The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will hold public meetings in December to present and gather comment on a draft mule deer management plan.
The meetings will be in an open-house format. The first meeting was Monday, December 3, at the Magic Valley regional Fish and Game office in Jerome. Other meetings are planned for:
- Idaho Falls: 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 5, at the Fish and Game regional office, 4279 Commerce Circle, Idaho Falls.
- Salmon: 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, December 6, at the Salmon Fish and Game regional office, 99 Highway 93 North, Salmon.
- Challis: 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, December 10, at the Challis Middle School, 700 Main St., Challis.
- Lewiston: 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, December 11, at the Clearwater Fish and Game office, 3316 16th St., Lewiston.
These meetings also will cover a draft wolf management plan as well proposed changes to upland game, furbearer and turkey rules and seasons. Additional meetings on the mule deer plan will be announced later.
The revised mule deer plan will guide mule deer management in Idaho during the next 10 years. The plan includes how Fish and Game intends to provide the variety of hunting opportunities desired by Idaho hunters and addresses the important issues of habitat protection and enhancement, population monitoring, law enforcement, and the recruitment and retention of hunters.
The mule deer plan does not set seasons and limits, but will guide Fish and Game's mule deer management until 2017.
The proposed plan is available at
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/public/. Written comments may be submitted by December 31 online; by mail to Idaho Fish and Game, Mule Deer Plan Comments, P.O. Box 25, Boise ID 83707; or by fax at 208-334-2148 or 208-334-2114, attention Mule Deer Plan Comments.
