Skip to main content
idfg-badge

Idaho Fish and Game

Press Releases and Articles

Hunting in Bear Country

| idfg-staff

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game would like to remind hunters to be aware of proper handling of game in bear country. When a hunter kills a big game animal, he or she should be aware that the gut pile and carcass provide an attractant for bears. Hunters, particularly in grizzly bear habitat, should try to remove… more

Steelhead Run Update

| idfg-staff

The steelhead are on their way. The recent drop in the water temperatures in the Snake River has signaled the steelhead to continue to migrate to their home waters in Idaho. From Sept. 9 to Sept. 14 the number of steelhead crossing Lower Granite Dam (the last of eight dams on their travels from the ocean to Idaho)… more

Please Report Wolf Sightings

| idfg-staff

Idaho Department of Fish and Game, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nez Perce Tribe, is asking hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts to please report wolf sightings. In particular the agencies are interested in documenting pack activity, but also all wolf sightings, howling, and multiple tracks… more

Ask Fish and Game

| idfg-staff

Q. When I bought my deer tag, the vendor asked me what unit I intended to hunt. Am I limited to that unit? A. No. The information on your intended hunt is collected to help Fish and Game in its management. For example, if one particular unit appears to be drawing a mob, the department needs to know that and may want… more

Dishonest Nonresident License Buyers Beware

| idfg-staff

MOSCOW - With a new computer software cross-checking system shared between the Idaho Transportation Department and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, fishing and hunting license purchasers who are dishonest in their residency claims may quickly pay the price. All fishing and hunting licenses purchased within six… more

Don't Spark a Wildlands Closure

| idfg-staff

After one of the hottest and driest summers on record in most of the state, The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is asking hunters to be extremely cautious this hunting season. "The Forest Service has reported to us that fire conditions are extremely volatile out there," Kelton Hatch, Magic Valley regional… more

More Bird Seasons Open Sept. 20

| idfg-staff

Get ready, upland bird hunters! September 20 is the big day for you! Chukar and gray partridge, California quail and sage grouse seasons all open that Saturday when shooting hours begin one-half hour before sunrise. Sage grouse seasons run through Sept. 26 in Area 2 and through Oct. 12 in Area 3. There is no open… more

Fake Animals Readied for Annual Workout

| idfg-staff

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game reminds hunters that in areas where the department receives complaints of spotlighting or other suspicious activity, enforcement officers may use artificial simulated animals (ASAs). These life-like models of deer, elk, and other game species have been used for more than a decade… more

Redfish and Bats On View at Nature Center

| idfg-staff

Visitors to the MK Nature Center in Boise have an unusual chance to view seldom-seen Idaho creatures. In the outdoor fish viewing windows, kokanee salmon from Deadwood Reservoir are making redds (fish nests) for their eggs. Spawning began to happen soon after the fish were delivered to the Nature Center September 2.… more

Nez Perce License Valid Only on Reservation

| idfg-staff

Steelhead anglers are reminded that the Nez Perce tribal steelhead license is not valid outside the reservation boundary on the Clearwater River or on the Salmon and Snake rivers. However, an Idaho fishing license with a steelhead permit is valid on all three rivers. Steelhead anglers who possess a valid Nez Perce… more

Ask Fish and Game

| idfg-staff

Q. If it is illegal to use artificial light to fish, how come they talk about lighted lures for salmon or steelhead? A. The rule on artificial light, which applied only to trout, was dropped several years ago. Lighted lures are okay.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Kootenai River White Sturgeon

| idfg-staff

By: Vaughn Paragamian, Principal Fishery Research Biolosist, Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Gary Barton, US Geological Survey Sturgeon have remained unchanged for over 175 million years. They outlasted the dinosaurs and many mammals that went extinct after the last ice age. However, sturgeon are now in… more

Popular Boat Launch to be Closed

| idfg-staff

The Walter's Ferry boat launch on the Snake River will be closed beginning Monday, September 15. The closure will encompass the entire launch area, including the boat ramp. The popular boat launching area will reopen on Saturday, September 26, possibly earlier if continued construction upgrades are completed prior to… more

Fire conditions

| idfg-staff

JEROME - After one of the hottest and dry summers on record in most of the state, The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is asking hunters to be extremely cautious this hunting season. "The Forest Service has reported to us that fire conditions are extremely volatile out there," said Kelton Hatch, Regional Conservation… more

Hunting season heats up

| idfg-staff

JEROME - The bull elk's scream cuts the morning silence as the hunter lies in wait. His heart races as the bull moves into sight and he slowly draws his bow. In another drainage, the crack of the shotgun resonates through the trees. The stream is silenced for a moment as the ruffed grouse bust from its grassy cover… more

Waterfowl hunting clinic

| idfg-staff

JEROME - The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will host a waterfowl-hunting clinic for beginners, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Niagara Springs Wildlife Management Area, seven miles south of Wendell near the 300 South intersection. New hunters can participate in activities at three stations: Calling and… more

Upper Clearwater No-Motor Rule Begins September 15

| idfg-staff

OROFINO - Boat anglers who fish the Clearwater River above Orofino are reminded that the "No-motors" rule goes into effect September 15, 2003 through April 30, 2004 from the Clearwater River Bridge at Orofino upstream to the mouth of Clear Creek at Kooskia. Anglers may not use motorized watercraft while fishing for… more

Nez Perce Tribal Steelhead License Not Valid Outside Reservation

| idfg-staff

LEWISTON - Steelhead anglers are reminded that the Nez Perce tribal steelhead license is not valid outside the reservation boundary on the Clearwater River or on the Salmon and Snake rivers. However, an Idaho fishing license with a steelhead permit is valid on all three rivers. Steelhead anglers that posses a valid… more