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Idaho Fish and Game

Press Releases and Articles

Apply Now for Spring Turkey Controlled Hunts

| idfg-lfrench

The application period for spring turkey controlled hunts runs through March 1. Spring turkey seasons start April 15 - some controlled hunts open later. Leftover tags for spring turkey controlled hunts go on sale April 1. The commissioners also removed the waiting period to use a second turkey tag. A second… more

Partridge Season Opening Dates Moved Back

| idfg-mcoleman

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission, during the annual meeting Thursday, January 28, changed the season opening and limit on chukar and gray partridge, and changed turkey rules. The season for chukar and gray partridge will open statewide on October 1, with a daily limit of six birds and 12 in possession. The… more

F&G Commission Hears Salmon Forecast, Big Game Summary

| idfg-lfrench

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission heard some encouraging news about the coming salmon seasons. The pre-season spring and summer Chinook salmon run forecast predicts about 160,000 adult hatchery fish and almost 30,000 wild fish to cross Lower Granite Dam, Idaho Fish and Game fisheries head Ed Schriever told… more

Mentored Youth Deer Hunt a Success

| idfg-mcoleman

Last fall the Idaho Department of Fish and Game once again joined forces with local Salmon Region landowners to host the second annual mentored youth deer hunt. The area's first mentored hunt began just over a year ago with encouragement from ranch manager Mike Kossler of Eagle Valley Ranch. He suggested the youth… more

Idaho Watershed Initiative Awards Grants

| idfg-lfrench

The Idaho Watershed Initiative has awarded $227,000 in grants for nine restoration proposals. The Idaho Watershed Initiative Project Review Board reviewed 20 proposals received from a variety of applicants, including private landowners, a city, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, a land trust, two… more

Ask Fish and Game: Nontoxic Shot

| idfg-mcoleman

Q. Do I need to use nontoxic shot when hunting sage-grouse or upland game along a waterway or on a wildlife management area? A. It's always a good idea to use nontoxic shot around waterfowl. But Fish and Game rules do not require the use of nontoxic shot for upland game birds. Fish and Game considered requiring… more

Fish and Game to Begin Big Game Aerial Surveys

| idfg-nnokkentved

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will begin aerial surveys of elk in management units 10 and 12 in the upper Clearwater Region beginning February 1. The helicopter surveys are scheduled to cover areas the same time each year to make the information gathered comparable from year to year. The goal is to compare… more

Fish and Game Commission Meets This Week

| idfg-mcoleman

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will consider lowering nonresident deer tag fees during the annual meeting January 27-29 at Fish and Game headquarters in Boise. The cost to hunt deer in Idaho is one of the highest of 11 western states. Fish and Game has recommended reducing nonresident general deer tags to $255… more

Spring Steelhead Season Open

| idfg-lfrench

A sure cure for cabin fever - the spring steelhead season is under way, but anglers will need a 2010 fishing license and steelhead permit. Spring steelhead season is open on the: Salmon River from its mouth to the posted boundary 100 yards downstream of the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery weir, near the town of Stanley.… more

Application Period for Spring Controlled Hunts Coming Up

| idfg-mcoleman

The application dates for the spring turkey controlled hunts have been pushed back and will be from February 1 through March 1 to accommodate the late January meeting of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, which will consider turkey seasons. The application period for spring black bear controlled hunts already has… more

From the Field: 2009 Chinook Salmon Fishery

| idfg-mcoleman

By Jim Lukens, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Last summer, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission opened 130 miles of the Salmon River from Island Park in Salmon City upstream to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery for Chinook salmon fishing. This was the first time in more than 30 years that salmon fishing had been opened… more

Winter on the Boise River Wildlife Management Area

| idfg-mcoleman

By Ed Bottum, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Winter is the time of year the Boise River Wildlife Management Area was created for. During winter, the WMA functions at its "highest and best use," providing a place for one of Idaho's migratory mule deer herds to spend the winter in relative comfort. Relatively more… more

Bald Eagle Days Feature Raptor Viewing

| idfg-mcoleman

The 11th annual Bald Eagle Days, January 28-30, will feature events for all ages, including viewing bald eagles and other wildlife along the Boise River. Bald Eagle Day, the signature event of the annual festivities, runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, January 30, at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm… more

Ask Fish and Game: Ice Fishing

| idfg-mcoleman

Q. Can I use a two-pole permit for ice fishing in Idaho? A. A two-pole permit does not allow anglers to double the number of lines they can use when ice fishing. In most of the state, there are no restrictions on the number of holes an ice angler can drill, except they can't be more than 10 inches in diameter. An… more

F&G Plans Public Meetings on Big Game Seasons

| idfg-nnokkentved

Every year the Idaho Fish and Game works with hunters to consider changes to the regulations for the upcoming season. The first step in this year's process will take place during the first week of February when Fish and Game hosts its first round of public meetings in Mackay, Idaho Falls and Rexburg. All meetings… more

Officers Find More Wildlife Violations in Bingham County

| idfg-nnokkentved

Idaho Fish and Game is seeking information about the killing of a mule deer in Big Game Management Unit 63 sometime between January 10 and 17. The animal's carcass was discovered west of Blackfoot, Idaho, near 1000 West and north of Highway 26. Officials assume the animal was a buck since the head was taken from… more

Lake Pond Oreille Kokanee Recovery Shows Positive Signs

| idfg-nnokkentved

Biologists and anglers working to recover the kokanee population in Lake Pend Oreille have reasons to be encouraged by progress seen in 2009. After more than a decade of lake level management to benefit shoreline spawning kokanee and four years of an aggressive predator reduction program, the kokanee population is… more

Southwest Idaho Christmas Bird Count Roundup

| idfg-mcoleman

By Cyndi Coulter, Idaho Department of Fish and Game In Southwest Idaho, four annual Christmas Bird Counts were conducted between December 16 and January 2. The four counts were part of the National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count, which began December 25, 1900, as an effort to document numbers and… more