Turkey hunters looking for the new rules won't find them in a separate turkey rules book anymore; the turkey rules have been combined with upland game and furbearers.
Idaho Fish and Game officials decided that since turkeys are classified as upland game birds, combining the rules into one book would save time, effort and cost. The change also would promote turkey hunting opportunity to all upland game hunters. Hunters who only picked up the upland rules in the past may become interested in turkey hunting after reading about the turkey seasons in the new, all inclusive upland game rule book.
The new books will be available at license vendors and Fish and Game offices later this month.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission set 2008 and 2009 turkey rules and other upland game rules at its January 16-17 meeting. But because the turkey controlled hunt application period usually starts January 15 and runs through February 15, the application period was extended to February 25.
The commissioners approved changes to turkey, upland game and furbearer rules, including:
- Extending the Youth Pheasant Season from first Saturday in October through the following Friday.
- Revising wildlife management area pheasant program hunter-orange rule to include a minimum size requirement of 36 square inches of visible hunter orange worn above the waist.
- Extending the Youth Turkey Season from the Saturday before April 15 through April 14. This year that means from April 12 through 14.
- Making youth-only controlled hunt turkey permits valid during the Youth Turkey Season prior to April 15.
- Increasing controlled hunt turkey permits for hunt areas 938-2, 950, 954, 971, and 936B; and creating a fall controlled turkey hunt for hunt areas 971 and 950. Closing fall hunting in that portion of Payette County in Unit 32.
- Extending the $5 special turkey tag to be valid for all turkey depredation hunts, and eliminating controlled turkey depredation tags.
- Adding 80 sandhill crane permits in four eastern Idaho counties.
The commissioners also approved seven furbearer season changes including:
- Increasing the Upper Snake regional otter quota to 15.
- Increasing the Magic Valley regional otter quota to 30.
- Closing beaver season in Willow Creek drainage, including all the tributaries of Units 66 and 69 for beaver restoration.
- Opening Mink Creek for a controlled trapping permit of 10 beaver.
- Adding Toponce Creek to the Pebble Creek controlled trapping permit for beaver.
- Opening beaver trapping season on the Big Wood River below Magic Reservoir Dam, on Hailey Creek, Sheep Creek, and Cold Springs Creek.
- Deleting the controlled trapping permit requirement for mink and muskrat on Niagara Springs, Hagerman, and Billingsley Creek Wildlife Management Areas.
The changes will appear in the new combined Upland Game, Furbearer and Turkey rule book and online at
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/rules/ug/.
