Fort Boise W M A: Return to the Good Old Days

By Clair Kofoed, Wildlife Biologist - Idaho Department of Fish and Game Most long-time bird hunters in the Treasure Valley are aware of the existence of Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area off U.S. Highway 95 northwest of Parma. It is one place the office-bound bird hunter can still go to spend an early morning chasing roosters, or a teenager can try to bag a green-headed mallard after school without worrying about rattling the windows on the new subdivision that has somehow invaded the old hunting spot. At 1,200 acres, Ft. Boise offers plenty of room to stretch your legs and give a four-legged hunting companion - needed in the extra-heavy cover - a much-deserved workout. For a map and complete description of Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area, go to this link on the Fish and Game Website: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/wma/FtBoise/. Game-farm rooster pheasants are released up to three times each week on the management area during hunting season. Generally, a gamebird is at least seen - and for the more experienced user - bagged. Ducks can also be seen and sometimes taken, although weather patterns and drought in the Pacific Flyway duck rearing areas make that experience a little less certain these days. The area really shines as a "go to" for the urban hunter and plays a major role in letting young hunters bag a bird while keeping old timers in the game. What the hunter will generally not experience, however, is solitude; the wildlife management area can get pretty crowded. When we look at the census data and see the rate of growth in the area, it's easy to see that the valley will never be like it was ten or even five years ago. Because of this, users of Fort Boise WMA need to be conscious of sportsmanship, safety and simple good manners when hunting on the area. First off, hunter orange clothing is a requirement for upland hunters. I'll never forget the opening-day sight of a pheasant hunter with half-a-dozen pellet wounds in his face, luckily, none in the eyes. An orange hat could have made him more visible and prevented that accident. Second, never shoot at a bird unless the area behind it is totally clear. The blue-sky rule is a good one; unless you see blue sky around the bird, don't shoot. For some reason, rooster pheasants make normally sane folks act a bit crazy. A three-pound bird is not worth risking someone's injury or worse; there will be other days and other birds. Avoid shooting at low birds or birds flying low in front of heavy cover. Do you really know what's behind the bird? If you are entering a field and see hunters already there, you may want to wait until they leave, or move off to find your own area. Oftentimes groups without a dog will work over a field getting nothing, only to observe another hunter with a well-trained dog ferret out several birds they had missed. Don't assume the area is hunted-out and give up; wait a bit and give it a try. For waterfowlers, be respectful of the folks that arrived before you did; don't try to crowd them out, steal their spot or shoot birds circling over their decoys. Avoid shooting at ducks that are out of range thinking, "if I don't skybust, the next guy will." This sort of behavior can degenerate into shouting matches or worse, new rules to ration duck hunting opportunity on the WMA. The next request should be a no-brainer; please pick up all of your garbage and other litter, including empty shotshells. It's amazing how they can pile up in the area. And please, clean your birds at home. The last thing the next person wants to see is a pile of guts and feathers where he or she is hunting. Hunting and fishing in the Treasure Valley compared to the experience of people living in Seattle or L.A., is like the "Good Ole Days." With a little common sense and courtesy, we can keep it like that for many years to come. Clair Kofoed is a wildlife biologist for the Southwest Region.