Ask the Conservation Officer (CO)

by Gary Hompland, Regional Conservation Officer Question: "A friend of mine was issued a written warning by our local conservation officer for hunting black bears during the closed season, during the first week of June. What gives, the regulations say the season ends June 15?" Answer: To understand how your friend got mixed up on the spring bear season you must understand a couple of things about Idaho big game regulations. The answer to your question has 2 parts, an administrative and biological part. The administrative part of your answer has to do with the time period for which the big game regulations brochure is valid. If you look on the face of all Idaho Department of Fish and Game regulations brochures you will notice the time period for which the brochure is valid. In the 2007 big game regulations for black bear and mountain lion, the brochure covers all bear and lion seasons form August 2007 to July 2008. The regulations brochure covering the spring 2007 bear season is the 2006 big game hunting regulations brochure. The spring 2007 season extends from April 15 through May 31, 2007. Hunting during June 2007 is definitely during the closed season. This all may seem a little confusing until you understand the timing of the big game season setting process as well as printing and publishing our big game hunting regulation brochures. In most cases, the Fish and Game Commission actually sets big game regulations for the upcoming fall hunting season in March or April. The regulation brochures are then developed by Department employees and submitted for printing so they can be available to hunters before the controlled hunt application period in May. This process of setting regulations and printing the brochures in the spring and summer coincides with spring bear hunting season. In order to ensure the spring bear hunting rules are properly 1, big game regulations brochures for the fall big game hunting seasons of one year extend into the spring of the next year. When you compare the spring bear hunting seasons between the 2 consecutive years' brochures you will notice the spring 2008 hunting season has been extended to June 15, 2008. This is the issue that confused your friend about the bear season this spring. The spring 2008 black bear hunting season was lengthened to take advantage of increased hunting opportunity and reduce nuisance black bear problems. Biologists evaluating the sex and age structure of bears harvested in previous years suggested Magic Valley black bears were being harvested at a light to medium level. This, along with an increase in nuisance bear complaints prompted the Fish and Game Commission to lengthen the spring 2008 black bear hunting. Your friend unfortunately violated one of the basic rules taught in all hunter education classes. It is the hunter's responsibility to thoroughly understand all the hunting rules in their intended hunting area. Hunters must carefully read the hunting regulations annually to become aware of Commission rule changes. If you have any further questions you may call the Magic Valley Regional Office of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at (208)324-4350 or e-mail us at the Fish and Game web site at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.