Press Releases and Articles
White-tailed buck shot with only head removed along South Fork Clearwater River
| idfg-jbruns
A large bodied white-tailed buck was shot, with only its head removed near mile post 14 on the South Fork of the Clearwater River on or near November 15. The waste of this deer is causing concern from both the hunting and non hunting public alike. Anyone that saw persons wading the river in this area, or a vehicle… more
Southwest Region Winter Feeding Advisory Committee to Meet December 3
| idfg-eoneale
Pursuant to Idaho Code Section 74-204, notice is hereby given of an open public meeting of the Idaho Fish and Game Winter Feeding Advisory Committee for the Region.
A winter feeding advisory committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 3, beginning at 3:30 pm at the Idaho Fish and Game Nampa Regional… more
High trout numbers continue in the South Fork Snake River
| idfg-bhigh
The South Fork Snake River in eastern Idaho supports the largest river population of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Idaho as well as other popular game fish including rainbow trout and brown trout. Idaho anglers have repeatedly asked Fish and Game managers to focus management efforts on protecting… more
New wild turkey hunts slated to begin in Southwest Idaho
| idfg-eoneale
Four new wild turkey Landowner Permission hunts (LPH) are now on the books and slated to begin December 1 in areas with chronic turkey depredations. The hunts will give landowners, hunters and Fish and Game staff another tool to deal more effectively with private property damage caused by wild turkeys.
… more
Hauling huge fish through holes at Henrys
| idfg-jbrower
Henrys lake has been hot this year for fisherman and being covered with ice hasn't changed that. Due to the cold snap this October, the lake froze a bit earlier than usual. Some individuals were seen venturing onto the newly formed ice as early Halloween.
"It is unique to have… more
Traps, snares and pets can be a bad combination, and here's how to avoid a problem
| idfg-mdemick
Pet owners are reminded fur trapping seasons are open during late fall and winter, and pets running off leash unsupervised could risk having their toes pinched – or worse – by traps and snares intended for wildlife.
While traps and snares are rarely encountered by bird hunters or hikers, pets can be attracted… more
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