Press Releases and Articles
Bringing Back the Elusive Mountain Quail to Idaho and Eastern Washington
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LEWISTON - - Populations of Idaho's rarest quail, the mountain quail, just got a jump start with a recent reintroduction of 72 birds to the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area south of Lewiston. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, University of Idaho and… moreEasy Winters Hard on Fish Survival
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By Ed Buettner and Scott Putnam - Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game While Idaho's big game animals have enjoyed an extremely mild winter, record low snow pack and eventual spring runoff mean trouble for Idaho's migrating salmon and steelhead smolts. This is basic science. As springtime river discharge decreases,… moreWhat Biologists Learn from Following Fawns
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By Jon Rachael, Regional Wildlife Manager Idaho Department of Fish and Game - Southwest Region The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has been intensively monitoring survival of mule deer fawns on a dozen study areas across southern Idaho for the last six winters. Three of these study areas are in the Southwest… moreHunters Rewarded for Filing Reports
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It pays to file your mandatory big game harvest report in Idaho. Just ask 10 hunters who are receiving a big bonus by filing theirs on time. Every year Fish and Game enters the names of on-time hunters into a special lottery. Of those, 10 receive a "Supertag" which entitles them to participate in any open hunt,… moreRadio Auction Funds Family Fishing Improvements
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Improvements at a favorite southwest Idaho family fishing spot will be funded with the proceeds from the 2005 radio auction. The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation Radio Auction raised $11,673 which will be used to design and enhance interpretive materials at Wilson Spring Ponds. This extremely popular family… moreAsk Fish and Game
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Q: When will deer and elk hunting regulations for 2005 be available? A: In mid-April. Deer, elk, antelope as well as bear and lion seasons are not set in stone until the Commission meets March 21-23. Once the seasons are set, the regulations must be written and sent off to the printer. That process should take about… moreBLUEBIRDS ARRIVING IN IDAHO, NEST BOXES AVAILABLE
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Two species of bluebirds live in Idaho: the western bluebird and the mountain bluebird, our state bird. The mountain bluebird is larger than the western and both are slightly smaller than robins. The male mountain bluebird has a very bright back and is pale blue below. The female is mostly gray with a trace of blue… moreFish and Game Seeks Information on Elk Poaching
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OROFINO - On or about Monday, March 7, two cow elk were poached on the North Fork of the Clearwater River above Washington Creek Campground, just downstream from Cave Creek. The two elk were transported to an area near the Bungalow, where they were field-dressed and hauled away. If you have any information… moreBig Game Rules to be Set in Commission Meeting
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Big game seasons for this fall will be set when the Idaho Fish and Game Commission meets in Boise March 21-23. The meeting will begin with a workshop at 1 p.m. March 21 in the Trophy Room at Fish and Game headquarters at 600 South Walnut in Boise. Commissioners will hear updates on wolf management, ungulate research… moreIdaho Bighorn Tag Sells Highest Ever
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Idaho's bighorn sheep program recently received its highest ever boost from the sale of one bighorn tag. The Idaho tag sold for $180,000 at the annual Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (FNAWS) convention in Reno. The previous high for an Idaho tag was $101,000 in 1996. At this year's event, the Idaho tag was… moreRadio Waves Help Improve Hunting
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The next time you come up behind a Fish and Game truck moving slowly down a mountain highway, cut the driver some slack. He may be working to make your next deer hunt better. Biologist David Collins spends many hours driving the roads of southwest Idaho, listening for beeps. Those beeps are transmitted by radio… moreTurkey Outlook Good
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Mild winter weather is good for wild turkey survival, and this year that should be good news for Idaho hunters. Fish and Game biologist Don Kemner says hunters should have more success filling their turkey tags this spring than they did in the spring of 2004. "This past winter was mild, so we expect turkey hunting… moreSetting Big Game Seasons
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By Kelton Hatch, Magic Valley Regional Conservation Educator Setting the seasons for deer, elk and antelope is a complicated job that takes several months, but it also takes several years of data in order to come up with the final plan each season. In the early 50s, Fish and Game biologists began collecting… moreAsk Fish and Game
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Q. I received a postcard in the mail saying that my name was drawn for a controlled hunt for turkey. When can I pick up my tag? A. Now. Tags for spring turkey and spring bear became available on Sunday, March 6.Hagerman opener fruitful for fishermen
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JEROME - Anglers fishing the Hagerman Wildlife Management Area opening day had a hard time keeping the rainbow trout and sturgeon off their hooks. "It was a pretty amazing day of fishing," said Rob Ryan, Magic Valley Fish and Game Regional Fisheries Biologist. "We interviewed 131 anglers, which caught 902 rainbow… moreAccess Yes! bids glean 143,473 acres
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JEROME - Landowners in the Magic Valley Region submitted bids on 143,473 acres of land in hopes it will be included in the Access Yes! program this year. "We had 32 different parcels of land offered this year," said Steve Elam, Magic Valley Fish and Game Landowner/Sportsmen Coordinator. "The Sportsmen's Advisory… moreSouthwest Idaho Otter Season Closes
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By order of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the river otter trapping season in Idaho's southwest region is closed effective today, March 4, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. MST. The harvest quota of 30 otters has been reached. Trappers have 48 hours following the closure to bring their otters into any Fish and Game office for… moreAmeriCorps Working With IDFG To Benefit Idaho Mule Deer
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IDAHO FALLS - AmeriCorps, the federally-funded program that has been likened to a "domestic Peace Corps" has placed staffer Jimmy Hobbs in Idaho Falls to help IDFG get the volunteer component its Mule Deer Initiative (MDI) up and running. Since AmeriCorps was started in 1994, more than a quarter-million people have… more