Frequently Asked Questions

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The 2014 legislature passed a bill allowing youth 10 years old and up to hunt big game.  The governor signed the bill into law and it goes into effect on July 1, 2014.  

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Thanks for your interest in Idaho steelhead and the trapping data at our hatcheries. For the past two years we have been able to provide an automated daily update from each of our hatcheries from a centralized IDFG database. In the last year we have been in the process of transferring our database to a  website housed at the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission so that information stored will ultimately be easily accessible to managers, collaborators, and the interested public. Unfortunately when large databases like this are being moved and restructured some of the old ways of querying and displaying automated updates no longer work and new products must be developed to perform those tasks. We are in the process of doing that and hope to have daily updates available on our website at least in time for Chinook salmon trapping. Meanwhile we will be developing some interim tables that will likely not be daily but can suffice through the steelhead trapping period.  Thank you for your patience. 

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The place to start is the IDFG region office for the area where your property is located.  They will be able to explain the program and tell you if you qualify. Idaho Fish and Game Office Locations and Contact NumbersPanhandle Region…1-208-769-1414 (Coeur d’Alene)Clearwater Region…1-208-799-5010 (Lewiston)Southwest Region…1-208-465-8465 (Nampa)Magic Valley Region…1-208-324-4359 (Jerome)Southeast Region…1-208-232-4703 (Pocatello)Upper Snake Region…1-208-525-7290 (Idaho Falls)Salmon Region…1-208-756-2271 (Salmon)

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The Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game has no rules prohibiting the use of float tubes or other watercraft on Park Center Pond.  After doing a quick review of current Boise City Ordinances, it appears it is legal to use a float tube or other small watercraft provided the pond is not posted as prohibiting the activity.  We would suggest you call Boise Parks and Recreation to confirm.   F08

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The returns of large B-run steelhead to the Clearwater River in the 2013-14 return are less than in recent years and in October 2013 the Department asked the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to implement a conservation measure to decrease the likelihood of a broodstock shortfall for hatcheries in that watershed.  In response,  the Idaho Fish and Game Commission  approved a lower daily bag limit for the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 seasons in the Clearwater River drainage of one adult adipose fin-clipped steelhead per day . Furthermore, in the North Fork Clearwater and in the mainstem Clearwater downstream of the Orofino Bridge only steelhead 28 inches or less could be kept. That bag limit is still in effect but based on slightly better than expected broodstock trapping results at Dworshak Hatchery this Spring IDFG has proposed that the Commission keep the one fish per day bag limit but lift the size restriction for the North Fork and mainstem Clearwater. The Commission is scheduled to consider that proposal during their March 19-20 meeting. The season limit for the Spring season statewide is 20 adult adipose fin-clipped steelhead.

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Assuming a birthdate of May 1 for pups, during the current wolf hunting season, which opened July 1, 2013, 146 wolves were taken by December 1 of that year (representing 7 months from the May 1 birthdate).  Idaho Fish and Game asks employees who are checking in harvested wolves and completing Big Game Mortality Report forms to assess the age of the wolf they are checking to the best of their ability.  However, the abilities and experiences of these employees do vary and some are not comfortable assigning an age.  Fish and Game relies on the age to be determined from evaluations of teeth removed from harvested wolves.  All teeth are sent to the lab at the end of the hunting season – typically in June, and results do not come back for several months, meaning complete results for the 2013 season will not be available until late this year.  Of the 146 wolves taken between May 1 and December 1 of last year, 55 had not age description recorded on the mortality form.  30 of the 146 wolves were described as pups.  All 30 were taken by hunters, none by trappers.  It is likely that when lab results come back later this year, more pups’ bill be included in the harvest.

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A regular bear tag can be used in any general season hunt; you do not have to declare the unit you will hunt in when purchasing it.

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Idaho does offer some youth only elk hunting opportunities for the 2014 season. These youth hunts are all Antlerless Only. We do not offer any controlled antlered youth elk hunts at this time. What Idaho does do for youth elk hunters is allow them to hunt both the A and B seasons on one tag in elk zones that have general A and B tags opportunities. That would allow them to hunt during the archery season and then return to hunt the rifle season later if they had not yet been successful. 15 of the 28 zones offer that A/B opportunity for youth. Instead of recommending a zone, I would suggest review the hunting regulations to find which zones provide the hunt, timing and opportunity that most interests you to enjoy with you son. If you have specific questions about individual zone you can find lots of information on our website or your welcome to call one of our regional offices and talk to staff.

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Information on legislative bills that affect IDFG is listed online at https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/legislative-updates.  The Fish and Game Commission does not support this bill.

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We are still processing all the harvest reports.  We work each year to have the statistics ready by the time that Big Game rules are out in April.

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This question has been asked similarly, please refer to: https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/question/ive-heard-i-can-get-permi...

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We don't clip the adipose fin on hatchery produced rainbow trout unless they are part of a research project. We do clip the adipose fin on hatchery produced anadromous (ocean-going) salmon and steelhead raised in our hatchery system.  This is so anglers can distinguish them from wild chinook and steelhead.  Hatchery salmon and steelhead are not ESA listed and are availble for harvest in the sport fishery.  Wild salmon and steelhead are listed under ESA and federally protected.   F08