Ask the Conservation Officer (CO)

By Gary Hompland Q: Many states have mandatory hunter harvest requirements. I didn't notice a reporting rule in the Idaho hunting brochure for deer. Please explain the hunter harvest reporting requirements for Idaho. A: Many states require hunters to report all big game animals and have them physically checked by authorities. Idaho also has mandatory harvest reporting requirements but they vary by species. For deer, elk and antelope those reporting requirements can be completed over the internet or by mail. All trophy species, including big horn sheep, mountain goats, and moose, are required to be presented to authorities so they can be physically checked and measured. Hunters have 10 days from the date of kill to complete this mandatory harvest report. If these hunters did not harvest an animal, they are required to return their permit and tags indicating they did not harvest. The head and horns of all big horn sheep harvested by hunters or picked up as natural mortalities must have a metal pin placed in the horn to indicate the owner has complied with the mandatory harvest requirement. For pickup sheep horns, sportsmen have 30 days to have them "pinned." Hunters harvesting black bears and mountain lions also have 10 days from the date of the kill to present the hide and skull to Department authorities. Measurements may be taken and a tooth extracted from the skull. A metal tag is attached to the pelt to indicate the hunter has complied with mandatory reporting requirements. The hunter will also receive a copy of the report to keep in his records to show compliance with reporting rules. Two furbearers also have mandatory reporting requirements. All bobcats and river otters must be presented for inspection to Department authorities. Hunters and trappers reporting bobcat or otter harvest must also purchase a special tag for each animal issued by the US Fish and Wildlife Service called a "CITIES" export tag. The CITIES export tag allows the fur to be exported and sold outside of the United States. Trappers taking river otters have 72 hours from the date of kill to report their harvest. All bobcats must be reported within 10 days of the close of the bobcat season. The Idaho rules requiring hunters and trappers to report their harvest is a management tool to obtain biological information. Information collected from animals includes sex, age, and general body condition. Since there is a quota for river otter harvest, the reporting requirement is essential to monitoring harvest numbers and closing the season when the quota is reached. Hunters and trappers that possess unreported animals after the required reporting period or fail to report unused trophy tags are issued misdemeanor citations and risk the loss of their hunting or trapping privileges.