Idahoan Wins Bighorn Lottery

Gary Maxwell of Boise is one lucky guy. Idaho Fish and Game Director Cal Groen drew his number as the winner of Idaho's special bighorn sheep lottery permit Thursday evening, in the presence of members of the Idaho chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep and other hunters. Hunters pay as little as $10 for a ticket to enter the annual drawing for a permit to hunt bighorn sheep. Permits for bighorn sheep are among the most desirable in Idaho. Another tag will be auctioned at the foundation's annual convention next February. The special lottery tag allows Maxwell to hunt in any open bighorn sheep hunting area in Idaho except Unit 11 during established seasons. The opportunity to hunt bighorns in Unit 11 alternates between the auction tag buyer in odd-numbered years and the lottery tag winner in even-numbered years. Money raised by the permit drawing supports Idaho's Wildlife Health Laboratory in Caldwell. "This permit has raised $650,000 to support the Wildlife Health Laboratory since this program was begun in 1992" said Dale Toweill, trophy species coordinator for Idaho Fish and Game and the supervisor for the Wildlife Health Laboratory. "This is a shining example of how sportsmen raise funds to give something back to all citizens of Idaho, hunters or not. These funds allow wildlife veterinarians to work with the Department of Agriculture on topics of concern to both the wildlife community and livestock interests, providing direct and indirect benefits to all Idahoans." The lab investigates tests for wildlife diseases, such as brucellosis, chronic wasting disease, West Nile virus and other pathogens of concern to hunters and the livestock industry. Last year the lottery raised more than $86,000 for the wildlife lab. The tags are released by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. The foundation is allowed to keep up to 25 percent of the money raised to pay for expenses, such as marketing the lottery and paying for the tag and a hunting license for the winner. The auction tag typically sells for about $100,000-in 2005 it went for $180,000. Proceed from the auction will go to improving sheep numbers and habitat in Idaho, particularly in Hells Canyon, which contains the largest area of ideal bighorn range in the continental United States.