Bid on the

If fishing, river floating, backpacking and bird watching are on your "to do" list this year, you will want to tune into the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation's 15th Annual Radio Auction on March 8. This event, co-sponsored by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), is the foundation's largest fundraiser, attracting hunters and anglers as well as hikers and wildlife watchers. Radio listeners phone in bids to compete for the trips which are offered in every corner of the state. This year's adventures include: - a Salmon River scow and float trip - a Snow Peak backpacking adventure - a fishing and research trip in Hells Canyon - a seven-day stay in Cabo, Mexico - getaway trips to the Teton Mountains of eastern Idaho - a bird watching trip to Lemhi Valley The auction is hosted by Ray Amaya and Chris Kelly of KIDO and by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Steve Huffaker, Steve Barton and Sue Nass. It will be broadcast Tuesday, March 8 from 6:00-9:00 PM Mountain Time on the Clear Channel Communications Network: - Boise (KIDO-AM 580) - Idaho Falls (KID-AM 590) - Pocatello (KWIK-AM 1240) - Twin Falls (KLIX-AM 1310) If you are in a location that is not covered by these stations, you can still bid. Simply find the item you want on the website and call during the hour that item is up for bids. The number to call to enter a bid in the Treasure Valley is 580-5436. Outside the Boise area, call 1-888-580-5436. A list of all auction trips is available at www.ifwf.org, or call the Foundation office at (208) 334-2648. A Winning Bidder Cheryl Palmer of Meridian is a long time auction supporter and the 2004 winning bidder on a fishing and research trip to Hells Canyon. She and her husband spent the day with Idaho Department of Fish and Game Clearwater Region Fisheries Technician Larry Barrett. "It was so much fun. Larry's a super nice guy, the weather was great, we had river otters doing loops around the boat and on the way out, we saw bighorns, Palmer said. The highlight of the day was hooking an eight-foot sturgeon which the Palmers posed with and then returned to the wild. "This is one of the trips we wanted since you've been doing the auction, and we finally nailed it this year. We bid every year and plan our evening around the auction," Palmer added. Radio Auction Benefits Wildlife and Habitat The 2004 radio auction raised more than $8,000 for the Waterlife Discovery Center, an outdoor science facility at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's hatchery in Sandpoint. The center offers students, teachers, families and tourists a chance to learn about Idaho's aquatic wildlife and habitat. Proceeds from the radio auction went toward a teaching amphitheater and a viewing courtyard. "In a survey over two years ago, north Idaho teachers expressed an overwhelming need for a place similar to Boise's MK Nature Center, where students could study wildlife in a natural setting," explained Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director Gayle Valentine. "This year's radio auction will also benefit a conservation or educational project." The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1990 to protect and sustain Idaho's fishing, hunting and wildlife heritage. Board members represent each region of the state. Contact: Gayle Valentine or Lynnea Compton, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 334-2648.