Early hunts are great options with unique challenges

Early season big game hunts are starting and hunters are eager to get in the field to take advantage of what looks to be an excellent season. It allows some people to get a head start on their fall hunts, but Idaho Fish and Game reminds early season hunters to take extra precautions. With pronghorn season starting in mid-August, many archers will use blinds near watering holes or trails near agricultural areas. Archers should check big-game rules brochure, or contact the Bureau of Land Management, for policies regarding hunting blinds on public lands. Meat spoilage is also a serious concern during hot weather, and hunters have an ethical and legal obligation to properly care for the game they harvest. The key to preserving meat in hot weather is to begin the cooling process quickly. Animals should be immediately skinned, reduced to quarters in most cases, and quickly transported to cold storage. Early season hunters often remove the meat from the bone and use large ice chests to keep their game both cool and clean. When cutting up a carcass, hunters must preserve the evidence of sex. If the animal's head is removed, evidence of sex in the form of testicles, penis, scrotum, udder or vulva must remain naturally attached to the carcass or parts thereof until it reaches the final place of storage, or a commercial meat processing facility. In hunts restricted to mule deer only or white-tailed deer only, hunters who remove the head must leave the fully haired tail naturally attached to the carcass until it reaches the final place of storage or a commercial meat processing facility. If hunting on or near private land, it's critical that hunters know the landowner's property boundaries and treat the property as if it were their own if they have permission to hunt there. Hunters should also be very cautious and conscientious about having campfires on private and public lands. Currently portions of Idaho are under Stage 2 fire restrictions, meaning no open fires. Hunters are encouraged to check with Idaho Department of Lands, BLM, or the US Forest Service to learn whether fire restrictions are in effect. In case a wounded animal crosses onto private land, the hunter must find the landowner, get permission to enter the property and retrieve the animal. If the landowner denies permission, Fish and Game officers or county sheriff's deputies may be able to assist. For more information and for help with planning hunts, go to fishandgame.idaho.gov and use the "Hunt Planner." Direct link: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/huntplanner/.