For years, nonresidents bought Idaho general deer tags over the counter. Starting with the 2026 season, IDFG issues nonresident general season deer tags through an application and drawing in December. Controlled deer hunts, which include many of Idaho’s best mule deer hunts, have their own drawing in late spring. Neither uses points.
Key dates
Nonresident general tag drawing for the 2027 season:
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| First application period | December 5–15, 2026 |
| First results | Early January 2027 |
| Deadline to buy drawn tags | January 20, 2027 |
| Second application period | February 5–15, 2027 |
| Second results | Early March 2027 |
| Deadline to buy second-round tags | March 20, 2027 |
Controlled hunts (2026 dates):
| Step | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| Deer, elk, and pronghorn applications | May 1 – June 5 |
| Results | Posted June 17 in 2026 (IDFG’s schedule says early July) |
| Deadline to buy drawn tags | August 1 |
| Second drawing applications | August 5–15 |
| Second drawing results | August 20 |
Part 1: General deer tag drawing
Step 1: Buy your hunting license
You need a nonresident hunting license ($185, plus a $10 access/depredation fee charged once a year) before you apply. It’s nonrefundable, even if you don’t draw. If you were born after 1974, your hunter education certificate must be on file with IDFG; if it isn’t, IDFG’s posted deadline to submit it for the December drawing is December 12 at 2 p.m.
Step 2: Choose your units and tag type
For deer, each choice on your application is a specific unit and a tag type:
- Regular deer tag, for mule deer and whitetails under that unit’s rules
- White-tailed deer tag, for whitetails only
You can list up to five choices. Use them. Put your top unit first and solid backup units after.
Learn more about regular and white-tailed deer tags
Step 3: Apply alone or with a group
Up to four hunters can share one application, and each needs a valid hunting license. You can submit one deer application and one elk application. IDFG’s nonresident tag page lists an $18 application fee per species for the 2027-season drawing (the fee was waived for the first drawing in 2025).
Step 4: Buy your tag
If you draw, buy your deer tag ($351.75) by January 20. Unclaimed tags roll into the February second round. If you draw in round one, you can’t apply for deer again in round two.
The nonresident quota is 15,500 deer tags, regular and white-tailed combined.
Part 2: Controlled deer hunts
Controlled hunts are limited-entry deer hunts in specific units or areas. They include many trophy mule deer hunts, late-season hunts during the rut, and antlerless hunts.
- Apply May 1 – June 5 (2026). You need a hunting license.
- Application fee: $18 nonresident, $6.25 resident; nonrefundable.
- First and optional second choice, by four-digit hunt number.
- Up to four hunters per group application.
- No points, so odds are the same every year.
- Buy your tag by August 1 if drawn.
Nonresidents compete for a limited share of controlled hunt tags. Check the Big Game Seasons and Rules for nonresident limits and for the rules on holding a general and controlled deer tag together.
Returned and leftover tags
- Tags left after the second round go into IDFG’s first Returned Tag Sale of the year.
- IDFG holds more returned tag sales during the year. In 2026, one began August 6 at 10 a.m. MDT.
- If the nonresident quota hasn’t sold out, some general tags may be sold as second tags in early August.
What it costs to apply (nonresident)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Nonresident hunting license (nonrefundable) | $185 |
| Access/depredation fee (once a year) | $10 |
| General tag application fee, deer | $18 |
| Deer tag, if drawn | $351.75 |
| Controlled hunt application (optional) | $18 |
Draw rules at a glance
- System: No points of any kind. Controlled hunts and the nonresident general tag drawing are pure random draws, so everyone in a pool has the same odds every year.
- Nonresident share: Controlled hunts have generally been capped at 10% nonresident per hunt (at most 1 tag in hunts with 10 or fewer). Some hunts list their own limit, so check the current rules.
- One-year wait: After you draw an antlered-only controlled deer hunt, you can’t apply for any deer controlled hunt the next year. The second application period, unlimited hunts and Landowner Appreciation Program hunts are exceptions.
- Groups: Controlled hunts: 2 to 4 hunters listing the same hunts. A group that mixes residents and nonresidents is treated as nonresident.
Full breakdown: how the draw works, with examples · check last year’s odds for every hunt
Applying for elk too?
Your one hunting license covers both. Submit a separate elk application in the same December window. See the Idaho elk tag guide.
Find an Idaho deer outfitter
Browse Idaho mule deer and whitetail guides
Ask outfitters which units and tags to apply for before December 5.
Related: How Idaho draw points work · Draw odds by unit · Idaho Deer Hunting Guide · Regular vs. white-tailed tags · Deer season dates · Cost of an Idaho deer hunt
Fees and dates are from Idaho Fish and Game. The general tag drawing is new as of the 2026 season, so confirm the details in the current IDFG nonresident tag information and Big Game Seasons and Rules before you apply.