2025-26 deer and elk seasons in the Panhandle Region were shaped by public input

Staff from Idaho Fish and Game’s Panhandle Region thank members of the public who participated in the recent public comment period for 2025-26 Big Game Season Setting. Between in-person and online participation, around 1,200 comments were received for deer and elk proposals in the Panhandle Region, and those comments were crucial in shaping recommendations to the Fish and Game Commission.

Below are brief summaries of white-tailed deer and elk proposals that were vetted through public review and comment.

White-tailed deer

Establish two new any weapon, extra antlered controlled hunts in Area 1-1X aimed at reducing Chronic Wasting Disease transmission and spread. 100 tags in total

• Of the 158 public comments received, 57% voiced support for the new hunts, resulting in Fish and Game staff recommending the proposal, as-is, to the Commission. The Commission approved the proposal at its March 2025 meeting, resulting in controlled hunt numbers 1115 and 1116.

Establish three new any weapon, extra antlerless controlled hunts in Area 1-1X aimed at reducing CWD transmission and spread. 1,000 tags in total

• Of the 134 public comments received, 69% voiced support for the new hunts. Importantly, 53% of folks who participated indicated a desire for more extra antlerless tag availability to manage against CWD. As a result, Fish and Game staff recommended an increase from a total of 800 extra tags (original proposal) to a total of 1,000 tags. The Commission approved the proposal at its March 2025 meeting, resulting in controlled hunt numbers 1120, 1121 and 1122. 

Elk

Remove general season antlerless elk seasons on A and B tags

• Of the 564 public comments received, 43% voiced support for the proposal and 57% voiced no support. The reasons provided by folks for supporting or not supporting the proposal varied widely. Across both groups, there was a clear desire to reduce antlerless elk harvest but maintain some level of general antlerless opportunity. The most common themes among public comments were to keep the general either-sex archery season as well as the general antlerless muzzleloader seasons. As a result, Fish and Game staff modified the original proposal to reflect public desire. The modified proposal removed the any-weapon either-sex portion from the Panhandle B-tag and maintained the archery either-sex season on the A-tag and muzzleloader antlerless season on both the A- and B-tags. The Commission approved the modified proposal at its March 2025 meeting, resulting in the season structure on page 37 of the Idaho Big Game 2025 Season and Rules book.

In response to the 2025-26 Big Game Season Setting process, Fish and Game’s Panhandle Regional Supervisor Carson Watkins said, “We’re very grateful for the constructive engagement of the region’s public as we worked together to shape big game seasons over this past winter. To all those who love our wildlife and took time away from their busy lives to comment and work with Fish and Game to help develop a thoughtful and workable set of proposals - Thank you! Thank you for your continued participation in managing our cherished resources and shaping our future.”

How the season-setting process works

The 2025-26 Big Game Season Setting process began with biologists and managers across the state assessing wildlife populations and their capacity to sustain harvest, as well as where those populations stand compared to the guidelines established in Fish and Game’s species management plans. In addition, Fish and Game wildlife staff receive comments and feedback from hunters all year long. The feedback received is incredibly important and is used to develop initial season proposals. The season setting process ended with the Fish and Game Commission considering Department staff’s recommendations and making decisions that are reflected in the 2025 big game brochure. 

The most important part of that process is what happened in between – the presentation of the preliminary proposals to the public, and the opportunity the public to participate by providing feedback.  

In addition, prior to the March Commission meeting, regional wildlife staff across the state hosted public open houses and meetings to provide interested sportsmen and women the opportunity to meet face-to-face and discuss proposals. That included a total of four open houses in the Panhandle Region, including open houses in Coeur d’Alene, St. Maries, Kellogg and Bonners Ferry.  

Recognizing not everyone has the time to attend an evening open house, Fish and Game staff also prepared videos that summarized proposals. The meetings and videos included descriptions of each proposed change, the rationale behind it and where the ideas came from. In total, over 1,400 people reviewed and provided feedback about the initial season proposals for the Panhandle Region.  

Before presenting final recommendations to the Commission, regional wildlife staff evaluated all comments provided by the public and identified opportunities to adjust proposals in accordance with public feedback while balancing biological limits and management plan objectives.   

“There were several season proposals developed this year aimed at addressing biological objectives for big game in the Panhandle. Once the initial proposals were floated with the public and feedback was analyzed,” said Micah Ellstrom, Panhandle Region Wildlife Manager, “we were able to go back to the drawing board and work towards better addressing voiced desires of hunters while still considering the biological needs of regional deer and elk populations.”

Please contact the Panhandle Regional office at (208) 769-1414 with questions or concerns. 

You can also follow the Panhandle Region Facebook page to get regular news and updates.