Press Releases and Articles
Second annual “North Idaho Bear Fair” to be hosted at Boundary County Fairgrounds on Sept. 28
| idfg-tjross
If you live in north Idaho, you live in bear country, plain and simple. North Idaho is home to both black and grizzly bears, and living and recreating safely in their midst requires intentionality and specific training and skills.
New to hunting in Idaho? Here are 10 helpful tips
| idfg-rphillips
Concerned about fires in your hunting area? Here's what you need to know
| idfg-rphillips
Idaho Fish and Game advises hunters heading into the backcountry this hunting season to check with Forest Service ranger district offices or county sheriffs’ offices for fire closures in their hunt areas. General fire information can be found online.
Hunters can also find the location of fires in relation… more
Trappers reminded of court-ordered wolf trapping closures; recreationists reminded they may encounter traps elsewhere
| idfg-rphillips
Trappers are reminded of a federal court ruling that has changed trapping seasons for wolves in 19 counties in Idaho. Elsewhere in the state, hunters and recreationists are reminded they may still find traps set for wolves in the field this fall in other parts of the state. For full wolf trapping seasons and rules, see… more
Youth pheasant hunt scheduled Oct. 5 in Salmon
| idfg-mdemick
Idaho Department of Fish and Game will host a youth pheasant hunt in Salmon on Saturday, October 5.
Designed for youth ages 10 to 17, the event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sammie Hendricks announced as Idaho's Hunter Education Instructor of the Year 2023
| idfg-jbrower
Fish and Game is honored to announce Sammie Hendricks from the Upper Snake Region as Idaho’s Hunter Education Instructor of the Year for 2023. Hendricks was presented with this prestigious award at the July 24, Commission Meeting and again honored by his peers at the Hunter Education Instructor Banquet this August in… more
The 2024 Upland Game Bird Outlook
| idfg-cliess
Idaho, with one of the most rugged landscapes in the union, offers a ton of upland game bird hunting opportunities. Whether you find yourself in the high-mountain timber or the lowland-sagebrush steppe, there’s a good chance you’re in upland bird country.
Upland game birds are sensitive to environmental factors—… more
New hunters still have time to complete hunter education courses before the season
| idfg-rphillips
For those interested in hunting this fall, but who have not taken a hunter education course, it’s not too late. The online course is designed to be flexible and convenient. By completing an online course, students can get their hunter education certification on their own schedule and be ready to hunt this season.
… more
Fish and Game Twin Lakes access site in North Idaho will be closed Sept. 18, 2024 through April 15, 2025
| idfg-tjross
The Idaho Fish and Game Twin Lakes boating access site will be closed from Sept. 18, 2024 through April 15, 2025. The site is located in the channel between Upper and Lower Twin Lakes on West Twin Lakes Road.
The closure is necessary to allow for dredging the channel between Upper and Lower Twin Lakes to provide… more
Hunting/Technology working group gets 767 applicants, and now the selections begin
| idfg-rphillips
Idaho Fish and Game is now processing applications for members of the new Hunting and Advanced Technology (HAT) Working Group that will assess public perspectives on what technology is considered “fair chase” in hunting.
“We received an amazing response with 767 hunters applying to be on the working group… more
Archery hunter survives bear attack in Island Park
| idfg-jbrower
On the morning of Sunday, Sept. 1, an archery hunter was attacked by an adult male grizzly bear west of Henrys Lake in Island Park. The man was hunting elk with a friend on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near the Divide Creek Road when the attack occurred.
During the surprise encounter, one of… more
North Idaho Large Tract Property Reminders
| idfg-jbruns
As you are planning your fall hunts, remember that recreational motorized access to all Large Tracts properties is designated to open roads and trails, with all other roads closed to recreational motorized access. All roads are open at all times for non-motorized access.
Here are a few Large Tracts… more
2024 Deer & Elk Hunting Outlook
| idfg-cliess
Statewide, deer and elk hunting in Idaho looks promising after a tough season in 2023.
Elk, the stalwarts of the mountains generally speaking, have stayed relatively healthy and stable. Statewide, mule deer numbers also appear to be improving, while eastern Idaho’s muleys—after suffering from one of the worst… more
Outdoor Funding Council Seeks Candidate Projects to Enhance Recreation in Idaho
| idfg-rphillips
The Outdoor Recreation Fund Advisory Council (ORFAC) is accepting applications to build projects that expand recreational opportunities within Idaho. For 2024, the council has $5 million to spend on capital projects (trails, bridges, campgrounds, etc.) that create or enhance outdoors access.
Funding for this… more
Wood River Valley black bears are back in town and finding residential garbage
| idfg-tthompson
Idaho Fish and Game continues to receive multiple reports of black bears visiting homes and neighborhoods throughout the Wood River Valley. Many of the reports are of black bears accessing residential garbage carts that have not been secured in a garage or locked storage area.
To keep bears wild, it is… more
Fall Chinook salmon and coho salmon update 8/29/2024
| idfg-jdupont
Idaho’s fall Chinook Salmon season opened on August 18, and the Coho Salmon season starts on September 1. So, I figured I better put out an update to let people know what is going on with these fisheries. In this update, I will try to answer the questions people have been asking most frequently including what are the… more
Heading out hunting? Here's what you need to know about CWD rules
| idfg-rphillips
With general archery seasons for deer and elk running Aug. 30 through Sept. 30 in many units in the state, Idaho Fish and Game officials remind hunters about special chronic wasting disease rules to help test for and manage the disease.
In July, a white-tailed doe tested positive for CWD after it was found… more