Idaho's August 6, 2026 returned nonresident general season tag list

This is the third round of Idaho's returned nonresident general season elk and deer tags!

On the August 6 return sale date in Idaho at 10:00 am MT, there are some tags available. Tags on this sale date are available to nonresidents as first tags and to all hunters, including residents, as second tags.

Total tags on this sale date (as of August 4, 2026):

Note: This is only for the general season tags and has nothing to do with controlled hunts.

Returned Idaho sales dates for 2026

This year, there are four total sale dates for the returned Idaho tags.

The list of available tags for that period will be made available two days before the sale opens at 10:00 a.m. MT. These tags will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and they will sell out quickly!

Below is a list of available return tag dates:

* Second tags become available to residents and nonresidents

Tips for picking up a tag

Be sure to check out the article linked in the button below to get a full breakdown of how this tag process works, plus information to make it hopefully go smoother for you:

Available Tag Numbers

Tags on this list are ones that were returned back to Idaho through refunds, exchanges, etc., and then are made available for sale during a scheduled Returned Tag Sale.

Returned tags are sold online at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, in person at any Idaho Fish and Game regional office or license vendor locations, and over the phone at 1-800-554-8685, beginning at 10 a.m. mountain time.

The tags listed below were up-to-date as of August 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. MT on Idaho's returned tag page.

Resident capped elk zone tag list

Note: Some zones are not yet sold out, and therefore, those zone numbers could change prior to the sale. These are only available to Residents and are only available as first tags.

Nonresident/resident elk tag list

*Not available as a second tag.

Available to nonresidents as first tags and all hunters, including residents, as second tags. First-come, first-served. All zones will be considered sold out when the nonresident statewide limit is met.

Note: residents can continue to buy uncapped elk tags until the statewide limit is met, even if the nonresident portion has sold out. Quantity of uncapped elk zone tags remaining for residents as second tags to be determined.

Nonresident Disabled American Veteran (DAV) tags

Available to eligible nonresident DAV hunters as first tags. First-come, first-served. All zones will be considered sold out when the nonresident statewide limit is met.

Nonresident/resident regular deer tags

*Not available as a second tag.

Available to nonresidents as first tags and all hunters, including residents, as second tags. First-come, first-served. All units will be considered sold out when the nonresident statewide limit is met.

Nonresident/resident whitetail deer tags

*Not available as a second tag.

Available to nonresidents as first tags and all hunters, including residents, as second tags. First-come, first-served. All units will be considered sold out when the nonresident statewide limit is met.

Research on GOHUNT

You've probably heard me say it a hundred times, but in my opinion, it is essential to prepare ahead of time for these tag sale dates because, most likely, the same long wait times that everyone experiences will happen again. Do keep in mind that certain units and zones will sell out quickly. Because of this fact, I like to have a plan in place of at least five to 10 units that I have already researched, that I'd be happy to pick up a tag for. That way, I have options if the unit or zone I'm looking at sells out, and I don't have to panic since I have a backup plan.

Researching for elk early archery general units in Idaho on GOHUNT's Filtering tool as an example.

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If you're curious about what areas of the state each Idaho elk zone is located in, you can also find that in Filtering. Once you're in Filtering, select Idaho > Species: Elk > and then at the top, tap on "Zone Profiles." A tab will open up, allowing you to scroll through the list to see the elk zones mapped out. You can then click on a zone to pull up a short "Zone Profile" to really see what units are included in each zone.

Elk hunting in Idaho is managed in 28 elk zones with a two-tag system in most zones - A tag & B tag. Hunters may select one elk zone and choose either an A tag or a B tag, depending on leftovers. In general, A tags provide more opportunities for muzzleloader and archery hunters, and B tags provide more opportunities for rifle hunters.

Before the sale date, it's a great idea to do some research ahead of time on both Filtering and GOHUNT Maps to see what units you might be interested in. Jump over to several of our hunting research tools below: