Second Tags

Q. Can I buy a second elk tag?

A. Yes. Second elk tags will be discounted to $299* this year during the month of August. Starting September, any remaining tags will return to the regular nonresident price of $415*.

* Price does not include vendor fees

Q. Where can I use my second elk tag?

A. When hunting elk in Idaho, you must hunt within the zone and season for which each tag is designated.

Q. Can I use a second elk tag in a different elk zone than my first tag?

A. Yes.

Q. Can I use a second tag in a capped elk zone?

A. Yes, as long as there are still nonresident tags available for that zone at the time you purchase a second tag. You must designate the zone for the hunt where the second tag will be used.

Q. Can I buy a second deer tag?

A. Yes, but second deer tags will not be discounted this year due to high demand. Deer tags will still be available as second tags for $300* while supplies last.

* Price does not include vendor fees

Q. Where can I use my second deer tag?

A. Deer tags can be used in any general hunt in the state for the selected species within their seasons.

Q. If my first deer tag is a regular tag, can my second tag be a white-tailed tag?

A. Yes, and vice versa. Or they can both be the same type of deer tag.

Q. Who can buy a second tag?

A. Any hunter, no matter where they live, who has purchased a hunting license and a 2016 deer or elk tag.

Q. How many tags are there?

A. Supplies are limited to the available nonresident tag quota, which is 12,815 for elk and 15,500 for deer.

Q. Can my second tag be a controlled hunt?

A. No. Second tags are available as “over-the counter” general hunt tags.

Q. How will this affect game populations?

A: There will likely be no effects, or minor ones. In 2015, second deer tags accounted for about 3.5 percent of the statewide deer harvest, and second elk tags accounted for about 1.4 percent of the statewide elk harvest. There were over 168,000 deer and 101,000 elk tags sold in Idaho in 2015.

Because second tags are tags are already allocated for nonresident hunters, harvest is already accounted for, and there is not expected to be any negative impacts from harvest by second tag holders. In areas where populations or harvest rates fall below Fish and Game’s objectives, hunting rules are adjusted by limiting hunting opportunity, shortening seasons, converting to controlled hunts, or limiting tags available in some areas. These restrictions would also apply to hunters using second tags.