Gary, You can buy over the counter tags in Idaho, but you have to select the area you want to hunt. Once you pick an area, that is where you hunt. Most general archery seasons run from August 30 through September 30, and are any elk units. Check the Idaho Fish and Game home page and there is a hunting planner on there some where. Most guys I know from back east hunt COlorado, because there are a lot more elk, and a lot less wolves and grizzlies, than Idaho and Montana. We are having a serious predator problem, and elk numbers are down.