You must purchase a hunting license in order to enter the Idaho Bighorn draw. A form for mail order of that license for 2006 is available for download and/or printing at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/licenses/apps/nonres_app.pdf

Okay, I got my packet from Idaho F&G. Please forgive my naivity, I'm a virgin at entering sheep draws!!! Not exactly true, I had my first "kiss" with the $5.00 Utah, but that was almost too easy!!!
First it appears that if you don't get drawn it's still going to cost you $2107.00 to enter and they are going to keep $347.50. Now here's the first question. If you apply for the mountain goat tag do you send another $1765.75?
Second, I don't see any thing about preference points, are there any?
Third, they sent me a BG Hunt Statistics, now here's where I'm not sure if I'm reading this right or not. Example: RM11 had 213 nonres applications and none were drawn. RM28-1 had 24 nonres applications and 1 was drawn. Is that 1 in 24 odds?
If I'm reading this correctly, if you go to Mountain Goat odds, GE51 had 11 nonres tags and one was drawn, that's 1 in 10. These odds sound a lot better than some of the other states so I thought maybe I'm reading something wrong.
Lastly, they are showing a lottery/fund raiser with tickets $10.00 each, 6 for 50,etc. Is this kind of like the Utah $5.00 tag drawing?
I know this is kind of long but I'm just trying to sort this stuff out. Thanks. Joe

Let me answer a few of your questions.

You must buy a hunting license to apply ($141.50 and I think there is a vendor fee if you buy online).

You must front the permit fee ($1759.50 for sheep plus $6.25 non refundable app fee) So the total cost would roughly be just over $1900 with all but about $150 or so refundable if you do not draw. Again, I think if you apply online there is an additional charge for using a credit card).

As far as odds go, a maximum of 10% go to non-residents. So if there are 50 sheep tags total, only 5 can go to non-residents. So for RM-28-1, 1 in 24 odds would not be completely accurate. However, the bottom line is Idaho will offer you the best odds for drawing a sheep tag.

For bonus or preference points currently there are none offered however it is being considered. My latest information was it would not be applied to sheep, goat and moose.

You can only apply for ONE of the once-in-a-lifetime species each year (and no additional special hunts for deer, elk or antelope). So if you apply for sheep that will be your only controlled hunt application for Idaho in 2006.

The "lottery fundraiser" I think you are talking about is the one for bighorns??? That is operated by the Idaho FNAWS group. You can buy as many tickets as you want. IDFG also has a 'super tag lottery' for other species such as deer, elk etc.

Thats all I know; I hope I got it right.

Hi Ramslam, Thanks for the info, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to apply for the goat tag. I'm starting to get the goat bug too. I guess if I want to hunt sheep I better stay focused on sheep. Oh well, maybe I'll get lucky and draw a sheep tag quickly!! I'm okay with that idea!
Okay, now I need help with which unit to apply for. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks. Joe

Most times your odds of getting drawn are better for goats.

All of the regulations pertaining to the draw are at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/rules/mgs/

NOTE:
See the fee changes from last year to this year (the Idaho booklet is printed for a two year period - the booklet printed last year covers this year also, but does not have the current fees required) at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/fees/

APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN APRIL 30TH. THE APPLICATION PERIOD BEGINS ON APRIL 1ST.

For those of you that like to look at drawing odds, you can get all of that info for Idaho (both the California and Rocky Mountain Bighorns) at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/ch/oddinfo.cfm

From: http://www.huntingreport.com/other_hunting_news.cfm?articleid=126

Idaho Bonus Point System Delayed

Last month the Idaho Fish and Game Commission announced that Idaho would initiate a new bonus point system in 2007 using this year’s applications as the first year hunters could begin to accrue points. The implementation of that new system has been delayed now.

The decision is dependent on approval from the Idaho legislature, which must authorize changes in license and application fee structure. Adoption of the new program will require that the application fee be increased to cover the cost of program administration. Since the legislature has not yet approved the plan, the Department cannot advise the public of changes in the Department’s big game regulation brochures, currently being printed.

Several other changes from the first announcement of the new program also appear likely, based on the March briefing by the Department’s Bureau of Administration. It now appears that the new program will include only hunts for deer, elk and antelope — not those for bighorn sheep, mountain goat or moose — and that the increased cost will likely be about $4 per application, twice what was announced earlier.

The following is a direct link to the 2006 Idaho "Moose, Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat Controlled Hunt Drawing Results": http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/ch/msg.cfm

Good luck!

If you want to see what the odds of drawing were, go to: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/ch/oddinfo.cfm and select either Rocky Mountain Bighorn or California Bighorn depending upon what you're interested in knowing. You can also select previous years if you want to look at or study application trends as well.

From: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/releases/view.cfm?NewsID=3227

IDAHO FISH AND GAME
HEADQUARTERS NEWS RELEASE
Boise, ID

Date: May 26, 2006
Contact: Ed Mitchell
(208) 334-3700

Commission Shelves Bonus Points

Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners will not carry a proposal to establish a bonus point system for controlled hunts to the Legislature again.

Meeting in Coeur d'Alene May 17-19, the Commission was presented a draft of rules for a bonus point system by department staff. The Commission had asked the department for the rules draft prior to a legislative decision that halted a request to raise controlled hunt fees to cover bonus point system costs.

The added cost of the system has been estimated at $2.70 per controlled hunt application. The Commission had agreed the bonus point system would be revenue neutral.

Commissioners commented that they had gone as far as they could to start a bonus point system and that they would not lead any new effort to push the idea through the Legislature.

Some other states use a variety of systems in an attempt to improve odds for unsuccessful controlled hunt applicants in subsequent drawings. Idaho will continue to use a purely random computerized drawing, which gives each applicant an equal chance at available permits regardless of the number of times that person has applied in previous drawings.

Darn, this is disappointing. I was looking forward to being on the ground floor of the program. I'm pretty far behind in the other states.

Ram Dreamer,

The interesting thing is, a GSCO invited speaker at the last convention, Garth Carter of Carter's Huntin Fool Magazine, advised all his subscribers to apply for non resident moose, sheep and goat this year in Idaho because Idaho was to start a preference point program for non residents. The application deadline was on or before April 30th. The Idaho legislature did not approve funding for such and Carter and his staff knew of this PRIOR TO THE APRIL 30TH DEADLINE and did not notify their subsribers of such even though they had time to do so! Thus many of their subscribers and others who took his wrong advice wasted $147 on an Idaho non resident license fee in order to qualify for the drawing thinking they were going to earn a preference point this year if not drawn. I read of the legislature backing out in advance of April 30th via The Hunting Report Newsletter, thanks to publisher Don Causey. I called the Idaho game and fish by phone just to verify such prior to the deadline and the individual on the phone went even further and said, "Of all the magazines out there giving advice, Carter and The Huntin Fool know the least"!!!!! GSCO deserves better to it's members than to have a charlatan like Carter come and speak at it's annual convention. Moreover, Carter in his April issue covering Nevada said Nevada was giving out too many elk tags and the quality would suffer. Then, in the most recent FNAWS quarterly publication there is an article by a nationally respected biologist from the Nevada Divison of Wildlife who states that BOTH quality and quantity of bull elk harvested last year in Nevada was up and that increasing bull elk tags for both residents and non residents will not harm the quality or quantity or success rates for harvest of bull elk. Carter is a sham pure and simple and GSCO should take the lead and distance themselves from him for the benefit of their membership.

rambopup4,

What are you ripping me for? I certainly don't deserve it.

Additionally, I am not GSCO staff. You can reach them at sheepslam@yahoo.com

You obviously have an axe to grind with Garth Carter, so why don't you go hash that out with him personnally? Maybe you'd like to bash every trade publication that accepts advertising from the Carter's as well.

Ramdreamer,
I'm not ripping you personally, just stating the facts! By the way, I have taken this up personally with Carter and some of his staff. Their attitude is, we're the best and if you don't like it don't subscribe. Their overall arrogance is disgusting. Too bad some GSCO members follow their advice like lemmings going over a cliff. The end result is nothing more than a decreased chance of drawing a tag!

Rambopup4,

You’ve made your point about Garth Carter loud and clear. Please let it go (or at least move it off this forum). I’m sure the GSCO community would welcome your input on other matters.

For the record, I’ve found Carter’s service to be exactly as advertised. He recommends the units for the best chance at a trophy animal. It is expected that those units will have the worst odds, so I don’t understand your criticism. I haven’t hunted much (at least out west) so I intentionally avoid the “best” units that Garth recommends. At this point in my life, I’m more interested in hunting than holding out for the best units.

I’ve also had a few interactions with Garth and found him to be very professional.

Thanks for your opinion; I’m intrigued to read your thoughts on other matters.

Respectfully submitted,

SCHunter

A good friend and I have been applying for sheep tags for four years. At the same time, we became "Huntin' Fools". We both drew our first sheep tags this year. Maybe it is just blind luck on our part, but I won't be dropping my membership with Carter's Hunting service anytime soon. Now if I can come up with a desert tag....

Warren - it is just blind luck. Just look at the draw odds! you beat the odds despite Carter's advice. If you are referring to Idaho then I've already tried to explain this to you in another post. I guess some people just don't want to accept the statistical facts as opposed to following Carter like a lemming going off a cliff!

The Idaho raffle tag winner, of this year’s drawing, was Mike Carpinito of Kent, Washington.