Nonresident Tag Quotas

Nonresident deer and elk general season tags are limited.

This page reflects the updated status of nonresident general deer and elk tags. Quotas for nonresident general season tags are:

12,815 nonresident elk tags
14,000 nonresident regular and white-tailed deer tags
1,500 nonresident white-tailed deer tags
- (additional tags made available when the regular/white-tailed tags sell out)

These general tags are reserved for nonresidents through July 31. Any unsold tags beginning August 1 become available as second tags to everyone.

Related resources:

Controlled hunt tags: See controlled hunt information
Resident capped tags: See resident capped elk zones

Nonresident Deer and Elk Quotas

Last updated: Tag count last updated May 29, 2020, at 4:46 p.m. MT.

2020 Total Deer Tags

Tag Type	Quota	Available
Tags for Regular (both) Deer and/or White-tailed Deer**	14,000	6,635
Reserved White-tailed Deer*	1,500	1,500
2020 Total Elk Tags
	Quota	Available
Zone Elk A & B Tag**	12,815	3,474
Nonresident Capped Elk Tags (a subset of the total quota)
Elk Zone Name - Tag Type	Quota	Available
Bear River Zone - B Tag	55	Sold Out
Big Desert Zone - B Tag	5	Sold Out
Diamond Creek Zone - A Tag	459	Sold Out
Dworshak Zone - B Tag	215	Sold Out
Elk City Zone - A Tag	77	Sold Out
Elk City Zone - B Tag	261	Sold Out
Lolo Zone - A Tag	216	114
Lolo Zone - B Tag	222	40
Middle Fork Zone - A Tag	174	Sold Out
Middle Fork Zone - B Tag	267	Sold Out
Pioneer Zone - B Tag	12	Sold Out
Salmon Zone - B Tag	627	Sold Out
Sawtooth Zone - A Tag	77	Sold Out
Sawtooth Zone - B Tag	197	Sold Out
Selway Zone - A Tag	254	53
Selway Zone - B Tag	284	Sold Out
Smoky-Bennett Zone - B Tag	22	Sold Out
South Hills Zone - B Tag	7	Sold Out
Weiser River Zone - B Tag	430	Sold Out

Note: Nonresident lifetime hunting/combination license holders must purchase capped zone elk tags during the resident tag sale.

*Reserved White-tailed Deer tags become available after the main quota of 14,000 has sold out.

**See Outfitter Set-aside table below. Per Idaho Code 36-408 (3), and set by the commission each July

Outfitter Set-aside

Unsold outfitter tags by August 1 will be added to the nonresident elk zone quota and become available for purchase as a second tag.

Tag Type	Quota	Available
Outfitter Regular/White-tailed Deer	1,985	1,737

Outfitter Elk Tags Available	2,400	2,022

Outfitter Capped Elk Zones	Quota	Available
Bear River Zone - B Tag	54	53
Diamond Creek Zone - A Tag	47	47
Dworshak Zone - B Tag	47	16
Elk City Zone - A Tag	6	6
Elk City Zone - B Tag	40	38
Lolo Zone - A Tag	60	60
Lolo Zone - B Tag	236	236
Middle Fork Zone - A Tag	209	183
Middle Fork Zone - B Tag	444	382
Pioneer Zone - B Tag	21	21
Salmon Zone - B Tag	88	68
Sawtooth Zone - A Tag	48	47
Sawtooth Zone - B Tag	81	81
Selway Zone - A Tag	214	194
Smoky-Bennett Zone - B Tag	7	7
South Hills Zone - B Tag	3	3
Selway Zone - B Tag	303	232
Weiser River Zone - B Tag	10	10

News

Nonresident Sawtooth Zone elk tags go on sale online only at 10 a.m. MDT May 11

Monday, May 4, 2020 - 3:11 PM MDT

Nonresident Sawtooth Zone elk tags go on sale 10 a.m. MDT, May 11. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nonresident Sawtooth tags can only be purchased online at https://idfg.idaho.gov/buy-online.

Licenses, Tags and Permits – Nonresident Nonresident Tag Quotas Elk hunting License, Tag, and Permit Buying Options Big Game Hunting Hunting Elk (Cervus canadensis)
How to exchange an elk tag online

Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 11:44 AM MDT

Every year hunters return over-the-counter elk tags, including the highly sought after capped zone tags. Fish and Game staff have created a transparent process to provide these returned tags on a first come, first serve basis. Returned tags are sold the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. MDT, starting April 23 for nonresidents and July 21 for residents.

Nonresident Tag Quotas Licenses, Tags and Permits – Nonresident
New F&G process for hunters to exchange or buy returned elk tags starts April 23

Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 11:49 AM MDT

Every year, a few hunters return and exchange their general season elk tag. Often the returned tags are highly sought-after tags, so Fish and Game has identified a more consistent and transparent way of handling them.

Licenses, tags, and permits Returned Sold-Out Tags Licenses, Tags and Permits – Nonresident Nonresident Tag Quotas

Sawtooth Elk Zone Tags

The Sawtooth Zone elk tags went on sale on May 11, 2020 at 10:00 am Mountain Time. These tags were expected to and did sell out quickly due to high demand.

Sawtooth Zone - A Tag
Sawtooth Zone - B Tag

Returned Sold-out Tags

These highly sought-after capped zone general tags will be available in a new way, beginning April 2020.
Learn more...

Idaho Nonresident Deer and Elk Tags Sell Out

Plan ahead. Nonresident deer and elk tags sell out prior to seasons starting. The nonresident allocation become available December 1 of the prior year. General deer and elk tags can be exchanged for controlled hunt tags if they are drawn in June.