F&G Wants to Talk About the Future of Hunting & Fishing

Aside from a few die hard ice fishermen here and a few trappers there, not too many hunters or anglers can be found out in the field now in Idaho. If you want to find the outdoor sports-minded types in the middle of winter, then looking for them at a major outdoor retailer would be your best shot. In order to reach their customer base, representatives from Idaho Fish and Game will be at the Idaho Falls Sportsman's Warehouse store in Ammon, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, January 10. As any Fish and Game person who has ever worn their uniform into a sporting goods store can tell you, there are always plenty of questions from hunters and anglers when they see the gray and green uniform. While representatives from the various disciplines such as wildlife, fisheries, and enforcement will be on hand to talk to the public, all will be discussing how the proposed revenue increase will affect future Fish and Game operations. "Fish and Game wants sportsmen to know that we're running on empty and that before the vapors run out we need their support to get a fee increase approved by the legislature," said Gregg Losinski, regional conservation educator. "We'll have biologists present to talk to the public about deer and elk, and even about the impact of wolves; but all management ultimately depends on the resources available to get the job done." Fish and Game routinely holds open house meetings across the state to discuss various management aspects regarding Idaho's fish and wildlife and informal opportunities like the one planned for this Saturday are becoming more common also. "We understand that in today's world there never seems to be enough time for folks and that setting aside a whole evening to attend a public meeting can be difficult; these casual drop-in situations help us to reach the general sportsman who is interested about things, but maybe not enough to drive to a special meeting," Losinski said. The Fish and Game information table will be just inside the entrance to Sportsman's Warehouse in Ammon. "If we get lots of interest we'll stay longer, our goal is to let the public know what it takes to manage their fish & wildlife resources," Losinski said.