How's Your Check Station I.Q.?

By Al Van Vooren, Regional Supervisor - Southwest Region Big game and upland seasons are now in full swing across Idaho. If you spend your days in the woods this time of year, there's a good chance you've made a stop at a Fish and Game check station on your way home. So how's your check station I.Q.? There are some misconceptions about why and how Fish and Game operates check stations. Take this short quiz and see how your understanding stacks up. Question 1: True or False. A statistical formula is used to estimate the total number of animals harvested based on the number checked at check stations. Question 2: True or False. Fish and Game operates check stations only to collect biological information. Question 3: True or False. Hunters without game must stop at check stations. Question 4: True or False. Biologists can write citations for wildlife violations they encounter at check stations without a Conservation Officer being present. Answers: Question 1: False. Check stations are not used to try to estimate harvest at all. Harvest is determined from the mandatory harvest reports, combined with some phone survey work Question 2: False. Kind of a trick question. Most check stations are run primarily to collect biological information, but there are enforcement check stations, too. Enforcement check stations may be run at any time or any place, and are done in conjunction with county or state police expressly to monitor for wildlife violations. They may be set up on a well-traveled road or a back road late at night. Biological check stations are run primarily on weekends during daylight hours where lots of hunters can be contacted. The department collects information on animal age and condition, and takes blood and even brain samples as part of a routine monitoring program for animal diseases such as chronic wasting disease (CWD). But these check stations are also a great opportunity for regional staff to get feedback from the public on how they are doing managing game populations. Fish and Game staff works hard all year to provide a good hunting experience for Idaho hunters in the fall. If there is a part of our management that is not working, check stations are an opportunity for you to let us know. If the management is working, and you had a good hunt, it makes the staff's day to hear that too when you come through. Question 3: True. While no biological information may come from "unsuccessful" hunters, the information on hunting effort expended goes into success rate calculations. Other information such as animals seen and feedback on management programs is just as important from hunters without game as those with game. Question 4: True. Biologists are not authorized to enforce other laws of the state, as our Conservation Officers are, but they are trained and certified to enforce Fish and Game laws and issue citations when warranted. Most violations encountered at the biological check stations are failure to leave evidence of sex attached, and failure to properly validate (notch and attach) tags. Don't put yourself or the biologist in an awkward position by forgetting to do either of these things. So how'd you do? All correct - you've been through a lot of check stations and spent some time talking to Fish and Game staff. Got three correct? Not bad. Fewer than three correct? If the trucks aren't backed up too much when you come through this fall, let's visit a while. The more you understand what we do and why and the better we get to know you as a hunter, the better job we'll do together managing Idaho's wildlife.