F&G Commission Authorizes Wolf Tag Auctions

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission Wednesday, September 16, authorized Fish and Game to offer hunters a chance to own a piece of Idaho hunting history along with a chance to harvest a wolf. Idaho Fish and Game, through six nonprofit groups, will offer Idaho Wolf Conservation Tags from No.1 through No. 10, commemorating the first public wolf hunt in state history. The commemorative tags are being offered to help promote gray wolf conservation and management. Auction or lottery sales would be handled by six nonprofit organizations dedicated to hunting and wildlife conservation:

• Tag No. 1 will be sold by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation on October 14 in a live auction at the Wine, Wheels and Wildlife event in Lexington, North Carolina.
• Tags No. 2 and 7 will be sold by the Safari Club International, Treasure Valley Chapter, November 15 on eBay.
• Tags No. 3 and 8 will be sold by the Mule Deer Foundation on September 30 through sealed Internet bids.
• Tags No. 4 and 10 will by sold by Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife on October 1 in an online auction.
• Tags No. 5 and 9 will be sold by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation on October 3 in a live auction in Mackay.
• Tag No. 6 will be sold by the Idaho Sportsmen's Caucus Advisory Council on October 29 in a live auction at a National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses event in McCall.

Proceeds would pay for wolf conservation and management activities, including wolf population monitoring, harvest surveys, law enforcement, public education, and enhanced deer, elk and moose monitoring. The six organizations would be allowed to keep up to 5 percent of the proceeds to cover their costs. Buyers of the commemorative tags will get one tag suitable for display and a duplicate to use in a wolf hunt. State rules allow only one wolf tag per person per calendar year. Successful bidders may exchange their unused wolf tag for a Wolf Conservation Tag if they already purchased a tag. All wolf seasons, rules and bag limits apply. Winners must have a 2009 Idaho hunting license to claim their tags.