Press Releases and Articles
Brown trout released in Billingsley Creek
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JEROME - The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is releasing 1,800, 12-inch brown trout this month into Billingsley Creek, between Vader Grade and downstream to the Billingsley Creek Wildlife Management Area. Biologists believe Utah chubs in the system will provide a good food source for brown trout, and produce a… moreApply Now for Elk, Deer, Antelope and Bear Controlled Hunts
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Controlled hunt applications for deer, elk, antelope and black bear can be filed May 1 through the last day of May. Hunters can find application forms in the big game proclamation booklet currently being delivered to license vendors and Fish and Game offices statewide. Hunting rules and seasons can also be found… moreWin Big Buck$, Apply for Controlled Hunts Early
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Hunters who apply early for this fall's controlled hunts for deer, elk, black bear and antelope can win big bucks in either of two ways: draw a tag and hunt one in the field, or be the lucky winner of a drawing worth $600 or $400. The applications are accepted during the whole month of May, but only those received by… moreHunter Education Goes Online
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Idaho Fish and Game now offers the opportunity to take hunter education online, one of a handful of agencies in the country to do so. Before a hunting license is issued, Idahoans born January 1, 1975 or later must complete hunter education. Idaho's geography makes it difficult for some to attend the typical 20… moreMaking More Mule Deer!
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How do you "grow" more mule deer? Well, the Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners recently endorsed a plan they hope will do just that. Although mule deer populations are good throughout most of our state, parts of eastern and southeastern Idaho and a bit of south central Idaho are not meeting the Department of Fish… moreSome Upland Seasons Extended
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Meeting in Riggins April 22-23, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission decided to keep upland game season openers on the same dates while extending seasons for quail and partridge in three regions. Fish and Game biologists proposed starting quail and partridge seasons later than they have traditionally begun and running… moreAsk Fish and Game
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Q. Is it ok to laminate my paper hunting and fishing license to make it more durable? A. It is perfectly legal and proper to do just that, so laminate to your heart's content as long as the license is legible when you are finished. One major caveat: the paper is heat sensitive and-some have discovered to their dismay-… moreMay 4 Fish and Game Breakfast Forum Scheduled At Helm Restaurant
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LEWISTON - Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to the monthly Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) breakfast meeting to be held on Tuesday May 4, beginning 6:30 a.m., at the Helm Restaurant in Lewiston. "We'll buy the coffee, and we hope local hunters and anglers bring their questions and comments," said Cal Groen… moreSpring Bear Season Open, Identify Your Target
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Spring hunting season for black bear opened on April 15 throughout the Idaho Panhandle Region. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game would like to remind sportsmen to carefully identify their target before shooting. Grizzly bears may be encountered throughout much of big game unit 1 and potentially in Unit 4-A,… moreNew F&G Website Online
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Here's a new address for the desktop favorites list: fishandgame.idaho.gov. A new and improved Idaho Fish and Game Internet site was made available to the public April 15 with easier navigation and new features. The old address will continue to work for the next several months, redirecting users to the new site.… moreSpring Chinook Seasons Open Soon
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Meeting by conference call April 13, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted to open seasons for spring chinook salmon April 24 on the Mainstem and North, South and Middle forks of the Clearwater River, the Lower Salmon River and Little Salmon River, the Upper Snake River and Lower Snake River. The Lochsa River is set… moreApril 30 Deadline for Trophy Species
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Hunters planning to apply for controlled hunt drawings for moose, bighorn sheep or mountain goats have until April 30 to file. Tag and permit fees must be paid up front when applying for trophy species hunts, making the cost $164.50 for residents and $1,514.50 for nonresidents. Hunters may apply at Fish and Game… moreMore "Stubbies" Show Up in Steelhead Waters
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For about 20 years now, Idaho anglers have had an easy way to know if a steelhead is a wild fish or a hatchery fish. A steelhead with its adipose fin intact is a wild steelhead and has to be released. But a fish without an adipose fin is a hatchery fish and anglers can keep it. The adipose fin, the small fin nearest… moreHatchery Chinook Smolt Mortality in Pahsimeroi River
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Hatchery personnel were scrambling throughout the weekend to determine the reason for a hatchery summer chinook smolt (juvenile) kill on the Pahsimeroi River. An estimated 30,000 smolts died in the event, representing about 3 percent of the 1.1million smolts released from the hatchery. On the morning of April 16,… moreAsk Fish and Game
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Q. I see that all the reptiles in Idaho are protected now. Does that mean I have to be nice to the rattlesnake I find in my hunting boot when I get up in the morning? A. It is true that all of Idaho's reptile species are specifically on the list of protected animals now. However, there is a provision in the law for… moreMagic Valley Region Deer Populations Increase
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JEROME - Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologists are seeing more mule deer this spring in the Magic Valley Region. Aerial counts show an increase of 45 percent more deer compared to data collected in 2003. Biologists in 2003 counted 7,778 deer, while this year's count showed 11,304 deer. The increase is… moreFish & Game, state agencies prepare for West Nile Virus
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JEROME - Nobody likes being bitten by a mosquito. This summer, residents in Idaho are likely to have another reason to avoid them, West Nile Virus. This is a new disease to North America that can be passed onto people, horses, birds and other wildlife through a mosquito bite. Most people exposed to the virus will not… moreSpring Chinook Seasons Open Soon
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Meeting by conference call April 13, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted to open seasons for spring chinook salmon April 24 on the Mainstem and North, South and Middle forks of the Clearwater River, the Lower Salmon River and Little Salmon River, the Upper Snake River and Lower Snake River. The Lochsa River is set… more