we want to avoid that situation.”
Potential changes will be discussed prior to setting big game seasons in March, 2017. Any changes considered will be reviewed by the public for comment, and Fish and Game commissioners will make the final decision whether to change the Sawtooth Zone elk hunts.
Tags remain for sale in eight of the nine “capped” elk zones where the number tags is limited. Those remaining tags are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Zones include:
- Dworshak Zone B-tags
- Diamond Creek Zone A-tags
- Bear River Zone B-tags
- Elk City Zone B-tags
- Lolo Zone A and B-tags
- Middle Fork Zone A and B-tags
- Salmon Zone B-tags
- Selway Zone A and B-tags
For up to date information about how many of each of the capped zone tags remain, go to https://idfg.idaho.gov and click on the “Elk Tag Quotas” under the “Licenses” tab. (Direct link: https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/license/residenttagavailability?