Press Releases and Articles
Boise River WMA provides winter refuge for mule deer and elk
| idfg-scassinelli
As days get shorter and temperatures start to fall, mule deer and elk make their way from the Boise Mountains to the Boise foothills seeking lower elevations, mild temperatures, and available forage to survive the winter. Some come from as far away as the Sawtooth Mountains.
The Boise River Wildlife… more
Large numbers of waterfowl dumped and left to waste along Idaho Highway 46
| idfg-tthompson
Fish and Game officers are seeking information on the dumping of 154 snow and Canada geese and mallard ducks found along Highway 46 north of Gooding on November 15, 2019. All of the birds were left to rot, with no attempt to remove any meat.
According to Conservation Officer Trevor Meadows, “The… more
Rescuing modern day dinosaurs: F&G biologists relocate stranded white sturgeon into the Snake River
| idfg-mcooper
Every Fall, Idaho Fish and Game Magic Valley regional staff respond to calls from concerned residents about white sturgeon stranded in area canals, shallow pools, and below impoundment structures, such as dams.
When irrigation season ends, canals and dam spillways begin to go dry, leaving behind shallow… more
UPDATE: Temporary buoys placed to mark Hatchery Creek closure at Henrys
| idfg-jbrower
UPDATE 11/19/19: Fish and Game staff have placed temporary markers along the Hatchery Creek closure to distinguish the boundary until the permanent buoys can be retrieved safely.
Original Story: Ice anglers on Henrys Lake will need to use caution around the Hatchery Creek area… more
City of Trees Chapter-Registration open!
| idfg-sfocht
The City of Trees Chapter of the Idaho Master Naturalist Program is coordinated by the City
of Boise, which is comprised of Parks, Open Space, Zoo Boise, and the Boise
WaterShed. All of which work hard to care for Boise’s natural environment and
educate our community on the importance of its… more
F&G commission extends smaller steelhead bag limits for 2020 season for Snake and Salmon rivers
| idfg-bpearson
On Nov. 15, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission extended the current bag limits for steelhead fishing (one fish per day, three in possession) on portions of the Snake, Salmon and Little Salmon rivers for the 2020 spring steelhead season, which begins January 1.
According to Jim Fredericks, Fisheries Bureau… more
With help from nature and volunteers, Tex Creek WMA is recovering from wildfire
| idfg-jbrower
It has been three years since the Henry’s creek fire burned two-thirds of the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area. So what does it look like now and how is the area recovering? According to Ryan Walker, the manager of Tex Creek WMA and a habitat biologist for Fish and Game, everything is looking good.
… more
Nov. 18 Upper Salmon River Steelhead fishing report
| idfg-bbeller
Steelhead catch rates continued to improve over the past week on the upper Salmon River.
Anglers interviewed downstream of the Middle Fork in location code 14 averaged 12 hours per steelhead caught. Anglers interviewed downstream of North Fork in location code 15 averaged 11 hours per steelhead caught, and… more
Witness reports closed season dead elk loaded into truck and covered with firewood near Weippe
| idfg-jbruns
At approximately 0900 on Friday, Nov 8, a sportsman witnessed three men haul a dead elk out of a clearcut off of O'Mill Road above the O'Mill railway siding near Weippe. The elk was loaded into the back of a newer black F150 Ford truck and then covered in firewood before suspects drove away. There is no elk season… more
Entire 4x4 whitetail buck shot and left for waste on Brown's Ridge Road near Weippe
| idfg-jbruns
On Thursday, Nov 7, officer Dave Beaver received notification from a sportsman that he had found a whitetail buck shot on Brown's Ridge Rd. 8 miles SE of Weippe. The buck was a mature 4x4 and was found about 30 yards off the road in a clearcut. It appears that the deer may have been shot with a rifle at night. Nothing… more
Steelhead Catch and Release Study Update
| idfg-bbowersox
Written by Will Lubenau, University of Idaho
Since the last project update, we met our goal of tagging 1,000 wild steelhead and 200 hatchery steelhead at Lower Granite Dam. As a result, tagging has concluded for 2019. However, not all steelhead that will spawn in Idaho this coming spring have passed Lower… more
Two white-tailed deer shot and left to waste near Troy
| idfg-jbruns
Two white-tailed deer were shot and left to waste along Tamarack Road north of Troy over the Veteran’s Day holiday weekend. Both does were shot in the vitals and left to waste on private property. As seen in the photo below, the deer were found close to the road assuming that a low amount of effort went into retrieval… more
Pioneer and Smoky Bennett zone elk hunters: Know before you go!
| idfg-tthompson
Big game hunters, especially those in pursuit of antlerless elk in the Pioneer and Smoky Bennett zones need to be aware of the motorized hunting rule when using motorized vehicles as an aid to hunting elk. The rule is specific to 30 game management units, primarily in central and southern Idaho, and includes many of… more
Mosquito Flats receives trout for winter anglers
| idfg-mdemick
In late October, Idaho Fish and Game stocked over 1,100 rainbow trout into Mosquito Flats Reservoir near Challis to enhance ice fishing opportunities, as well as provide great fishing next spring.
Fish and Game Fisheries Biologist Kayden Estep measures a rainbow trout before releasing it into… more
Southeast Region Winter Feeding Advisory Committee Meeting: November 18, 2019
| idfg-staff
Southeast Region Winter Feeding Committee
2019 Meeting
Monday, November 18 6:30 pm Regional Office, 1345 Barton Road, Pocatello; OR, Call in at 208-236-1281Agenda
Welcome to a new year of WFAC! Update on Committee Membership— Dan Garren Summary of last… more
Panhandle angler catches 25-inch largemouth for new catch-and-release record
| idfg-mkoenig
JJ Schillinger shows off a 25-inch, 9.7 lb largemouth bass he caught during a tournament on the chain lakes around Coeur d'AleneLake , landing him a new catch/release state record.
Congratulations to J.J. Schillinger of Post Falls on landing a new catch-… more
Trailing Steelhead - University of Idaho Podcast
| idfg-bbowersox
We've been fortunate to partner with the University of Idaho on some recent studies to learn a lot of valuable information on Idaho's steelhead populations and fisheries. Click here to listen in and learn more about this important work as University of Idaho professor Dr. Mike Quist discusses these projects.
… more
Oh deer! Peak season for hitting wildlife on the road is here
| idfg-mdemick
With big game animals on the move for mating and migration, wildlife-vehicle collisions tend to peak this time of year. Motorists are urged to slow down and be extra careful.
The deer mating season occurs in November, and they tend to be active all day and become inattentive at times. And with… more