In January 2022, Idaho Fish and Game will be setting the new seasons for upland game, turkey and furbearer for 2022-2023. Hunters and trappers are highly encouraged to review the proposed seasons and changes and weigh in with their own comments. The comment period is open until Dec. 10, 2021.
Fish and Game staff will also host a series of open houses at Fish and Game regional offices from Dec. 1 – 9.
Season proposals are broken down by regions, so it’s easy to find which changes pertain to each hunter’s given location. Department proposals will be presented to the Fish and Game Commission for their consideration at their January 2022 meeting at the new Fish and Game Headquarters Office in Boise. Here’s what is being proposed:
Panhandle
- Add archery-only upland game animal/bird season on Farragut State Park/WMA
- Add archery-only spring and fall turkey hunts on Farragut State Park/WMA
Clearwater
- Remove river otter trapping restrictions on the mainstem of the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, mainstem of the Snake River and mainstem of the main Salmon River
Southwest
- Remove river otter trapping restrictions on the North Fork of the Payette River from Cabarton Bridge downstream to Banks, the confluence of the Middle Fork and South Fork Payette River downstream to Banks, and from Banks downstream to the confluence with the Snake River
- Change the hunt boundary description for turkey Controlled Hunts #9101, #9103 and #9202, in Controlled Hunt Area 38-2
Magic Valley
- Lift beaver closures in Big Deer and Elk creeks (Camas County), King Hill Creek (Elmore County) and Black Canyon Creek (Gooding County)
- Eliminate spring Controlled Hunts #9012 (April 15 - May 5; 30 permits) and #9013 (May 6-25; 30 permits) in Unit 54, and replace with a single controlled hunt from April 15 – May 25, with 15 total permits
- Reduce the number of wild turkey tags from 30 to 15 in youth Controlled Hunt #9004
Southeast
- Eliminate controlled beaver trapping Unit Permit 204 (Pearl Creek Drainage)
- Remove beaver trapping closures from the following areas: Cherry Creek (tributary to Marsh Creek; Bannock County), Cottonwood Creek Drainage and Dempsey Creek above the cattle guard (Bannock County), Pearl Creek Drainage (Bear Lake County), and Logan River Drainage including Beaver Creek and White’s Creek (Franklin County)
- Convert spring turkey Controlled Hunts (#9005, #9014, #9015) in Unit 68A to general season opportunity
- Change the opening date for turkey Controlled Hunt #9106 from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1 in Unit 70
- Create a fall turkey controlled hunt in Unit 68A, with 50 tags; season dates would be concurrent with general seasons in the Southeast Region (Sep. 15 – Nov. 30)
- Add Unit 70 to the list of units with a fall general season in the Southeast Region
Salmon
- Increase fall turkey controlled hunt tag allocation from 15 to 50, and move the season start date from Sep. 15 to Sep. 1 in Units 21, 21A, 29, 30 and a portion of Unit 28 downstream from the Hat Creek drainage (Controlled Hunt #9018)
- Increase spring turkey controlled hunt tag allocation from 10 to 40 in Units 21, 21A, 29, 30 and that portion of Unit 28 downstream from the Hat Creek drainage (Controlled Hunt #9006)
- Increase spring youth-only turkey controlled hunt tag allocation from 5 to 25 in Units 21, 21A, 29, 30 and that portion of Unit 28 downstream from the Hat Creek drainage (Controlled Hunt #9001)
- Remove river otter trapping closure on the Salmon River downstream from North Fork
- Remove beaver trapping closures in the Dahlonega Creek drainage (Lemhi County) and Marsh Creek drainage (Custer County)
- Remove river otter trapping closure on the Salmon River downstream from North Fork
Statewide (All of Idaho)
- Change the end date of extended falconry season for Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and sage-grouse from March 15 to Feb. 28
The Fish and Game Commission will hear these proposed rules, along with the public feedback, at the upcoming Commission meeting in January 2022. The easiest way for hunters to review proposals and weigh in will be visiting the Idaho upland game, turkey and furbearer, 2022-2023 proposals webpage.