Press Releases and Articles
Magic Valley trout growers donate thousands of live trout for anglers to catch
| idfg-tthompson
If you’re an angler looking for a winter escape, you are in luck. Local trout processors have an over abundance of fish due to declining markets. Despite the unfortunate business circumstances, many producers donate their fish to Fish and Game to bolster public angling opportunities across southern Idaho.… more
Apply for spring turkey controlled hunts starting Feb. 1
| idfg-bpearson
Hunters wanting to participate in this spring's controlled hunts for turkey can apply from Feb. 1 through March 1. Spring 2021 turkey controlled hunt information is in the 2020-21 Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer Seasons and Rules book.
Hunters who have a 2021 hunting license may apply for controlled hunts at… more
Public's Help Sought in Waterfowl Carcass Wasting Case
| Anonymous (not verified)
Fish and Game is asking the public for information regarding the recent dumping of 34 whole and partially field-dressed waterfowl carcasses behind the Fred Meyer store at Glenwood and Chinden in Garden City.
Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) is offering a reward for information in the case and callers can remain… more
Canada geese carcasses dumped near Aberdeen
| idfg-jjackson
Idaho Department of Fish and Game is looking for information regarding another waterfowl waste case in southeast Idaho. At least 5 Canada geese were discovered at the base of a cliff where they had been tossed and left to waste after being shot. The disposal site was likely accessed via a two-track dirt road off of… more
Mountain lion take season closed in Units 66A and 76
| idfg-jjackson
Mountain lion take season closures have occurred in several southeast Idaho game management units over the last several weeks, with new orders closing the take season for BOTH male and female mountain lions in Units 66A and 76, effective Jan. 21, 2021. The specifics regarding the closures for these and other Southeast… more
Ice fishing update, Jan. 22: Cascade and Payette Lakes
| idfg-mthomas
Snow and travel conditions have improved following a week of colder temperatures. On Friday, Jan. 22, I visited two access areas on Lake Cascade to check surface and ice conditions. At Van Wyck access, I measured 3 inches of snow and 14 inches of ice. At Boulder Creek access, I measured 5 inches of snow, 2 inches of… more
One too many bighorns leads to more than $11,000 in penalties
| Anonymous (not verified)
A successful bighorn sheep hunt in the canyonlands of Owyhee County is a thing to be celebrated. But for a Parma man and his wife, that celebration eventually led to lawlessness.
In 2017, only one bighorn sheep hunt tag was allotted for hunt unit 40, an area encompassing the vast southwest corner of Idaho.… more
Henrys Lake Quarterly Newsletter - January 2021
| idfg-jvincent
Henrys Lake Quarterly Newsletter… more
Reflecting back on 2020: A year in review- Bumblebees & bats
| idfg-jbruns
The Wildlife Diversity Program works to protect almost 10,000 species. That is 98% of Idaho’s biodiversity!
From songbirds, raptors, bats, squirrels, frogs, and lizards, to thousands of insects and other invertebrates, as well as Idaho’s native plants, many nongame species are common and can been… more
Providing Safe Fish Passage at Irrigation Diversions is Critical to Salmon Recovery
| idfg-jkeith
When discussing the decline of wild salmon populations, most people tend to focus on one or two of the most controversial issues such as dams, gill-netting or predation. However, there are other important pressures that are sometimes overlooked. One such pressure is fish entrainment.
Fish… more
Commission meeting Jan. 27-28 in Nampa
| idfg-bpearson
The Fish and Game Commission will meet in Nampa on Jan. 27-28, with the public hearing starting at 7 p.m. MST Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the Southwest Region Office, 15950 N. Gate Blvd. People can address the Commission about any matters related to Fish and Game at that time.
Due to the Governor’s Stage 2 Stay… more
Additional services proposed for Horsethief Reservoir campgrounds, upgrades to take place in 2021
| idfg-jmessner
Horsethief Reservoir continues to be a camping and fishing destination for outdoor enthusiasts across Idaho. As visitation continues to increase, the need has arisen to provide more structured camping to protect the very environment that visitors travel to Horsethief to enjoy.
That effort began in 2018, when… more
Hitting the hard water at Henrys Lake
| idfg-jvincent
Anglers spent a record number of hours fishing the hard deck at Henrys Lake during the 2020 ice fishing season with over twice the total number of estimated fishing hours than the 2019 ice fishing season. Despite this amount of angling effort, anglers harvested fewer trout during the 2020 ice fishing season than the… more
Reflecting back on 2020: A year in review- Clearwater river anadromous fisheries
| idfg-jbruns
For only the second time in almost a 100 years (last year was the first), we were able to provide harvest opportunities for both hatchery and wild adult fall Chinook Salmon in the Snake and Clearwater rivers. This new opportunity is proving popular with anglers as around 2,000 adult fall Chinook Salmon have been… more
Citizen Shooting Range Advisory Committee meeting on Jan. 20
| idfg-bpearson
The Citizen Shooting Range Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 20 a 6 p.m. MST. Committee members are participating by video conference, which the Department is hosting at the Nampa Regional Office, 15950 N. Gate Blvd.
While this meeting is informational and no action will be taken, it is open to… more
Canada geese are again shot and left to waste in Minidoka County
| idfg-tthompson
Fish and Game officers have again found Canada geese that had been dumped and left to waste along the Snake River in Minidoka County. The latest incident was reported to Fish and Game on January 16, 2021. The geese were dumped in the same location of the nine geese left to waste in late December 2020. Officers again… more
F&G conservation officers euthanize mountain goat that was illegally shot with crossbow
| Anonymous (not verified)
A mature mountain goat, suffering from at least three crossbow-related wounds was euthanized by Fish and Game conservation officers earlier this week.
Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) is offering a reward for information in the case and callers can remain anonymous. Contact CAP at 1-800-632-5999 twenty four… more
F&G hatchery staff spend winter producing fish that anglers will catch in 2021 and beyond
| idfg-bpearson
While fish stocking around the state tapers down when the weather gets cold, Idaho Fish and Game’s hatchery crews are still hard at work producing the next generation of fish for Idaho anglers.
Winter is busy at Idaho Fish and Game’s resident fish hatcheries, which produce a variety of trout species for… more