Press Releases and Articles
IDFG Begins Winter Trapping & Animal Counts Using Helicopters
| idfg-glosinski
IDAHO FALLS - As the snows of winter start to push deer, elk, and moose onto their winter ranges, the Idaho Department of Fish… more
Making Fishing Better - An anglers personal mission
| idfg-dmegargle
Richard Kicklighter is an avid angler who lives in the Burley area. He has a long history of fishing in the area, and he remembers the days when Freedom Park Pond was a cherished and heavily used fishery.
Freedom Park Pond is no longer stocked by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The pond habitat had… more
Localized Canada Goose Die-off
| idfg-kcampbell
I received a phone call this fall from a concerned citizen reporting a couple of dead Canada geese near his property around the Rathdrum prairie. After taking notes regarding the situation I told him to keep an eye on things and let me know if any more dead animals turn up.
The following day my co-worker… more
Helicopter surveys of big game to begin soon
| idfg-mdemick
Beginning in early December, Fish and Game staff will be flying to get a closer look at deer and elk numbers, including several low-level helicopter surveys planned throughout the state.
"We want to give folks a heads up regarding these flights,” said Daryl Meints, Fish and Game deer and elk program… more
Trapper education courses scheduled
| idfg-mdemick
Beginning July 1, 2018, every trapper who purchased their first trapping license after June 30, 2011 will be required to attend and pass a mandatory trapper education course before they can purchase an Idaho trapping license.
Trappers that have successfully passed and are certified through the Idaho voluntary… more
Boise River survey finds a surprising species: a non-native freshwater shrimp
| idfg-rphillips
Finding strange, non-native creatures living in the Boise River has nearly become a tradition, or at least, a recurring incident, and Idaho Fish and Game would like to see it end.
In a recent case, Fish and Game crews surveying the Boise River near Warm Springs Golf Course discovered a freshwater shrimp… more
Public comment sought on Upland Game, Turkey and Furbearer Seasons
| idfg-mdemick
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking public comments on proposed changes to the 2018 and 2019 upland game, turkey and furbearer seasons.
Proposed changes to seasons include:
Increasing the daily bag limit from 1 to 2 turkeys per day statewide. Moving the opening day for the fall general… more
Nighttime engineering at the MK Nature Center
| idfg-vrunnoe
Visitors to the MK Nature Center can see evidence of the nighttime work of a pair of newly resident beavers. Look for underwater caches of willow and cottonwood branches along the existing beaver dam.
Fish and Game publishes multispecies monitoring tool
| idfg-mlucid
Money for wildlife conservation is a dwindling resource in a time when there has never been a greater need for it. The sweat equity of eight organizations, 200 citizen scientists, and a biologist’s survey tool showed what can be accomplished when the two are connected. This collaborative… more
Attract wintering birds, support outdoor education
| idfg-mdemick
Stock up on winter bird seed and find that special holiday gift for the outdoor person on your list at the Fish and Game Morrison Knudsen (MK) Nature Center’s Holiday Bird Seed Sale December 1 and 2.
Backyard bird lovers can purchase locally-preferred bird seed, as well as feeding supplies, books, apparel,… more
Don't let 2017 slip away without one more hunt, or several more
| idfg-rphillips
December is when a hunter’s will gets tested. It’s easy to look at short, cold days, gray skies and often dubious road conditions and think “maybe I will just call it a season.”
But in the back of your mind, you know what you might miss. If you’re a waterfowl or upland bird hunter, you’re also… more
Upper Salmon River steelhead report. (11/27/17)
| idfg-vosborn
Angler effort on the upper Salmon River was low at the beginning of the week, but the combination of warm weather and the Thanksgiving holiday led to an increase in effort over Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, the warm weather caused river conditions to deteriorate at the same time that effort increased. The only… more
Steelhead report for Clearwater Region
| idfg-vosborn
Steelhead fishing in the Clearwater Region was challenging this week with angler effort dropping some this week in comparison to the past several weeks. River conditions were less than ideal this week with cloudy conditions in much of the Clearwater and Snake and the rain didn’t not help either. Effort was down but… more
There's still time left to buy a 2017 hunting license, and hunt with it
| idfg-rphillips
It’s late in the year, and if you haven’t bought your 2017 hunting license, you’re either among the world’s great procrastinators, or haven’t found time to hunt yet. While it might sound silly to buy a 12-month license with weeks left, it’s not as silly as you might think this year.
First, there’s Fish and… more
Giving Thanks for our Wildlife Heritage
| idfg-vosborn
Upper Salmon River steelhead fishing report (11/20/17)
| idfg-vosborn
Steelhead angler effort and catch rates were similar to the previous week on the upper Salmon River. The majority of anglers were observed fishing downstream of North Fork in location code 15. Effort upstream of North Fork was primarily from drift boat anglers. Effort continued to be low upstream of the Lemhi River in… more
Commission postpones the sale of nonresident Sawtooth elk tags
| idfg-vosborn
Nonresident elk hunters wanting a coveted Sawtooth Zone elk tag will have to wait until 2018 for an opportunity to get this tag.
Nonresident deer and elk tags typically go on sale Dec. 1 for the upcoming year, however, the commission has not decided how to allocate those limited Sawtooth Zone tags, which sold… more
Clearwater Region steelhead fishing report (11/20/17)
| idfg-vosborn
This past week most of the effort was above Cherry Lane Bridge on river section 03. Anglers fishing on the North Fork fished mainly on the bridge or on the wall with bobber set-ups. River section 12 and 13 on the Salmon saw the most effort this past week. Check the Harvest Report for more details. - Jaime Robertson… more