If you plan on hunting deer and elk in Idaho in 2025 – and you live out-of-state – mark your calendar for Dec. 10. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) recently announced the new date for 2025 nonresident deer and elk tags, which is a change from previous years.

“We’ve heard from Idaho residents that the inability to renew their licenses on Dec. 1 and receive their items in the mail before January has been a challenge,” said Tara Reichert, IDFG’s License Operations Manager. “So, with Dec. 1 falling on a Sunday this year, and it being Thanksgiving weekend, we believe Dec. 10 will be more convenient for both our resident and nonresident customers.”  

Residents can now buy licenses and permits in early December, which will allow auto-renew transactions to be processed in a timely manner and provide better customer service, according to a news release. IDFG plans to contact nonresident hunters who have provided an email address of the sale date change.

GOHUNT is also helping spread the word to those who may not have done so.

“If someone in your family, or your hunting buddies, plan to buy a nonresident tag for next year, please let them know,” said Reichert. “We want to make sure folks show up on the right day, especially if they’re traveling to Idaho to buy a tag.”

Also note that there will be new big game seasons set for 2025 in March, which means that hunts may not be the same in 2025 as they were in 2024.

Stay tuned to GOHUNT for further updates.