Why is there a five-day wait for nonresident small game pheasant hunting?

The nonresident small game and nonresident three-day small game hunting licenses were established to offer nonresident sportsmen, who do not wish to hunt big game, an opportunity to come to Idaho and hunt small game only for a lower cost.   The lower cost could result in a large influx of nonresident hunters competing with residents for the opening days of pheasant hunting season.   This issue was specifically addressed in Idaho Code 36-407 as follows: A person holding this license shall purchase the appropriate required tags and permits, and may not hunt pheasants in an area during the first five (5) days of the pheasant season in that area.