New Idaho Bill Gives Away Rare Hunting Tags

NOTE: Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association did not instigate and was not aware of the bill.

In the Feb. 12th Senate Resources Committee, Senator Okuniewicz introduced a bill that was – for the sake of time – ushered through without presentation. It’s been given a bill number and awaits a full introduction.

S 1340, states that the “Idaho Fish and Game Commission shall provide the opportunity for outfitters to purchase an additional bighorn sheep, mountain goat, or moose tag to any outfitter that fills a wolf tag in the course of outfitting.”

The Idaho Wildlife Federation has grave concerns about this bill. 

First, this is yet another step towards the precipice of the highly politicized Legislature stripping away management jurisdiction over game species, further distancing management from scientifically agreed best practices, executed by subject matter experts. 

Secondly and more logistically, the bill offers no explanation from where these tags would be allocated from. Are they to be stripped from the public’s already razor-thing opportunity to pursue one of Idaho’s iconic native species? Will these tags come from the non-resident allocation? 

Third, it's simply not a great look for hunters and hunting, an image already suffering in the social media age where everything is criticized, especially where harvest of wild animals is concerned. Rewarding folks who kill a wolf with the opportunity to hunt a rare and dwindling species is incredibly bad optics.

Could hunting opportunities like this one, where IWF assisted a veteran in a once-in-a-lifetime moose hunt on 2022, be threatened by S 1340? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t clear. Photo: IWF

Currently, there are only 41 Mountain goat tags, 517 moose tags (reduced this year by 28 tags) and 98 total Bighorn sheep tags available state-wide. 

This bill comes on the heels of two other 2024 bills meddling with wildlife and hunting regs. Rep Kingsley’s (R-Lewiston) bill mandating season setting parameters for elk, deer, and moose, and Chairman Mendive’s (R-Coeur d’Alene) bill mandating modern tech advancements for muzzleloader hunts that will likely make the muzzleloader season shorter (if not gone entirely) or tags significantly reduced.

Three years ago when the legislature set new wolf seasons, IWF stated they were dipping their toe into wildlife management- a dangerous precedent that if welcomed, would invite more encroachment into politicization of hunting and wildlife management. Well… the future is here and the waters look more inviting than ever, unfortunately.