Here’s how to navigate (and successfully apply for) Idaho’s second annual nonresident tag draw

You're a nonresident and want to hunt in Idaho in 2027 - you've come to the right place.

As Idaho Fish and Game prepares for its second nonresident deer and elk tag draw, hunters too should be taking notes and getting equipped to participate during this 10-day application period that will be here before we know it.

While the framework of this tag draw will operate exactly as it did in December 2025, there are some important highlights that hunters should be mindful of for this year's application period:

• IDFG will not be accepting payments or tag applications over the phone.
• Nonresident hunters will have to pay the standard $18 nonresident application fee (per species) during their application.
• Next year (2027) will be a big game season setting year. A lot goes into a season setting year, which we will talk about more at length down lower in this story. But due to the nature of how seasons are set by wildlife managers, critical wildlife data won't be fully collected until January and February - well after the nonresident application period closes - so hunts could change.

Don't miss a beat. Here's what you need to successfully apply in the 2027 tag draw

Fish and Game recognizes that it can be confusing to apply for Idaho's deer and elk hunts as an out-of-stater. Just like when you're planning your actual hunt, research, strategy, and online resources can go a long way in ensuring your gameplan is well thought out. Whether you participated in last year's inaugural tag draw or plan on applying for the first time in this year's draw, you are going to need three critical elements.

1. A valid 2027 Idaho Nonresident Hunting License
2. 2026 Big Game Seasons and Rules Booklet
3. 2027 Nonresident General Tags Supplemental Brochure

First things first, nonresidents will need to purchase a 2027 hunting license; you will not be able to apply without it. Your first step should be to log in to your GoOutdoorsIdaho.com account, make sure all your information is up to date (including your mailing address and email address), and purchase your 2027 hunting license, available beginning Dec. 1.

With a 2027 hunting license secured, your next move is to figure out which hunts to put in for. Having both resources (#2 and #3) in front of you when applying is critical.

Folks will want to cross-reference 2026 hunts in the big game brochure with the 2027 Nonresident Supplemental Brochure when choosing their hunts. Because 2027 is a season-setting year, 2027 hunts will not yet be set by the Commission by the time of the December tag draw. (Those seasons get approved during the March 2027 Commission meeting.) While the specific deer and elk seasons will not be available until March, the list of 2027 nonresident general tags will be available and established during the Dec. 5-15 application period.

The Nonresident General Deer and Elk tags brochure lists tags for elk, regular deer, and white-tailed deer available by elk zone or hunting unit. Use this supplemental guide with the 2026 Idaho Big Game Seasons and Rules booklet, which provides historical hunt seasons and boundaries, rules, and other information that can provide further context when pulling the trigger on your hunt(s).

Important dates for 2027 nonresident general deer and elk tags

• Dec. 5-15, 2026: Application period for Nonresident Tag Drawing (including Disabled American Veterans (DAV) deer/elk tags)
• Early January 2027: Results announced
• Jan. 20, 2027: Deadline to claim tags (except DAV)
• Feb. 5-15: Second application period nonresident draw
• Early March 2027:Second application period results announced
• March 20, 2027: Deadline to claim awarded tags for second application and all DAV tags

What can I apply for (and how many choices do I get)?

Hunters can submit a total of two applications: one for elk and one for deer (except for DAV applicants). Hunters can apply for up to five hunt choices (units/zones) each for deer and elk. Regular deer tags and white-tailed deer tags can be applied for on the same application.

Group applications may be submitted with up to four hunters in a group, and if the group application is drawn, everyone in the group gets a tag as long as there are tags available for all members of the group.

How the Disabled American Veteran tag draw works

If you're a nonresident disabled American veteran (DAV), you will be eligible to participate in both draws: the nonresident draw (mentioned above) and the DAV draw.

The DAV draw requires that the applicant have a Nonresident Hunting/3-day Fishing DAV license. DAV applicants are eligible to apply for a DAV deer tag (Regular Deer or White-tailed Deer) and for a DAV elk tag.

DAV elk tags will only be available for uncapped elk zones. Remember, DAV hunters can also participate in the nonresident draw, which does allow hunters to apply for capped elk zones. If awarded in the nonresident draw, DAV hunters would still need to pay full price nonresident fees.

If a DAV hunter is successful in both the DAV draw and the nonresident draw for the same species, they will be required to pick a single tag when claiming the tag. They are not eligible to purchase both tags.

There will only be one application period for the DAV draw (Dec. 5-15) to allow for an extended claim period for DAV hunters. The deadline to claim DAV tags will be the final draw process deadline on March 20, 2027.

Important Note: DAV eligibility paperwork must be received by Dec. 11, 2026 at 2 p.m. to guarantee it can be processed before the close of the application period. Any paperwork received after Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. runs the risk of not being fully completed before the close of the application period.

So, you've applied for the nonresident and/or DAV tag draw. Now what?

You've successfully completed your 2027 deer and elk tag draw application, and now the waiting game begins. What should you expect in the coming weeks and months?

First, your draw results will show up in your email inbox sometime in early January.

All hunters who draw a deer or elk tag in the nonresident tag drawing must purchase it by Jan. 20, 2027. That is an absolute deadline - any tags not purchased by that date will be forfeited and available in a second application period in February.

Anyone who is successful in the first application period is ineligible to apply for that same species in the second nonresident tag drawing.

Participating in the nonresident general season deer/elk drawing will not affect a hunter's eligibility to apply for controlled hunts in the spring.

For all information about the nonresident tag drawing, including more information about nonresident DAV tags and Junior Mentored tags, see the Nonresident Deer and Elk tags webpage.