Phone a friend: Five tips for making the most of a pre-season call with a wildlife biologist

Every year, hundreds of hunters place calls to Fish and Game wildlife biologists, seeking information that might increase their odds of bagging a buck or a bull. Fish and Game staff field these requests year-round but calls ebb and flow as various tags become available, and volume typically peaks in the weeks leading up to the fall hunting seasons. 

Callers are sometimes trying to decide which controlled hunt to apply for. Or they may have already purchased a tag and want to plan a hunt in their chosen unit or zone. Occasionally, a hunter is brand new and just looking for a place to start. Whatever the motivation, there are a few things a hunter can do to make the most of their conversation.

1.  Do your homework before you call

First, study your intended quarry. This may seem obvious, but without some basic knowledge about the game you intend to pursue, conversations about hunting areas will be less productive. Pay close attention to the life cycles and habitat preferences of the animals you’ll be hunting.

Also check maps of the areas you’re curious about. Note the roads, towns, camping spots, and travel times between locations. Try to get a sense of the geography, meaning the elevation, terrain, vegetation, and presence of water on the landscape. And of course, familiarize yourself with hunting unit boundaries. The Hunt Planner on the Fish and Game website is a great place to start, and there are several online aerial imagery tools you can use as well.

If you are hunting on public land, determine which agency (US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Dept. of Lands, etc) administers those lands. These agencies manage all use of public lands, including maintenance of roads and campgrounds. They often provide comprehensive and up to date maps available for purchase. Plenty can be learned by visiting their websites, such as the location of their local offices and the rules governing the lands they manage. It’s especially important to review all rules governing access and motor vehicle use on public lands.

Lastly, on the Fish and Game website you can find harvest statistics for each of Idaho’s 99 hunting units, as well as drawing odds for a particular controlled hunt. If you’re having trouble finding this information, call a Fish and Game office and they can direct you.

Plan your questions and write them down. Leave room for notes. What do you really need/want to know about the area you plan to hunt? 

2. Temper your expectations

Be realistic about what you can gain from a discussion, and about the challenges of public land hunting. Take a hard look at the harvest statistics and you’ll realize the odds are stacked in favor of deer and elk. 

Understand that biologists manage wildlife on a large geographic scale. So, while hunters need to focus on a particular drainage or mountain, that’s not generally how wildlife biologists think about game populations while conducting their duties. 

A wildlife biologist can complement your knowledge (because you’ve done your homework) with useful information. Here are some things you can reasonably expect to learn:

• A general understanding of seasonal movement patterns for game animals in a particular area. For example, where migratory animals (such as elk and deer) are generally found summer vs winter, and when they typically migrate.
• Recent survey or research data on population abundance, winter survival, or related topics.
• The types of habitats that are found in the area you’re researching. Some of this can be determined before you call, but a wildlife biologist can confirm and sometimes add to your findings.
• The amount of hunting pressure that an area or hunting unit typically receives, and what access looks like in those areas.

A biologist might also be able to give you an idea of the trophy potential of a given area. This information can be gleaned to some degree in the harvest statistics, but a biologist might have an opinion to flesh that out. Or not, depending on the area. Keep in mind a couple things: First, everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a trophy. Second, while trophy animals may exist almost anywhere, older, larger animals are few and far between in any general (over-the-counter) hunt with public access.

Two questions you are unlikely to get an answer on are: “Where, precisely, can I expect to find deer or elk or other game?” and “What are areas can I cross off my list to hunt or scout?” 

The presence or absence of animals in any given place can’t be known without boots on the ground, and it’s an ever-changing situation. Wildlife management encompasses entire populations of animals and is conducted on a landscape scale, rather than a specific area. Much of the data collection occurs during winter, when animals are concentrated and easier to observe. The locations of these same animals during hunting season aren’t entirely predictable.

Simply put, wildlife biology and game scouting are different tasks, each with its own requirements and results. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the former can substitute for the latter.

3. Be timely and don’t procrastinate 

Start the process immediately and give time for a follow-up conversation, if necessary. There may only be a few staff members who field hunter phone calls in most Fish and Game regional offices. Furthermore, the run-up to hunting season is a busy time. It comes with increased field work and staff juggling to squeeze in their own hunting time (yes, they also want to hunt). 

The first time a biologist hears your request for information, it’s often in the form of a voicemail. Starting in mid-summer, Fish and Game staff typically get several calls from hunters each day. Calls are returned on a first come, first served basis – and people often end up in a game of phone tag. Every year biologists listen to some messages from hunters who say they are leaving to hunt that same day, or very soon. Sadly, by the time their call is returned, most of those hunters are already on the road and unreachable. 

4. Play Fair

This bears repeating; you can expect to learn something from the biologist, but don’t ask them to give up anyone’s favorite hunting spot. That’s not biological information. Rather, it’s someone’s hard earned reward, and closely guarded. Asking for specific recommendations just isn’t productive. 

Make your own decisions and be willing to take some chances. In the end, it’s up to you to commit to a place and a plan.

5. Play the long game

Consider your first hunt in a new area as an introduction, a chance to study the place and your quarry. Plan for contingencies, and have Plan B (and Plan C, and so on) ready if things don’t pan out right away. Be willing to experiment and explore – think of it as an adventure with an unknown outcome. E-scouting and talking is no substitute for time on the ground.

Hunters who are successful year after year probably didn’t strike gold on the first try. Instead, it took time and considerable effort. While success in a new area is possible, it’s more likely to take a few seasons to get the lay of the land and fine tune a strategy.  

Bonus tip: Follow up with your success stories

When you see a picture of a grinning hunter, know that smile represents a deeper reward. The buck or bull is just the tip of the iceberg. Real bragging rights are what you can’t see: how he/she learned the land and its animals, put forth the effort, and persevered. 

When it’s you in that picture, give the biologist another call. No need to share your honey hole or give up secrets - just bask and brag a little. Our biologists will appreciate hearing about your success.