Fish and Game Seeks Input on Trophy Seasons

By Mike Demick - Idaho Department of Fish and Game The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is seeking public comments on several proposed changes to its trophy species program for the 2007-2008 hunting seasons. While hunter comments have already been collected at a number of open house meetings held across the state, hunters unable to attend a meeting can still provide their comments after reviewing the proposed changes available on Fish and Game's website: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov, or by calling their nearest Fish and Game office by December 29. All comments will be summarized and presented to the Commission for review before setting the final regulations during their January 10-12 meeting in Boise. Proposed changes to the bighorn sheep, mountain goat and moose seasons in the Clearwater Region include: Bighorn Sheep Eliminate the current definition of a legal ram - 3/4 curl or having at least 3 annuli on the horns - and replace it with an "any ram" rule. This recommendation is based on several lines of reasoning. First, hunters may harvest only one ram per lifetime. There is no biological reason to restrict harvest to older rams. Second, most hunters that violate the three-quarters curl rule discover their error only after the ram is dead. Third, in a number of western states that have adopted the "any ram" rule - Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington - the average age of harvested ram has increased due to some old rams living longer. While the "any ram" rule has not been adopted in California or Montana, bighorn sheep expert, Dr. Valerius Geist, support the "any ram" definition. Fish and Game also proposes to add a new late hunt in the upper Selway portion of Unit 17 for one permit. Proposed hunt dates are October 13-31. This herd has never been hunted in Idaho, although one permit is currently offered in Montana. This herd summers along the divide, but winters on the Idaho side of the divide. Movement into Idaho seems to occur in early October, although data is very limited. Mountain Goat Mountain goat populations are extremely sensitive to harvest. Recommended harvest levels are five percent of the population or less. To ensure conservative management, permits are currently based on the number of goat actually counted during surveys, which is likely 50 percent or less of the goat actually present based on 1 sightability data from Idaho and elsewhere. Because permit levels are conservative, harvest rates are routinely very high, usually exceeding 80 percent hunter success. The average age of mountain goats has increased from 5.6 years to 6.4 years since 1990, and continues to increase. Mountain goat harvest rates in units 10 and 18 have not changed significantly over the past few years. The relatively low level of permits has helped to stabilize hunter success rates. Percent females in the harvest, although variable, have averaged 33 percent regionwide since 2000. However, the high rate of female harvest and the decline in total numbers of goats observed during recent aerial surveys has prompted Fish and Game to propose combining hunt areas 10-1 and 10-2 into one hunt area, and reducing number of permits from four to two. Moose While moose herds appear to be rapidly growing in northern Idaho, limited data suggests herds are stable or declining in central Idaho and stable in most of southeastern Idaho. Harvest data does not suggest that antler spread of harvested moose is declining. In fact, antler spread of harvested moose has not fluctuated more than one inch from the 36-inch target over the past two decades, either statewide or Region-by-Region. A regression of antler spread by age indicates that the average 36-inch moose is three years old, although there is wide variation. During the last regulation cycle for the 2005-2006 seasons, Fish and Game reduced permit levels in several hunts to address lower than desired hunter success rates and average antler spreads lower than the 36-inch target. Additional permits were added where justified by high hunter success rates and antler spreads that exceeded management objectives. Overall, the Clearwater Region continues to meet management objectives for hunter success and average antler spread. Fish and Game will continue to closely monitor the effects of these changes over the next few years, but will not propose any changes to the moose season structure in the Clearwater Region. All comments must be submitted by December 29. Mike Demick is the regional conservation educator based in Lewiston. He has worked for IDFG since 1994.