Press Releases and Articles
Your Mandatory Hunter Report helps us track deer and elk herds
| idfg-rphillips
Who needs to report?Hunters who purchased an elk, deer, or pronghorn tag are required to submit a Mandatory Hunter Report – even if a hunter did not hunt or harvest an animal. The report is a quick and easy questionnaire about your hunting season.
Hunters are required to submit a report 10 days after… more
Mule deer buck left to waste in southeast Idaho's Unit 70
| idfg-jjackson
Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking information regarding an adult mule deer buck that was shot and left to waste in southeast Idaho.
The buck’s body was discovered on Oct. 28 by two Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers in a private cultivated field approximately 100 yards from Garden Creek Road… more
Pheasants stocked at three Salmon-area locations
| idfg-mdemick
Bird hunters should be excited that pheasants are being stocked weekly at three area locations, including Pratt Creek, Kirtley Creek and at the Pahsimeroir River Access area.
“These stockings have been very popular so we hope hunters get out and try their luck,” said Bret Stansberry, wildlife biologist based… more
East Saddle forest management project improves elk habitat in the Lolo Zone
| idfg-jbruns
The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG)’s Clearwater Region are working together on management projects that improve wildlife habitat on National Forests lands. One such project is East Saddle, where the Forest Service recently implemented prescribed burning to improve… more
F&G Commission meeting Nov. 14-15 in Lewiston
| idfg-cliess
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will hold the public hearing and business meeting at the regional office in Lewiston. A public hearing will begin on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. PST at the same location. Those wishing to speak to the Commission during the public hearing will have a three-minute time limit, with additional… more
F&G seeking information about bull moose illegally shot in Unit 32A
| idfg-bpearson
Fish and Game conservation officers are asking the public for information regarding bull moose that was illegally killed about a mile from Cabin Creek Road in Unit 32A on Oct. 28, 2022.
Conservation officer Ben Hurd responded to a report of a dead, mature bull moose on Oct. 31. Evidence collected at the scene… more
Road work to impact travel on BLM’s Eagle Creek Road on Craig Mountain WMA
| idfg-jbruns
Construction work is underway to maintain and improve the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Eagle Creek Road in the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area east of Lewiston in Nez Perce County. Equipment operating along the roadway may impact travel, particularly during the work week. In addition, there may be periods… more
Oct. 31 Upper Salmon River Weekly Steelhead Fishing Report
| idfg-bbeller
Steelhead angler effort and catch continued to increase during the past week on the upper Salmon River.
The majority of anglers were observed between the Middle Fork and Lemhi rivers within location codes 15 and 16. Anglers interviewed downstream of the Middle Fork in location code 14 averaged 17 hours per… more
Lowman Ponds will be drawn down and unfishable until spring
| idfg-bpearson
Fish and Game, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, has drawn down both ponds at the Lowman Ponds access site to make repairs to a plugged culvert, and the ponds will remain drained throughout the winter in an effort to address chronic issues with invasive aquatic weeds. The ponds will not be refilled until… more
Returned nonresident big game tags go on sale Nov. 3 and are available to residents as second tags
| idfg-cliess
Fish and Game will sell returned nonresident, general-season big game tags starting at 10 a.m. MDT on Nov. 3. Tags can be purchased on a first-come, first-served basis at Fish and Game offices during normal business hours, at license vendors, online at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com or by calling (800) 554-8685.
A list of… more
Idaho Wildlife Plate Survey
| idfg-jsauder
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Tips from the public lead to conviction for wildlife crimes in Madison County
| idfg-jbrower
On Oct. 24, 2022, Brayden Froehlich was sentenced in District Court in Madison County, Idaho for multiple wildlife crimes including one felony count of unlawfully killing, possessing or wasting wildlife and one misdemeanor count for hunting with a revoked license. Froehlich’s initial 2-year license… more
Know the difference between a bull elk and bull moose before you squeeze the trigger
| idfg-cliess
Know your target. That’s one of the first rules taught in hunter education curriculums in every state. Yet, every year, a small percentage of hunters ignore this principal — or possess very poor observation skills — and down an unintended big game animal.
With the general elk season upon us, Fish and Game… more
Seats available in trapper education course Nov. 19 in Salmon
| idfg-mdemick
Idaho Fish and Game will host a trapper education course in Salmon on November 19. The course will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fish and Game Regional Office, 99 Highway 93 North.
Advanced registration is required, and class size will be limited. To register, go online to Fish and Game’s website or… more
Rear quarters of harvested deer found discarded in dumpster of Montpelier business
| idfg-jjackson
On Oct. 19, Fish and Game received a call from the owner of Christensen Custom Cuts in Montpelier regarding the discovery of four rear deer quarters that had been illegally discarded in a dumpster in front of his business.
The owner, Rick Christensen, told Fish and Game that in his professional opinion the… more
F&G's stocked access sites provide golden opportunity for Idaho pheasant hunters
| idfg-cliess
The 2022 fall pheasant season is in full swing as upland hunters take to nearly two dozen Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and other private and federal property sites across the state. The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus for you bird nerds out there) is among the most colorful game bird species found in… more
State of Deer and Elk: Counting herds, and how hunters help through mandatory hunter reports
| idfg-rphillips
Deer and elk live throughout Idaho in habitats ranging from desert to mixed conifer forests, and a big part of a wildlife manager’s job is to estimate how many are out there.
What role do hunters play in that? More than you might realize. If each deer and elk hunter spends a few moments filling out a mandatory… more
Rainbow trout stocking schedule for November 2022 in the Magic Valley Region
| idfg-tthompson
Hatchery personnel from Fish and Game’s Magic Valley Region will be stocking approximately 900 10" - 12” catchable-sized rainbow trout in November. All stocking dates and numbers of fish are approximate.
Stocking of all waters is tentative and dependent on river/lake/pond conditions (angler safety concerns);… more