Duck hunters use caution boating the Snake River

Thu, 12/19/2013 - 12:57 | idfg-jroyse

Every year around this time, Conservation Officers are called to assist with duck hunters in distress. Officers rescue hunters from the Snake River every year, and regional officers have already participated in rescuing 2 capsized hunters this year. Please keep in mind, when the temps are well below freezing… more

Egin-Hamer Area Closure Goes Into Effect January 1

Wed, 12/18/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

What started out as an idea by local county commissioners to reopen a popular farm to market road sixteen years ago continues to be a success not just for humans, but also for wintering wildlife. Even though the winter has been mild so far, the lack of human disturbance created by the closure allows herds of deer,… more

A Tale of Two Bears

Mon, 12/16/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Unlike television crime shows where police get DNA lab results back in a matter of hours, nonemergency related DNA work can take weeks, or even months before results are known. This summer humans were involved in two surprise encounters with bears in Island Park. The results are back from the lab in Canada, and they… more

Ask Fish and Game: Gift Licenses

Mon, 12/16/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Q. I am looking for a Christmas present for my brother-in-law. Can I buy him a hunting license for Christmas? A. Only if he is a nonresident. If he is a resident you can't buy him a license, but you can buy a gift certificate at a Fish and Game office that he can use to get a license. Adult residents 18 or older must… more

Waterfowl Seasons Continue Through the Holidays

Mon, 12/16/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Idaho waterfowl seasons are open through the Christmas and New Year holidays and into January. Waterfowl hunters must have a valid Idaho hunting license - a 2013 license through the end of December and a 2014 license on January 1 and thereafter. But the federal duck stamps are good through the end of June. Duck… more

Fish and Game Commission to Meet in January

Mon, 12/16/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will meet January 15 and 16 at Fish and Game headquarters in Boise. A public hearing will begin 7 p.m. January 15, in the Trophy Room of the headquarters building at 600 S. Walnut St. The Fish and Game Commission usually holds a public hearing in conjunction with each regular… more

Comments Sought on Upland Game Seasons

Mon, 12/16/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-estansbury

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking public comments on the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 upland game, turkey and furbearer seasons. Interested hunters are encouraged to attend one of the regional open house meetings. So far four meetings have been set. Southeast Region: Pocatello - 208-232-4703 -… more

75th Celebration: Wildlife on the Move

Mon, 12/16/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Mammals do it. Birds and fish do it. Even insects do it. They migrate as part of their inborn strategy for survival, and the arrival of winter triggers a massive migration of all kinds of wildlife. They may travel a thousand miles or a few feet. The distance is not what defines migration; it's that animals move… more

Public's Help Sought in Southwest Idaho Elk Poaching Case

Fri, 12/13/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Fish and Game is asking the public for information regarding the recent poaching of a bull elk near Paddock Reservoir east of the community of Weiser. The poaching incident occurred sometime around Sunday, December 8. Responding to the initial report, Fish and Game conservation officer Paul Alexander found only an… more

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! No, it's a Biologist!

Fri, 12/13/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Wildlife managers use many tools to help them perform their jobs. Among the more romantic, yet dangerous of these are helicopters and fixed-winged aircraft. Starting in mid-December, Fish and Game personnel will be conducting population survey flights for deer and elk across the Upper Snake Region. Helicopters are… more

F&G to Capture and Collar Elk, Moose and Wolves

Thu, 12/12/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Idaho Fish and Game wildlife biologists will soon be conducting helicopter surveys and radio collaring elk, moose and wolves in Big Game Management Unit 10. The radio-collaring effort will involve a combination of ground capture and helicopter capture, beginning in the middle of December and lasting through the end of… more

Spaces Available in Panhandle Region Wolf Trapper Classes

Tue, 12/10/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Idaho rules require a wolf trapper certification class be completed and passed before a person can purchase wolf trapping tags. The course includes 6.5 hours of instruction, including both classroom and field experience followed by a written exam. Courses are offered periodically throughout the year, but most are… more

Rose Lake Access Site to Close Temporarily for Improvements

Tue, 12/10/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

The Rose Lake Access Area managed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will be closed to public access this fall and winter. The closure is needed for public safety during an access site improvement construction project. Construction and closure of the site will begin the week of December 16. The project… more

109 Waterfowl Carcasses Dumped

Mon, 12/09/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers are seeking information on a large number of ducks that had been dumped along the Clear Lakes Grade Road. On December 8, the carcasses of 107 mallards and two geese were discovered by other waterfowl hunters. "Even though the meat was taken from every bird, the location… more

Ask Fish and Game: Waterfowl Bands

Mon, 12/09/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Q. I shot a mallard recently that had an aluminum band around its leg. How do I report it? A. To report the band, call toll-free to 1-800-327-2263 (BAND) or report online at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/. You can keep the band, as most duck hunters want to do. The U.S. Geological Survey will send you a certificate… more

Idaho Steelhead Season Still Open

Mon, 12/09/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

The steelhead harvest season is open on the Boise, Clearwater, Salmon, Little Salmon and lower Snake rivers. The steelhead limit on the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon is three per day and nine in possession. The limits for the fall season and the spring 2014 season in the Clearwater drainage are one fish per day… more

Some Upland Game Seasons are Still Open

Mon, 12/09/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Though many big game seasons are winding up, there's still time to bag a wild turkey for Christmas. The fall general turkey season runs through December 15 in game management units 1, 2 (except Farragut State Park and Farragut WMA) 3, 4, 4A, 5 and 6 in northern Idaho, and through December 31 in units 8, 8A, 10A, 11,… more

Hunters Asked to Report Hunting Results

Mon, 12/09/2013 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Most of the major big game hunting seasons are now over. Successful or not, hunters are already starting to think about next season. So are we at Fish and Game. Idaho Fish and Game is encouraging everyone who purchased a deer, elk or pronghorn tag to report the results of their 2013 big game hunts as soon as… more