Fish and Game Commission Adopts New Rules

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission, during a regular meeting Thursday, July 24, in Post Falls, adopted rules that will affect hunting equipment, handling of game meat and bear baiting. The commissioners adopted five nonbiological hunting rules that:

• Eliminate evidence-of-sex requirement for meat being transported from a commercial meat processor.
• Allow disabled archery hunters to use crossbows with nonmagnifying scopes having battery powered or tritium lighted reticles during archery-only hunting seasons.
• Allow visually impaired hunters to use nonmagnifying scopes during muzzleloader-only hunts. This change allows a small percentage of people whose eyesight cannot be corrected by glasses to participate in primitive weapons hunts.
• Allow holders of senior combination and disabled combination licenses to apply for, and participate in, over-the-counter leftover permits after the second drawing for youth-only deer and elk controlled hunts.
• Include bait containers in the current commission rules on black bear bait placement.

Nonbiological rules include equipment restrictions, controlled hunt application and eligibility requirements, possession requirements and motorized vehicle use restrictions. They do not include seasons, bag limits, size limits, sex restrictions, or species restrictions. These rules take effect for the 2009 hunting seasons if approved by the Legislature.