Press Releases and Articles
Ask Fish and Game
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Q. I am getting ready for spring turkey hunting and would like to use my bow. Is this a legal weapon for turkey hunting? Do I need any additional permits to use it? A. Yes, the use of archery equipment is legal in the taking of wild turkey. However, archers should note that crossbows are not allowed. No additional… moreAvoid the Rush - Take a Hunter Education Course Now!
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The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is encouraging future hunters to get signed up now for the mandatory hunter education course, because those who wait may be left out in the cold. IDFG provides 350 hunter education courses statewide each year. More than 60 percent of these courses are taught between January… moreWhat's Your Opinion? What's It Worth
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If you kept up with the presidential campaign and election, you may have noticed there were no clear-cut, overwhelming mandates from the public, the candidates were at odds on many issues, and the electorate was at odds on just about any selected topic. This is similar to what the Idaho Department of Fish and Game deals… moreIce Fishing Offers Cure To Cabin Fever
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Blank stares into holes in the ice, uncontrolled shivering, numbness in the feet and hands (maybe in the brain)...it must be ice fishing season again. Most waters in the Idaho Panhandle are open to ice fishing. However, before we get far into the discussion it is important anyone interested in ice fishing carefully… moreSummer Host(s) Sought for Horsethief Reservoir
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WANTED a person or persons to spend the entire summer in a beautifully scenic location. Occupy shaded campsite on lakeshore. Meet and greet new people each day. Trout fishing available just a few feet from front door. Sounds like tough duty doesn't it? Yet this volunteer position is available for the 2001 summer… moreNew Homes for Osprey
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The osprey, commonly called the "Fish Hawk," is an uncommon winter visitor to the Magic Valley Region. In recent years, however, there have been more sightings of this unique bird in our area. In the spring of last year, a pair of osprey successfully raised young on an artificial platform put up by Idaho Power along… moreBig Game Winter Feed Advisory Committee Meeting
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The Southeast Region citizen Winter Feed Advisory Committee will be in Montpelier January 16 to review winter conditions for mule deer and elk in the area. The meeting will be held at the Oregon Trail Museum beginning at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited. Ken Fordyce, Chairman of the committee, says, "This is a good… moreServices Set for Biologist Killed in Crash
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Michael Gratson, 48, an Idaho Department of Fish and Game senior research biologist, was killed along with helicopter pilot Mike Haygens December 29 while conducting mountain lion surveys along the Lochsa River near Lowell, Idaho. Wildlife Technician Matt Lucia survived and is doing well at St. Joseph Memorial… moreComment Sought on Trophy Species Seasons
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Nonresident hunter numbers will be trimmed, California bighorn sheep permits cut dramatically, and moose hunting expanded in proposals by Fish and Game that are on the table now for public comment. The Fish and Game Commission will meet January 18-19 in Boise to set trophy species seasons for 2001 and 2002. Open house… moreHunters Can Report by Phone
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Successful deer and elk hunters can either mail their harvest report cards or, for the first time, call the information in by phone. The toll-free number is 1-877-268-9365. The number will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The contractor providing this service has a limited number of lines, and when they… moreAsk Fish and Game
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Q. I lost my hunter education card. How can I replace it? A. Look on the Fish and Game website at: http://www2.state.id.us/fishgame/hedcard.htm.Memorial Reception For IDFG Biologist
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Michael Gratson, Idaho Department of Fish and Game senior research biologist, was killed along with helicopter pilot, Mike Haygens, on Thursday, December 29, while conducting mountain lion surveys along the Lochsa River near Lowell, Idaho. Wildlife Technician, Matt Lucia survived and is doing well at St. Joseph… moreOpen House Slated for Trophy Species
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The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) will host an open house for public comment on proposed season changes for bighorn sheep, moose and mountain goat, on Tuesday, January 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Clearwater Regional Office, 1540 Warner Avenue in Lewiston. Regulations for trophy species are completed… moreShooting Ranges Receive Funds
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Some of the shooting ranges around Idaho are upgrading their facilities with funding derived from wildlife violation fines. The Fish and Game hunter education program receives the first $100,000 in fine money paid by wildlife law violators each year. Of that amount, $60,000 goes to improvements in shooting ranges with… moreCommission Supports Clearwater Elk Initiative
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The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has raised Fish and Game's stake in the effort to restore one of America's premier elk herds. At their December meeting, Commissioners voted to become a formal member of the Clearwater Basin Elk Habitat Initiative, and to endorse a memorandum calling for the restoration of "natural… moreSpring Chinook Runsize Estimate Shows Upswing
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Editors: This is intended as background for potential stories on the coming chinook run. We will be sending news releases as warranted in the new year. This backgrounder was prepared by anadromous fisheries biologist Sharon Kiefer in the Fisheries Bureau at Fish and Game, (208)-334-3791. Early season estimates of the… moreIt's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a biologist!
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By Gregg Losinski IDAHO FALLS - Wildlife managers use many tools to help them perform their jobs. Among the more romantic, yet dangerous of these are helicopters and fixed-winged aircraft. Right now, all across the state, biologists are flying in helicopters to not only count wildlife, but in some cases herd animals… moreLaw Enforcement Tales
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After shooting a bull elk on a Sunday evening recently, a Coeur d'Alene man left it in the woods without even looking for the animal. The shooter, however, did stop by the regional Fish and Game office around noon the next day to ask if anyone had reported him for shooting from the road. He was told that he needed to go… more