Weapons Technology the Focus of F&G Open Houses

Changes in the gadgets hunters use (or wish to use) in the pursuit of their quarry - together with 2007/2008 moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat seasons - will be the focus of two upcoming open houses hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. On Tuesday, December 12 from 4:00 to 7:00pm, Fish and Game personnel will host open houses at the regional office in McCall (555 Deinhard Drive) and Nampa (3101 S. Powerline Road). Technological advances in the gear now available to hunters have been considerable since most of Idaho's current big game hunting equipment restrictions for centerfire rifle, archery and muzzleloader were adopted in 1991. The Fish and Game Commission has instructed department staff to collect feedback on the use of lighted scopes for big game hunting and the possible prohibition of .50 caliber and larger centerfire firearms. Regarding the field of bowhunting, Fish and Game will collect comment on arrow weight and length restrictions and the 65 percent let-off rule currently in force for bows. Comments will also be collected regarding the idea of restricting traditional muzzleloader hunts to sidelock muzzleloaders only, the possibility of allowing only traditional muzzleloaders in all special season big game muzzleloader hunts, and the possibility of establishing muzzleloader minimum projectile weights and calibers for the pursuit of both big game and trophy game. Not quite a side issue, proposed statewide 2007/2008 moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat seasons will also be available for review and comment at the open house. Moose proposals in southwest Idaho include combining hunt areas 20A-1 and 20A-2 into a single hunt unit with two permits available, and closing hunt area 26. For bighorn sheep hunters, Fish and Game is considering replacing the _ curl rule with an "any ram" rule, splitting the California bighorn sheep hunt now offered in unit 41 into two hunts with two permits available for each hunt, and adding one permit to both the early and late hunts in hunt unit 42, the Owyhee River drainage. No changes are currently being proposed for mountain goat seasons in southwest Idaho. Around mid-December, look for a complete list of trophy season proposals as well as the hunting equipment survey on Fish and Game's website: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov. For those unable to attend an open house, a comment form will be included for both the proposals and the survey. Fish and Game staff will compile the results and present their findings to the Fish and Game Commission in advance of their January 10-12 meeting in Boise. For more information please contact Fish and Game's Nampa office at 465-8465 or McCall office at 634-8137.