Tips for Picking Up A Tag

Researching for elk units in Idaho on GOHUNT's Filtering

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Available Tag Numbers

Idaho's September 18, 2025, returned nonresident general season tag list

This is the FINAL round of Idaho's returned nonresident general season elk and deer tags! So this is the last chance to hunt Idaho on a general deer or elk tag.

On the September 18 return sale date in Idaho at 10:00 am MT, there are some tags available. In total, up to 391 nonresident elk tags, 2162 resident capped elk zone tags, up to 46 regular deer tags, and 12 whitetail deer tags will be available during this sale. Note: There are no returned DAV deer or elk tags available.

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

Sale date changes for 2025 in Idaho

New for 2025, Idaho has again reduced the number of returned tag sale dates. This year, there are only four total sale dates. And we are on the FINAL tag sale date.

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

Below is a list of returned tag available dates:

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:

Research on GOHUNT

You've proabably heard me say it a hundred times, but in my opinion, it is very 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.

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:

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 following types of tags are available during this tag sale:

The tags listed below were up-to-date as of September 17, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. MT on Idaho's returned tag page.

Elk

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. There are currently 458 uncapped elk zone tags remaining for residents as second tags.

*Not available as a second tag. ** Hunt closes on 9/30/2025. Tags purchased online or over the phone may not be mailed in time to hunt.

This tag list below includes all resident capped elk zone tag counts. Note that 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.

Deer

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. No more than 46 Regular Deer Tags are available in this sale.

*Not available as a second tag.

Whitetail tags are 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. No more than 12 White-tailed Deer Tags are available in this sale.