Wild Turkey, Access Yes!, White-tailed Deer Open Houses Slated

Because it's not too early to be thinking about next year's turkey hunting seasons, Fish and Game is inviting the public to attend an upcoming open house to discuss the topic. On Monday, November 24, Fish and Game will host two open houses in the Southwest region to gather public input regarding proposed changes to 2004 turkey hunting seasons and the Department's newly unveiled Access Yes! program. Proposed goals for the Department's revised white-tailed deer management plan will also be available for public review and comment. Fish and Game's Nampa office (3101 S. Powerline Road) and McCall office (555 Deinhard Drive) will serve as open house locations. Fish and Game staff will be on hand, and interested persons can attend anytime between 3:00 and 7:00 pm. Under current Department proposals, no changes would be made to turkey seasons in Southwest Idaho. A special youth wild turkey hunt has been proposed for the weekend prior to the April 15 general season opening date. Visitors can also comment on a proposal to raise the turkey bag limit from two to three birds and on the idea of allowing rifle hunting for wild turkeys. In its first year of operation, Idaho's Access Yes! program has proven popular among some hunting enthusiasts. The open house will afford everyone an opportunity to comment on the program and offer suggestions for making the program more effective. Comments will also be sought on the Department's new preliminary white-tailed deer management plan. "White tails are now found in every region of the state," Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Jeff Rohlman said. "The time is right to build a comprehensive management plan to effectively manage this popular game animal. What we need now is public input on white-tailed deer management goals." Hunters can peruse information pertaining to all these topics via the Fish and Game website (www2.state.id.us/fishgame) and also provide written comment regarding the proposals on the web site. The comment period ends November 26. Public comment regarding these topics will be assembled and presented to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission for further review. For more information, contact Fish and Game's Nampa office (465-8465) or McCall office (634-8137).