Protecting the Bulls

Hunting seasons are starting to open across the state and most conservation officers are turning their attention to big game and upland game birds. But Idaho Fish and Game officer Tom Whalen is patrolling the backcountry to safeguard bull trout. These native Idaho fish, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, are vulnerable to poaching this time of year. They have migrated from reservoirs and lakes into high mountain streams, becoming big fish in a little bit of water. Whalen knows eight bull trout were poached in the Pend Oreille basin this season. Two had been radio-tagged for research. So far, Whalen has cited eight people in four different incidents. The potential fine for killing a bull trout ranges from a minimum fine of $250 per fish to a $1,000 and up to six months in jail. These fish leave larger bodies of water to spawn in their home streams, which places some of these 30-plus-inch fish into small, narrow creeks. The temptation of the big fish is too much for some people Many of the streams the fish migrate to are remote. Whalen knows few people would fish these waters unless they were targeting bull trout. Whalen's job is to protect the bull trout and track down the poachers who take them. He patrols the streams and collects a variety of clues where fish have been poached. The bull trout's historic range covers much of north and central Idaho. Fish and Game has taken strong measures, before and after the listing of bull trout under the federal Endangered Species Act, to protect the fish and its habitat. Bull trout remain viable in much of the species' historic range in Idaho, though populations in some neighboring states struggle.