HUNTING -- Hunters with an extra 100 grand or so burning a hole in their pockets may want to get into the bidding for a 2015 Idaho bighorn sheep tag.

The auction begins Saturday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. Pacific Time, with online bidders starting at $80,000 and competing with the live auction at the Wild Sheep Foundation Banquet and Auction in Reno, Nevada.

The auction, which includes hunts in many other states and areas (an international auction is underway tonight) is a fundraiser for wild sheep management. The bulk of each tag sale goes back to the states.

Idaho's permit is valid for use in all open bighorn sheep hunt areas throughout Idaho, including Hunt Area 11-Hells Canyon.

Last year’s convention broke records, raising more than $3.5 million for state, provincial and tribal agencies and their wildlife conservation initiatives. The money from Idaho’s tag goes towards research and management of bighorn sheep along the Salmon River and in Hells Canyon. The funds are also used to leverage matching funds from the federal government.

Idaho is home to bighorn herds of both Rocky Mountain and California subspecies.