Upland Game Seasons Open

Fall upland hunting starts this week, with seasons for mourning doves, forest grouse and sandhill cranes as well as cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares. Hunters will find upland hunting rules and shooting times in the rules brochure at license vendors and Fish and Game offices as well as on the department Website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov. The season for doves and sandhill cranes starts September 1. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset - check the brochure for exact times. Dove limits are 10 daily with 20 in possession after the first day. Fish and Game has eliminated controlled hunts for sandhill cranes, selling over-the-counter tags. The limit is two birds per day and nine per season. Tags cost $15 for residents and nonresidents alike. A federal migratory bird harvest information program validation is required for dove and crane hunting - $1.75 for residents and $4.75 for nonresidents. The season for forest grouse, which includes ruffed, spruce and dusky (blue) grouse, opens Monday, August 30, and runs through December 31 in most of Idaho. In the Panhandle Region it runs through January 31. The daily limit is four, whether all of one or mixed species, and eight in possession after the first day. Only a valid hunting license is required for hunting forest grouse. Seasons for cottontail rabbit and snowshoe hares open September 1 and runs through February 28, 2011, for cottontails and through March 31, 2011, for hares. The daily bag limit for both is eight, with 16 in possession after the first day. There is no season on pygmy rabbits. To distinguish, note that cottontail tails are dark above and white underneath and the pygmy's tail is buffy gray with no white. The cottontail is more than a foot long while the pygmy is less than one foot. Contact the local Fish and Game office to determine whether pygmy rabbits are found in your hunting area. The early fall general turkey season begins September 15, and seasons for sage-grouse, quail, and partridge begin September 18. Sharp-tailed grouse season opens October 1. All hunters need a valid 2010 Idaho hunting license. In addition, a separate permit is required for hunting sage and sharp-tailed grouse. Turkey hunters also will need tags.