Press Releases and Articles
Ask the Conservation Officer (CO)
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by Meghan Roos, Conservation Officer Question: I have encountered upland bird hunters using ATVs to follow hunting dogs. When a dog would go on point the hunter would stop the ATV, get off and shoot the birds. Once the birds were picked up they would climb back on the ATV and continue after the dogs. Is this legal… moreFish and Game Commission Meets in Boise
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The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is expected to tackle big game seasons and limits, act on wolf management and mule deer management plans, and hear about the prospects for a spring Chinook salmon season during a meeting March 5 and 6 in Boise. A public comment period begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, in the North… moreFish & Game, Volunteers Feed Upper Snake Deer
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Deer have always wintered in the junipers that flank the massive sand dunes outside of St. Anthony. Just as they have always wintered there, a certain number have always fallen victim to the vagaries of winter. But the past few mild winters have meant less mortality, resulting in more than 1,200 mule deer and a… moreFish and Game Feeds Elk and Deer in Some Areas
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With winter creating harsh conditions for wildlife in a few places, Idaho Fish and Game has been feeding about 1,050 elk at 8 sanctioned feeding sites, and about 2,450 deer at 36 sanctioned sites in the southern and eastern parts of the state. In addition, 650 elk are being baited away from agricultural operations at… moreAsk Fish and Game: New Turkey Rules
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Q. When will the new turkey rules be available? A. Turkey hunters looking for the new rules won't find them in a separate turkey rules book anymore; the turkey rules have been combined with upland game and furbearers into the Upland Game, Furbearer and Turkey rule book. The new books are back from the printer and are… moreUnethical Behavior & Fisher Research at Sportsmen's Meeting
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The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will provide information on unethical hunter behavior in the Clearwater Region as well as recent discoveries in Idaho's fisher populations at the March 4 Sportsmen's Meeting. The meeting will be from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Fish and Game's Clearwater Region Office, 3316 16th Street… moreBackground: Wolf Delisting Rule
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In another step toward delisting, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Thursday, February 21, filed the rule that would remove gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the federal endangered species list. The rule will be posted in the Federal Register on February 27, and it would take effect 30 days later on… morePublic Meetings on Proposed Big Game Rules
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Proposed changes to the 2008 big game seasons will be the focus of several upcoming open-house public meetings hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Public comments and suggestions will be forwarded to the Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners for their consideration in setting seasons at their meeting March 5-… moreInterim Bighorn Policy Adopted
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Thursday, February 14, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted an interim strategy on bighorn sheep to ensure separation from domestic sheep in Idaho. The strategy would identify and establish buffer zones between wild and domestic sheep to reduce interaction and the potential for transmitting disease. The… moreFish and Game Disability Licensing Procedure Changed
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By Viki Harber, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Hunters and anglers who qualify for Social Security or veteran's disability may benefit from new licensing procedures at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. In the past, permanently disabled persons applying for hunting and fishing licenses were required to bring… moreAsk Fish and Game: Radio Controlled Boats
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Q. What's up with radio controlled toy boats that have fishing gear attached? Are they legal in Idaho? A. Yes, they are legal. Idaho Fish and Game rules require that a fishing line or lines must be attended by and under the immediate surveillance of the person fishing. But they are not required to hold it. The boats… moreAsk the Conservation Officer (CO)
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by Gary Hompland, Regional Conservation Officer Question: "I saw some dogs chasing elk in the deep snow. Is there anything I or you can do to protect the elk from these dogs?" Answer: When we experience what I describe as a "more normal winter" and several feet of snow accumulates in many areas, big game animals… moreFish and Game Commission to Consider Wolf Plan
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The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will consider a proposed Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan during its March meeting. The Boise meeting, March 5, 6 and 7, will be at Fish and Game headquarters, 600 S. Walnut St. A public comment period is planned at 7 p.m. March 5 at the DoubleTree Riverside on Chinden Boulevard… moreNew Upland Rules Book to Include Turkeys
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Turkey hunters looking for the new rules won't find them in a separate turkey rules book anymore; the turkey rules have been combined with upland game and furbearers. Idaho Fish and Game officials decided that since turkeys are classified as upland game birds, combining the rules into one book would save time, effort… moreEmergency Winter Feeding
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Idaho Fish and Game is preparing for emergency winter feeding of deer in the Boise County area. Winter conditions have become extreme in the South Fork of the Payette River drainage from Banks to Lowman, and portions of the Boise River drainage. In concurrence from the Regional Winter Feeding Advisory Committee,… moreIdaho Needs Your Help Again
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Last fall when Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter asked Idahoans to help restore sagebrush habitats that went up in smoke during the summer's wildfires, nearly a thousand people volunteered. They collected 3,500 pounds of sagebrush seed for the Murphy Complex and Warm Springs Fires. "The volunteer sagebrush seed… moreSuper Hunt Tickets on Sale Now
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It's time to apply for a chance at the hunt of a lifetime. Entries in the first Super Hunt and Super Hunt Combo drawing must be received at the Fish and Game headquarters by May 31 with the drawing set for June 16. So what's a Super Hunt? It is a fund-raising drawing for 40 big game tags. The tags are handed… moreBighorn Sheep Tag Auction Brings Record Bid
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The winning bid in an annual auction for an Idaho Special Bighorn Sheep permit set a record this year. Frank Miles of Cecil Lake, British Columbia, bid $65,000 for the tag in the auction Friday, February 8, at the annual convention of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep in Salt Lake City. That's the most… more