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Hunters miss shot at coveted elk tags
Computer crash causes F&G to postpone sale
By Roger Phillips, The Idaho Statesman
Hundreds of hunters hoping to buy a limited number of elk tags were turned away Wednesday when computers crashed and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game had to stop the sale.
For the first time, F&G put a 3,300-tag cap on sales of its popular Boise River Zone "B" elk tags. Those tags went on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, but few made it into the hands of hunters.
F&G's computer system crashed when it tried to process up to 900 transactions per minute, Craig Weidmeier, F&G's license section supervisor, said.
Those 900 transactions per minute roughly doubled what the system normally handles during peak sales periods.
Ralph Perez Jr. of Boise was among 20 people lined up to buy tags at Jolley's State Street Beverages and Sporting Goods.
After waiting three hours for a coveted tag, Perez went home empty-handed.
"A lot of people were frustrated because they took time off work," he said. "There's no reason they shouldn't have known their system could not handle this."
F&G has rescheduled the sale of those tags for 10 a.m. Aug. 11.
It also will sell elk tags for the Lolo, Selway, and Middle Fork zones, which also are limited, at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 to reduce the number of transactions occurring at once.
Jenny Rhead, who sells tags at Intermountain Outdoor Sports in Meridian, said about 25 people were waiting when the store opened at 9 a.m. By 10 a.m., that number had tripled.
After an hour of waiting, only one tag had been sold.
"Last year, it took a long time to process them, but at least we were getting them processed," Rhead said.
A similar situation occurred at Sportsman's Warehouse in Meridian. Customer service representative Gina Albiston estimated 75 people waited for three hours to buy tags, but only one elk tag and two deer tags were sold.
"It was crazy," Albiston said. "People were pretty upset."
Weidmeier said the tags sold will be honored. Ninety-six Boise River Elk Zone tags were sold before the system crashed.
F&G may increase the quota by that amount so the full 3,300 tags will be available when they go on sale again Aug. 11, but F&G commissioners will have to make that decision, he said.
People who were issued numbers for places in line at F&G headquarters will retain their places when sale resumes on Aug. 11.
That Saturday was picked as the makeup day to accommodate buyers who would otherwise be forced to take another day off work.
Computer crash causes F&G to postpone sale
By Roger Phillips, The Idaho Statesman
Hundreds of hunters hoping to buy a limited number of elk tags were turned away Wednesday when computers crashed and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game had to stop the sale.
For the first time, F&G put a 3,300-tag cap on sales of its popular Boise River Zone "B" elk tags. Those tags went on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, but few made it into the hands of hunters.
F&G's computer system crashed when it tried to process up to 900 transactions per minute, Craig Weidmeier, F&G's license section supervisor, said.
Those 900 transactions per minute roughly doubled what the system normally handles during peak sales periods.
Ralph Perez Jr. of Boise was among 20 people lined up to buy tags at Jolley's State Street Beverages and Sporting Goods.
After waiting three hours for a coveted tag, Perez went home empty-handed.
"A lot of people were frustrated because they took time off work," he said. "There's no reason they shouldn't have known their system could not handle this."
F&G has rescheduled the sale of those tags for 10 a.m. Aug. 11.
It also will sell elk tags for the Lolo, Selway, and Middle Fork zones, which also are limited, at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 to reduce the number of transactions occurring at once.
Jenny Rhead, who sells tags at Intermountain Outdoor Sports in Meridian, said about 25 people were waiting when the store opened at 9 a.m. By 10 a.m., that number had tripled.
After an hour of waiting, only one tag had been sold.
"Last year, it took a long time to process them, but at least we were getting them processed," Rhead said.
A similar situation occurred at Sportsman's Warehouse in Meridian. Customer service representative Gina Albiston estimated 75 people waited for three hours to buy tags, but only one elk tag and two deer tags were sold.
"It was crazy," Albiston said. "People were pretty upset."
Weidmeier said the tags sold will be honored. Ninety-six Boise River Elk Zone tags were sold before the system crashed.
F&G may increase the quota by that amount so the full 3,300 tags will be available when they go on sale again Aug. 11, but F&G commissioners will have to make that decision, he said.
People who were issued numbers for places in line at F&G headquarters will retain their places when sale resumes on Aug. 11.
That Saturday was picked as the makeup day to accommodate buyers who would otherwise be forced to take another day off work.
