Commission Sets Big Game Seasons

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission Thursday, March 8, accepted recommended changes to big game hunting seasons with only a few exceptions. Department of Fish and Game staff recommendations included additional muzzleloader hunting opportunities for mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and pronghorn antelope; increased antlerless white-tailed deer hunts to reduce depredations, vehicle collision and urban deer problems; and a quality whitetail hunting area in eastern Idaho. Recommendations also included adjusting elk permit numbers in response to population changes and adjusting antlerless elk hunts to reduce depredation concerns; changes in pronghorn, black bear and mountain lion hunts in response to population changes; and applying the motorized vehicle rule in Unit 57. Commissioners adopted the recommendations with several muzzleloader hunts changed to short-range-weapons to allow the use of inline weapons. Panhandle Region Commissioner Tony McDermott proposed that muzzleloader-only hunts in units 4, 7 and 9 as well as the December 2-9 spike-elk-only muzzleloader hunts be changed to short-range weapons hunts. Clearwater Region Commissioner Alex Irby proposed that muzzleloader seasons in units 10A and 16 be changed to short-range weapons. The changes were approved by the commission over the objections of commissioners Randall Budge of the Southeast Region and Wayne Wright of the Magic Valley Region. Budge and Wright resisted the change, saying it essentially sidestepped the new muzzleloader rules without any discussion of the issue. McDermott agreed it was a band-aid solution, but he suggested the commissioners re-examine the evidence on which they had based their January decision to restrict muzzleloader hunts to more traditional weapons. The commissioners agreed. Commissioner Wright moved the commission adopt recommended outfitter controlled tag allocation rules to accommodate legislative rejection of the previous rule. The rules were adopted unanimously, with the support of the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association. The new rules set the options of allocating deer and elk tags as no less than one tag and no more than 3 percent of the tags available in a controlled hunt; based on the average historic use over the past five years in that hunt; or no tags. The state legislature had rejected an earlier commission rule that set a ceiling of up to 6 percent of available tags and left a perception among some that the commission wanted to double the number of outfitter tags. After brief presentations by Fish and Game fishery program coordinator Scott Grunder Friday morning, March 9, commissioners adopted a proposed Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Management Plan, which would guide protection for the native Idaho trout. They also approved the proposed statewide 2007-2012 Fish Management Plan, which will guide fishery management across the state for the coming six years. Commissioners approved four land acquisitions in northern Idaho, three of which will help lessen the impact on fish and wildlife partial habitat of construction and operation of Albeni Falls Dam, and the money comes from that project's mitigation program. The first parcel is 62 acres along one mile of riverfront along the lower St. Joe River about eight miles east of St. Maries, at a cost of about $620,000. The second is a half-acre lot next to the Lower Pack River Habitat segment of the Pend Oreille Combined Lands Wildlife Management Area, for $40,000. The money for both comes from the Albeni Falls mitigation program. The third acquisition is a two-part piece at about $2 million. One part is 210 acres on the north and east bank of the Pack River; the second part is 27.5 acres. Both of these riparian and forested parcels are part of the Albeni Falls and Avista mitigation programs. The fourth acquisition is 83.7 acres two miles northwest of Georgetown, bordering the Bear River, for about $58,000 with another $20,000 from a PacifiCorp mitigation settlement. The property borders the Georgetown Wildlife Management Area. The commissioners closed the three-day meeting with an executive session to discuss a lawsuit brought by former elk rancher Rex Rammell.