Frequently Asked Questions

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Fish and Game has no hunting restictions on coyotes in the area described.  There is no hunting within the Boise city limits and posted private property should be honored.

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The upland area you refer to is the Roswell Marsh Habitat Area, the small orange signs are to help show the Fish and Game property boundaries .  Hunting blinds can be constructed of native materials, but digging pits or cutting of vegetation is prohibited as well as using artificial fasteners like wire, rope and nails.  Portable blinds are reccomended.   Hunting the Snake River where it forms the boundary between Idaho and Oregon is legal with either an Oregon or Idaho license.  An Idaho license holder would not be able to hunt where the Snake River is entirely in Oregon.  Floating the river would be OK

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A hunter can only draw one super tag per species per year. If you purchase 8 applications for one species such as deer and draw a tag, our draw system sets your additional applications for that species apart so you cannot draw a second tag for that species.

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That depends.  If you're a nonresident and already have a fishing license, the two-pole permit is an additional $15.50. If you're a licensed resident, the two-pole is $13.75. These prices are as of January, 2015 and are subject to change.

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Here is Idaho Fish and Game's statement on the matter you are refering to: INFORMATION REGARIDNG SHOOTING OF TWO BIGHORN RAMS BY ONE HUNTER IN UNIT 11 IDFG issued two bighorn sheep tags in Unit 11 in 2014.  On October 6, 2014, in the South Fork of Captain John Creek drainage near Craig Mountain, one of these hunters shot two rams.  The licensed guide who was with the hunter immediately reported the incident from the field to Idaho Fish and Game.  By cell phone a conservation officer advised them what to do at the scene. Two Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers went to the scene the next day to look at the evidence and interviewed those involved, the hunter, guide, and a second guide who had been scoping the sheep. The hunter and guide said they had initially observed one ram for about 40 minutes, with the hunter choosing not to shoot this animal.  A second ram appeared, and the hunter took a shot at approximately 130 yards.  That ram did not react to the shot.  The hunter paused, received advice from the guide, and took a second shot.  The other ram bolted and was hit, dropping to the ground right away.   The hunter fired a total of two shots, each hitting one ram.  The first ram that was shot did not react until after the second ram had dropped to the ground.  The officers found two empty casings at the scene.  In the ram that did not initially react to the shot, the bullet barely clipped the back of one lung, passed through the diaphragm, and lodged between the skin and ribs.  Although the officers did not locate the other bullet, the second ram’s wounds indicated it was shot through both lungs.  Fish and Game reviewed the matter with the county prosecutor’s office.  Based on the apparent accidental nature of the circumstances and the bolting of the second ram, the prosecutor declined to file criminal charges.  Fish and Game enforcement officials agree with this decision.  Following the prosecutor’s decision, Fish and Game issued a formal warning on November 13 to the hunter regarding the killing of the second ram.  Fish and Game will also use this incident to remind other hunters to be careful in confirming their targets, and exercising caution when multiple animals are in an area. The hunter placed his tag on the first ram shot, and the law allows him to keep the animal.  Fish and Game will use the second ram for hunter education purposes.  The two rams were distinct in color, with horns similar in size.  Fish and Game green scored the second ram at 170 3/8.   Under Idaho Fish and Game laws, reimbursement payments to the state for loss of trophy and big game animals are tied to criminal convictions and proceedings.  Fish and Game has kept the second ram but will not receive payment from the hunter in conjunction with issuing a warning. It’s understandable for anyone who cares about bighorn conservation and has dreamed of this hunting opportunity, as many of us have, to be upset by the loss of the second ram.  Everyone involved with the incident and investigation is troubled by this loss.  We realize people may disagree with the decision not to proceed with criminal charges, and this decision was not made lightly.   Unit 11 is a high-quality, trophy unit for bighorns.  In early December the Department will conduct a regularly scheduled ground count of sheep in Unit 11 for herd numbers and composition.  Fish and Game will use this information to make recommendations for the 2015 Unit 11 tag allocation that the commission will approve this winter.

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Idaho's license fees are set by legislation. The two licenses (3 Day Salmon/Steelhead and the Daily Fishing) are different types of licenses and have different fees as per the Idaho Code 36-416. Therefore, the daily fishing license purchased for two days (no steelhead permit) would be the $12.75 for the first day and $6.00 for each additional consecutive day.  

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There is no restriction on the number of rounds a shotgun can hold for upland game hunting. The restrictuion of 3 shells applies only to migratory birds.

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All of Idaho Fish and Game’s wildlife harvest statistics are estimated from surveys of hunters. We get the most questions about deer or elk. I think this is what you are asking about. For deer, elk, and pronghorn, each hunter is required to fill out a Hunter Report form, either online or by phone.  Statistics are used to estimate the number of animals harvested, because not all hunters file their report. The number harvested is broken out in 1400 different ways, by zones, by units, by weapons, by controlled hunts, etc.  In 2014, about 170,000 hunters bought tags to hunt these species. From the Hunter Reports, we calculate the number who hunted in each area, the number of animals harvested, the success rate, as well as a breakdown of the harvest by sex, antler size, weapon used, deer species, number of days hunted, and harvest date. There is a lot of high-powered computer analysis used, but we are not using computer “models” to estimate what the harvest is. The data only come from the hunters who file their reports, but we are not predicting something about those who do not file reports.  The harvest estimates are then put on the web site, where both biologists and hunters can use them in planning next year’s hunting. In contrast, for moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, black bears, mountain lions, and wolves, any hunter who harvests an animal is required to bring the carcass in for inspection, measurement, and tagging. For these species, the number harvested is taken directly from these carcass inspections. For all other small game species, survey questionnaires are sent to a random sample of hunters who purchased the appropriate tags.  We sell licenses to about 250,000 hunters that allow hunting for most of these small-game species.  Questionnaires are sent to between 3,000 to 8,000 of these hunters for each type of hunting. Their answers about hunting and harvesting are used to extrapolate to all the hunters who purchased. These species include snow geese, turkeys, sandhill cranes, sage and sharp-tailed grouse, forest grouse, quail, chukars, huns, pheasants, cottontail rabbits, and snowshoe hares. We also sometimes use these same hunter questionnaires to ask the hunter’s opinion on a few questions, such as about proposed rule changes or about the quality of the hunting season.  Thank you for asking about our survey methods.

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No. Any person hunting migratory birds needs the validation.

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Thanks for your interest in ice fishing Mackay Reservoir.  As you note, the lake does not always freeze completely over, which means there can be thin ice in certain areas, and possibly around the edge.  The reservoir is generally filling during the winter, which means it is increasing in size.  As such, there will likely be thin spots in certain areas.  You should be careful when accessing the ice, and pay attention to where other anglers are.  Check the ice conditions as you progress by drilling holes periodically to judge the ice thickness, and avoid areas with less than 4 to 6 inches of ice. Mackay supports great populatins of both rainbow trout and kokanee. Both species are vunerable to ice fishing techniques, and can readily be caught when they are actively feeding.  For trout, try a small jig (1/16 oz to 1/4 oz) tipped with a mealworm, nightcrawler or waxworm.  Drop the jig down to the bottom, and then reel up about a foot.  Actively move the jig up and down, and experiment with the speed and magnitude of the movement until you figure out what the fish are looking for.  For kokanee, use a flashy spoon (like a swedish pimple or similar spoon) with a very small pink jig tied about a foot to 18" below.  Tip the jig with a small mealworm.  Start fishing about 10 feet below the ice, and work your way progressively deeper unitl you find the school of fish.  They can use any depth, so experiment until you find where the kokanee are.  Jigging followed by periods where you let the jig hang motinless for a few seconds can be very productive for kokanee. If you have additiona questions, feel free to call the IDFG regional office at 525-7290.

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Idaho rules consider a hook as having up to 3 points.  So, when the term "barbless hooks required" is stated in the fish rules, you can use a single, double or treble hook - as long as all points are barbless.  A barbless treble hook is legal to use while fishing the Middle Fork Salmon River. Idaho rules also allow you to use up to 5 hooks per line unless otherwise noted.  You could theoretically attach 5 barbless treble hooks to you artificial flies or lures while fishing the Middle Fork Salmon River.  In practical terms, you would end-up with a "rats-nest" of line and hooks - but it would be legal.