Rules Proposed on LAP, Governor's Tags, Motorized Hunts

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission Thursday, August 23, adopted proposed rules affecting Landowner Appreciation Program tags, motorized hunting and the Governor's Wildlife Partnership tags. Commissioners adopted a one-year waiting period for antlered deer and elk LAP hunts in which eligible landowners exceed available permits by a ratio of 2:1 or more. They capped the LAP tag allocation at 10 percent of regular controlled hunt permit levels in all LAP hunts. Responding to concerns that the current definition was too broad, commissioners also adopted a new definition of "designated agent(s)" as immediate family, youth, disabled members of the armed forces and direct employees. The commission also adopted proposed changes to clarify and simplify the agency's motorized hunting rule. The rule would no longer be designated by hunt, but by hunting unit and calendar date. The rule would not apply to upland game or upland bird hunters, or to hunters not actively hunting, such as moving camping equipment or retrieving game. Hunters still must follow restrictions by landowners or managers. Commissioners also adopted rules for the administration of Governor's Wildlife Partnership tags, should the commission issue such tags for auction in the future. New state law allows the Fish and Game Commission to release up to three tags each for deer, elk and pronghorn, and one tag each for moose, mountain goat and bighorn sheep annually, to be auctioned by a nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation. Any such tags issued would be subject to once-in-a-lifetime restrictions on moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat hunts. And no one may receive more than one governor's tag per year. Anyone awarded a governor's tag would not be subject to a one-year waiting period for controlled hunt tags. But recipients would have to return controlled hunt tags for the same species unless the tag was for a depredation hunt or an extra hunt. Recipients also may buy second, extra or leftover tags if allowed for deer, elk or pronghorn under existing controlled hunt rules. Recipients of a governor's tag for moose, bighorn or mountain goat may still apply for deer, elk or pronghorn controlled hunts during the same year. Governor's tags would be taken from the nonresident tag quota. These three sets of rules would not become effective unless approved by the state Legislature during the 2013 session.