Tag Time: August 20 Deadline For Controlled Hunts

This year for the first time, hunters who drew controlled hunt permits must purchase their tags by August 20. Tags not picked up by that date will be sold as leftover permits beginning August 30, at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time, 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Fish and Game is sending out postcards to remind more than 14,000 hunters who have not picked up their tags yet about the new rule. "We don't want you to be disappointed by going in just before your hunt starts to find out that you no longer have a controlled hunt permit because you missed the August 20 deadline, and somebody else has now taken your spot in your favorite hunt," said Steve Barton, Chief Financial Officer for Fish & Game. In previous years, hunters have commonly failed to purchase tags for six to eight percent of permits drawn in controlled hunt drawings. The new rule makes those un-purchased tags available again and expands the opportunity to hunters who were not lucky enough to draw last May. The hunts include elk, deer and antelope tags. "It's brand new this year, and it was because we've had a lot of folks draw in some very popular hunts and not pick up their tags and other folks are saying, I wanted to go there!' And now they have an opportunity to pick up a tag for those hunts." said Barton. Controlled hunt tags can be purchased at any in-state vendor, by telephone or over the internet at: http://www2.state.id.us/fishgame The unclaimed tags which go on sale August 30 will be available only at in-state vendors.