F&G Commission Ups Steelhead Limit on Salmon River

Thu, 03/18/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission Thursday, March 18, approved a proposal to increase the limit on steelhead in the Salmon River drainage. Anglers may now buy a second steelhead card that allows them to catch and keep 40 steelhead, in addition to the 40 fish on the first card, allowing a total of 80 steelhead for the… more

Another Wolf Hunt has Closed in central Idaho

Tue, 03/16/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

The wolf season has closed as of Monday, March 15, in the Salmon wolf management zone, where the harvest limit of 16 wolves has been reached. The closure affects big game management units 21, 21A, 28 and 36B. Six other zones already have closed. The wolf season closed February 1 in the Middle Fork zone, January 2… more

Volunteers Needed to Plant Seedling for Wildlife on Craig Mountain

Mon, 03/15/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Idaho Fish and Game is asking for volunteers to help plant sagebrush and bitterbrush seedlings March 25-27 on the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area south of Lewiston. Volunteers may call the Fish and Game office 208-799-5010 or e-mail jennifer.bruns@idfg.idaho.gov for more information or to sign-up for… more

Turkey, Black Bear Drawing Results Online

Mon, 03/15/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

Hunters who applied for spring turkey and black bear controlled hunts can find results on the Idaho Fish and Game Website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/ch/turkbear.cfm. Successful applicants also have been notified by mail. It is the responsibility of hunters to find out whether their names were drawn in these… more

Twentieth Online Auction Deemed a Success

Mon, 03/15/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

With more than 100 bidders from Tennessee to Oregon, the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation Inc. reports the 20th Online Trip Auction was the most successful since it moved online from radio five years ago. The 2010 auction offered more than 40 outdoor trips and raised close to $17,000. The foundation's board of… more

Ask Fish and Game: Winter Stream Season

Mon, 03/15/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

Q. When does the winter stream season end? A. The winter stream season ends March 31 - except in the Panhandle Region, where it runs through May 22. Until then trout fishing is catch-and-release only, but whitefish and brook trout may be harvested in streams open during the winter stream season. Except that whitefish… more

Annual Wolf Report Available

Fri, 03/12/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

The 2009 annual summary of wolf recovery in Idaho is now available, and it shows wolf numbers are nearly the same as 2008. The Idaho 2009 Wolf Conservation and Management Progress Report includes the current status of the wolf population in Idaho. Biologists documented 94 Idaho resident and border wolf packs at the… more

F&G Completes Elk Surveys, Wilderness Landings

Fri, 03/12/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has completed aerial elk surveys in the Middle Fork Elk Management Zone; incidental to the surveys biologists radio-collared four wolves. Biologists counted elk in game management units 26 and unit 27 to establish herd composition. Preliminary results show a low elk calf-to-cow… more

Fish and Game Plans Public Meetings on Fishing Rules

Fri, 03/12/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-lfrench

Idaho Fish and Game has set public meetings across the Upper Snake Region over the next few weeks to discuss potential fishing rule changes. It's all part of the process for setting the 2011-2012 fishing seasons and rules. After a first round of meetings to hear what the public has to say, Fish and Game will develop a… more

Grand Opening Scheduled for Kuna Community Pond

Tue, 03/09/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Dedication ceremonies for Sego Prairie Pond, the Treasure Valley's newest community fishing pond, will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 13. The city of Kuna will host a grand opening celebration and fishing activities at the new pond. To reach Sego Prairie Pond, travel south on State Highway 69 also knownas… more

Op-Ed: Lolo Zone in Perspective

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

By Cal Groen, Director, Idaho Department of Fish and Game The Lolo elk herd is in trouble. The latest counts put the herd at 2,178 with poor survival of the cows and calves needed to replenish the herd. Idaho Fish and Game is committed to saving the Lolo herd and keeping Idaho's other elk herds healthy. The elk… more

Sage-grouse Listing 'Precluded'

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-lfrench

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friday, March 5, announced its decision to list the greater sage-grouse a step short of threatened or endangered. Fish and Wildlife says listing is "warranted but precluded." Simply put, that means a sage-grouse listing is deferred while Fish and Wildlife works on species with more… more

Wolverines and Winter Recreation

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

By Diane Evans Mack, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Wolverines are considered secretive and elusive, mostly because we don't know much about them. They occur in low densities across the landscape and tend to spend their time in remote regions, roaming the jagged peaks and high cirque basins that characterize… more

From the Field: Bald Eagle Nesting Underway

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

By Jim Lukens, Idaho Department of Fish and Game The chill of February can be a harsh time for birds, but that is precisely the time local bald eagles begin nesting. As early as January, mated pairs can be seen repairing nests or whirling through the air in courtship flight. Bald eagles reach sexual maturity at… more

Ask Fish and Game: Controlled Hunt Waiting Period

Mon, 03/08/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

Q. Can a person who drew an antlered deer hunt in the second application period in 2009 apply for an antlered deer hunt in the first application period in 2010. A. Yes. The waiting period requirement is for those who drew an antlered hunt in the first drawing. Those who draw an antlered hunt in the second application… more

Mule Deer Doe Poached in Caribou County

Fri, 03/05/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

Idaho Fish and Game is seeking information about the unlawful killing of a mule deer doe. On Tuesday, March 2, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Conservation Officer Nathan Stohosky discovered a dead mule deer doe on Sant Road in Caribou County, about one mile north of the intersection of Fish Hatchery Road and Sant… more

Craig Mountain Gates Closed

Wed, 03/03/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-nnokkentved

With the recent snowmelt and big game animals returning to higher elevations, Idaho Fish and Game has closed the access gates on the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area south of Lewiston. Snowmobile enthusiasts can still use the area until the gates close March 15, but they are urged to use increased… more

Six Wolf Hunts Closed, One More Near Limit

Mon, 03/01/2010 - 00:00 | idfg-mcoleman

With a month left in Idaho's first regulated wolf hunting season, half the wolf zones are closed and another is one wolf shy of the harvest limit. As of Monday, March 1, hunters have taken 162 wolves, with 58 left to reach the statewide harvest limit. Wolf harvest is nearly at the limit of 16 in the Salmon Zone where… more