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Idaho Fish and Game

Special Supervised Depredation Goose Hunts Planned

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In an effort to reduce conflicts with the ever-increasing resident Canada goose population, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will open several sites in the valley to hunting. Personnel from the three agencies will supervise all hunts. The hunts are planned in the Lewiston/Clarkston Valley in areas normally closed to hunting. The scheduled dates for the three hunts are December 20, 2000, January 3 and January 17, 2001. IDFG will accept names of goose hunters interested in applying for the special hunt during the week of December 4-8 only. Hunters will be asked to designate which State they wish to hunt. Hunters will be selected using a computerized random drawing, and will then be contacted and provided more specific instructions about the hunt. "Last year, hunters harvested over 180 geese and applied pressure to move them throughout the valley," said Regional Wildlife Biologist Miles Benker. "Hunting was also reported to improve in outlying areas where hunting is allowed. Most of this land is in private ownership, so make sure to ask for permission to hunt." Those individuals applying for the hunt must meet the following requirements: You must arrange to have 3 other members in your party.
  • All hunters must have all State licenses and permits required for the State in which you will be hunting.
  • Federal Waterfowl Stamp and Federal Migratory Game Bird Harvest Information Program Validation.
  • Minimum of 2 dozen decoys/party.
  • Boat or retrieving dog.
Sites for the special hunt include Confluence Island, Hell's Gate State Park and North Lewiston crop land in Idaho, while Washington sites include Swallows Park and Asotin area. On each hunt date, four hunters will be allowed at each site from a half-hour before sunrise until 1:00 PM. Special arrangements will be made for disabled hunters. Interested hunters may call the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Lewiston office at 799-5010 from December 4 - 8, 2000.