Press Releases and Articles
Summer Newsletter is Available
| idfg-sfocht
The summer issue of Idaho Naturalist News (the quarterly newsletter of the Idaho Master Naturalist Program) is available and it is big! Idaho Master Naturalists are busy all across the state. Read about educating kids about curlews, finding monarchs, native plants, pollinator garden projects and the Rendezvous. Learn… more
Low-level helicopter flights to occur over the South Hills in August and September
| idfg-tthompson
Officials with the Sawtooth National Forest have notified Fish and Game, Magic Valley Region that a contractor will be conducting low-level helicopter flights, spraying a pre-emergent herbicide to approximately 3,000 acres on the Minidoka Ranger District, also known as the South Hills, south of Twin Falls. All areas… more
Monster sturgeon tops state record list
| idfg-mkoenig
Caption: Greg and Angie Poulsen (left, middle) and Wendy Guess (right) of Eagle Mountain, Utah with a 124-inch white sturgeon from CJ Strike Reservoir, clinching the current catch-and-release state record.
Well, it's happened again! C.J. Strike Reservoir in southwestern Idaho - typically known… more
So you want to be a bowhunter: How (and where) to get bowhunter-certified in time for archery hunts
| idfg-cliess
Although many archery-only hunts start Aug. 30, it’s not too late to consider bowhunting for both small and big game this season. Although many hunters associate archery hunting with the early hunts, some archery hunts stretch into late December, so there’s plenty of time to get started.
There are many… more
Here's a detailed look at Idaho's steelhead run for 2022
| idfg-jdupont
Idaho’s Steelhead fishery Update
August 9, 2022
Hi everybody. The steelhead season has started in Idaho, and steelhead regulations have changed in the Snake and Clearwater rivers. So, I thought now was a good time to let you all know what the run is looking… more
Classes are available for trapper education and wolf trapper education in the Panhandle and elsewhere in the state
| idfg-tjross
Fall and winter will be here before long, and if you’re looking to trap wolves or other furbearers this year, make sure to get signed up for a trapper education and wolf trapper education class if you aren’t already certified.
Across the state, Idaho Fish and Game has plenty of classes scheduled over the next… more
Looking to try your hand at swan hunting this year? Good news, there’s still time to apply for a tag!
| idfg-tjross
If you missed out on the first controlled hunt application period for swan tags, don’t worry. Of the 50 available swan tags (all of which are in the Panhandle), there are 37 tags remaining for the second controlled hunt drawing!
Applications are due by Aug. 15 and can be submitted online, at any license vendor… more
Hunting season is just around the corner. Here’s why every hunter should prepare their firearm or bow
| idfg-cliess
Hunting season will be here before we know it. If you haven’t already, here’s why now is the perfect time to dust off that firearm or bow in preparation for the 2022 season.
Only accurate rifles (and bows) are interestingIn a 1957 issue of American Rifleman Magazine, famed writer and marksman Col. Townsend… more
Nothing to be blue about, it's still a state-record catfish
| idfg-mkoenig
You may have seen the recent story about a massive catfish caught in C.J. Strike Reservoir that set a new catch-and-release state record, and now the story gets more interesting. Paul Newman’s giant catfish will remain a record – but with a twist – it is now the first-ever Idaho record for blue catfish rather than… more
The heat is on, but trout and other coldwater fish have been around the block a time or two
| idfg-tjross
Chaco tans, peeling skin and raccoon eyes from sunglasses – yes, the summer sun is bearing down on Idaho. And, humans aren’t the only ones feeling its effects.
There’s no denying that the dog days of summer change the daily life of a trout or any other coldwater fish. Earlier in the season, the entire… more
F&G Commission approved three new land deals across the state. Here’s how hunters, anglers and wildlife will benefit
| idfg-cliess
Good news if you’re an Idaho hunter or angler. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved the purchase of three properties that will provide over a thousand acres of new hunting and fishing access, as well as improved habitat for deer, elk, upland game, fish and more.
Two of the properties will expand pre-… more
Wolf trapper education class offered Nov. 27 in Salmon
| idfg-mdemick
A wolf trapper education class will be offered in Salmon on Sunday, November 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Idaho Fish and Game office.
Wolf trapper education classes are in high demand in our area and are usually taught just a few times a year — so if you need a class, sign up now!
Here’s what you… more
Could stocking larger trout improve alpine lake fishing?
| idfg-will.lubenau
When summer temperatures rise, many anglers in Idaho look to alpine lakes to escape the heat, get away from summer crowds, see some gorgeous scenery, and catch some trout. While not as popular as the lakes and streams you can drive to, some dedicated anglers are willing to put in the effort to access remote alpine… more
Large adult male grizzly bear euthanized in Boundary County after repeated attacks on livestock
| idfg-tjross
On Aug. 4, Idaho Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service euthanized a large adult male grizzly bear in Boundary County near the town of Porthill.
There has been a series of livestock losses due to grizzly bears this spring and summer.
Fish and Game received a report on Aug. 2 of four sheep… more
Spring/summer Chinook seasons to close statewide Aug. 7 at the end of fishing hours
| idfg-cliess
All remaining Chinook salmon fisheries on the Snake, Clearwater, South Fork Clearwater, North Fork Clearwater, Middle Fork Clearwater and Upper Salmon rivers will close at the end of fishing hours on Sunday, Aug. 7 which is the date set by the Fish and Game Commission to close spring/summer Chinook fisheries.
… more
Black bear encounters north of Ketchum raise public safety concerns for campers and recreationists
| idfg-tthompson
Idaho Fish and Game officials in the Magic Valley Regional Office continue to receive reports of ongoing issues with black bears in dispersed campsites in the North Fork area of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, located approximately 6 miles north of Ketchum. The reports, which have increased over the last… more
F&G staff relocate moose from Eagle neighborhood
| idfg-bpearson
On Thursday, August 4, Southwest Region wildlife and enforcement staff successfully relocated a young adult bull moose from a neighborhood on N. Cobblestone Lane in Eagle, near W. State Street. Staff moved the moose to a more suitable area near Smiths Ferry.
Fish and Game first received reports of the moose in… more
Q&A with new Fish and Game Panhandle Regional Supervisor, Carson Watkins
| idfg-tjross
Carson Watkins is the newly minted Regional Supervisor for Idaho Fish and Game in the Panhandle Region. He fills the shoes of Chip Corsi, a seasoned Regional Supervisor with a nearly 20-year tenure in the role.
Get to know Carson a bit by reading a quick question and answer session with him.
… more