Hunting near Boise: what new residents need to know

When can you buy a resident hunting license in Idaho?

Idaho counts you as a resident after you've lived here for six months with the intent to stay. Until then, you pay nonresident prices.

Buying a house here doesn't start that clock early. Idaho Fish and Game says owning property or paying property taxes in Idaho doesn't make you a resident on its own. You'll also need an Idaho driver's license or state ID to buy resident licenses, and holding a driver's license from another state disqualifies you.

If you're planning a move to Idaho around hunting season, count back six months from the season you want to hunt as a resident.

Do you need hunter education in Idaho?

Yes, if you were born on or after January 1, 1975. You need a hunter education certificate before you can buy an Idaho hunting license. A hunter education certificate or a hunting license from another state counts as proof. Courses are open to anyone 9 or older, and the online courses take about 4 to 6 hours. There's a separate course for bowhunters.

How do controlled hunts work in Idaho?

Some Idaho hunts have a limited number of tags, given out by drawing. These are called controlled hunts. Idaho Fish and Game takes applications on this schedule:

• Moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat: April 1 to April 30
• Deer, elk, pronghorn, fall black bear, and fall turkey: May 1 to June 5

You can apply online, at a Fish and Game office, at a license vendor, or by phone. If you apply for moose, bighorn sheep, or mountain goat, you can't enter most deer, elk, and pronghorn drawings that year.

Where can you hunt near Boise?

• Boise River Wildlife Management Area: 41,500 acres in the foothills along Lucky Peak and Arrowrock reservoirs, open to big game and upland bird hunting. It's in Unit 39 and holds the largest wintering mule deer herd in Idaho.
• Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area: 1,548 acres where the Boise and Snake rivers meet near Parma, known for ducks, geese, and pheasants.
• Stocked pheasant areas: Idaho Fish and Game releases pen-raised pheasants on wildlife management areas each fall. Hunters 18 and older need an Upland Game Bird Permit there, and each permit covers six pheasants.

Parts of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area close in winter to protect deer and elk, so check Fish and Game's closures before you go.

Where should hunters live near Boise?

If you want the foothills and the Boise River Wildlife Management Area close by, look at these areas:

• Toward Lucky Peak: Southeast Boise
• Right against the foothills: the East End and the Boise Foothills

For Fort Boise and the west end of the valley, look at Nampa in Canyon County.

Tell me how you hunt, and I'll send you homes that fit, including ones with room for gear, a trailer, or a dog run.