Frequently Asked Questions

A: 

If you had left Idaho 20 years ago and just returned, you would be amazed at the number of fishing waters open year round now. Basically, if it is a lake, pond, reservoir or large river, it is probably open to fishing right now. If it is a smaller stream with trout, it probably will not be open to fishing until Memorial Day weekend. But, please take a few minutes to look at the fishing rules book, especially the "Exceptions" sections in each region.

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 three weeks.

A: 

The drawing is now complete. You can find out if your name was drawn online at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/hunt/ch/results.cfmControlled hunt winners for spring bear and turkey will also be notified individually by March 10. Only hunters whose names have been drawn will be notified. Notification is done by U.S. mail.

A: 

No, Idaho law does not allow it. During the 1998 legislative session the Idaho Wildlife Federation and the Independent Living Council of Idaho presented legislation that changed the definition of eligibility for purchasing a discounted disabled license. The intent of the legislation was to provide a discounted license to those individuals who are both financially and physically disabled. The group decided that a fair, standard and independent way to determine eligibility was to use the existing Social Security Administration disability determination for economic aid. Those individuals who are not eligible to receive Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) due to household income would not be eligible to purchase the discounted disabled licenses.

A: 

You heard something dog owners should know. Salmon, including kokanee and maybe rainbow trout, can carry a parasite that is potentially fatal to our four-legged friends. Best advice is to not allow your dog or cat to eat raw salmon, salmon guts or waste from the processing of salmonid fish.

A: 

Not to worry! What you observed is part of the annual spawning of kokanee salmon along the shoreline of Coeur d'Alene Lake. Kokanee are a landlocked sockeye salmon and like all Pacific salmon, they die after spawning. The vast majority of kokanee spawn between mid November and the first of January along the two miles of shoreline from Higgins Point east into Wolf Lodge Bay and around the corner into Beauty Bay. Kokanee are not native to Coeur d'Alene Lake, but were first introduced in 1937 and have provided an important sport fishery with an annual harvest of up to 600,000 fish annually. They are also an important forage fish for the chinook salmon in the lake and their dead bodies attract migrating bald eagles from all over the Pacific Northwest. It is not unusual to see as 50 or more bald eagles on the north end of the lake this time of year.Drinking the water will not hurt your dog a bit, but you might not want to let him roll in a dead fish, or you will be reminded of the experience until he gets a bath.

A: 

Each year, hunters can sign up for depredation hunts from May 1 through June 30. Those who sign up are chosen at random. You can still sign up after June 30 but your name goes on the list of hunters available for depredation hunts after those who signed up first and it goes on the list in order of date. The rules on depredation hunts, where to send applications, and forms are on page 81 of the big game brochure.

A: 

Good time to wonder. The Fish and Game Commission will be deciding on 2005 turkey seasons soon. Watch for announcements in local media for meetings in the seven regions or submit comments to regional office or by email on the department web site at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.

A: 

You can pay for tags when you buy your new license on or after December 1, but you will be issued a receipt that must be turned in for the actual tags when they are ready beginning August 1, 2005. Do remember that the receipt does not guarantee choice of elk zone. If you wait until the last minute to pick up an elk tag for a zone where tags are limited (capped), you might find yourself not having the choice you wanted.

A: 

In this situation when a youth hunt goes longer than the regular season, the adult mentoring a youth hunter only needs a valid Idaho hunting license. And do read the rules for that hunt carefully. There are a few deer hunts where youth hunters may take either sex but are limited to two-point bucks if shooting a male deer.

A: 

If the kids are under 17, they do not need the permit, but they do need a license. If they are age 17 or older, they are subject to the same limits and rules and must have a valid hunting license and the $21.50 permit.