Idaho
(Note: This overview was extracted from the December 2007 issue of The Huntin' Fool)
Idaho has a variety of species that inhabit the state including Rocky Mountain Bighorns, California Bighorns, Mountain goats, Shiras moose, elk, Mule deer, Whitetail deer, and antelope. The big catch when applying in Idaho is that applicants are not able to apply for all of the species. Read this carefully: you are able to apply for sheep, goat, or moose. You are only able to apply for one of those species and if you apply for one you are not able to apply for elk, deer, or antelope. You may apply for all three: elk, deer, and antelope if you elect not to apply for sheep, goat, or moose. At first it is a tough pill to swallow, but if you look at it objectively, Idaho has better sheep, goat, and moose odds, in part due to the fact that you may not apply for everything.
Idaho has two application dates depending on the species. In 2007, it was April 1-30 for sheep, moose, and goat and May 1-June 5 for elk, deer, and antelope. There are two sets of regulations printed, one for each application period.
Idaho requires the purchase of a $141.50 non-refundable hunting license to apply for any species. For elk, deer, and antelope the tag fees are not charged when applying, only the $6.25 application fee. Sheep, goat, and moose applicants must front the tag fees regardless of your method of applying. Internet, phone, and paper applications are accepted.
There is not a point system of any kind in Idaho. This rubs some people the wrong way, but the flip side of the coin is that drawing odds continue to be some of the best of any state as the non-refundable dollars required to apply are tough to justify for most hunters without a bonus or preference point system in place.
California Bighorns and Rocky Mountain Bighorns in Idaho are not known to be huge. Typically 150-175 class Rockys and 150-160 class California Bighorns can be expected. Some of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn units have terrible quality with low kill rates, so be careful when choosing your units. You should plan on being in great shape if you want to hunt the Rocky Mountain Bighorns as they live in the roughest sheep country in the West! The California Bighorns live in easier terrain but the early seasons can be extremely hot. The later seasons are much cooler and make for better hunting conditions. You can only apply for one species of sheep.
Some of the best Shiras moose are being harvested in Idaho! If you want a great bull, apply and plan on hunting Idaho in the near future. Some of the better units have six seasons which make for some good drawing odds. Some of the earlier seasons are in the rut which creates an obvious advantage and some are later in the year when the leaves fall off the trees which can make them easier to glass. Again, because hunters must choose which species to apply for the odds of drawing a moose tag are some of the best odds of any state! Act now and take advantage of a good thing while it still exists!
Elk, Mule deer, and antelope are available with marginal trophy potential. The incredible rugged wilderness in central Idaho has attracted many elk and deer hunters over the years, but the declining populations are undeniable with many elk hunters never seeing a bull during their hunt. The Mule deer are much the same with low numbers of quality bucks compared to a few years ago. Hopefully things will change for the better and Idaho will come back to the giant deer producing state it once was. Whitetails are available on over-the-counter tags with some great bucks being harvested in the northern half of the state.