Frequently Asked Questions

We get a lot of questions. We post here answers to questions we're being asked frequently. If you have a question not answered here, please contact us. Urgent questions should be directed to your nearest office. Some answers change over time; please take note of the "answered" date.

Displaying 3101 - 3125 of 3534 questions

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This year, the only legal weapons in a season designated "short range weapons only" are muzzleloader, archery equipment, crossbow and shotgun using slugs or shot size 00 or larger. But the Idaho Fish and Game Commission in July approved the use of handguns using straight-walled cartridges not originally developed for rifles in big game short-range weapon hunts. The Idaho Legislature still must review and approve the rule before it can take effect. If passed this winter, the rule may take effect in the 2010 big game hunting seasons.
answered 11/1/2009

A: 

Idaho has two types of deer tags and both have nonresident purchase quotas. The nonresident quota for the general deer tag is 12,000. Nonresidents that choose a white-tailed deer tag are included in that quota. When the general nonresident deer tag quota of 12,000 is met, the additional 1,500 whitetail-only tags may be sold. With a regular deer tag, a hunter may harvest either a mule deer or a white-tailed deer, as seasons allow. With a white-tailed tag, a hunter may take only a white-tailed deer.
answered 10/25/2009

Q: General deer season in units 40 and 41 runs October 10 thru October 24. Why would it close on a Saturday instead of Sunday, October 25?

The cow-elk season ends on a Tuesday. I understand the mid-week openings to stagger the opening day pressure a little, but I don't understand closing on a Saturday or mid week.

A: 

About 20 years ago, Fish and Game adopted calendar date openings for big game seasons. Rather than open on particular day of the week, seasons open on a specific day, such as October 10, no matter what day of the week that happens to be. It was based on fairness and the volume of complaints from people - each with their own reason the chosen day was unsatisfactory. Season lengths are typically set incrementally as established in big game management plans. For deer, Fish and Game set an October 10 - 31 season. If the population can't sustain that season length, it is shortened by seven days. That is why some seasons run October 10 - 24. Some years it ends on a Sunday, some years, a Tuesday, and some years a Saturday like this year. The consistency in season dates has worked well over the years. Some years hunters end up with a bonus weekend, in others they may feel short-changed.
answered 10/12/2009

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Yes. A hunter may use toxic shot for hunting pheasants on Fish and Game wildlife management areas that emphasize waterfowl hunting. But many or all federal wildlife refuges require nontoxic shot. Hunters should check with the refuge of their choice before hunting there.
answered 10/4/2009

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Lead shot is illegal for all waterfowl hunting, including ducks, mergansers, geese and coots. Hunters may not hunt waterfowl while in possession of shot other than nontoxic shot approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The shot must be 0.2 inches - T size - or smaller. Only steel shot or steel shot with coating of less than 1 percent of copper, nickel, zinc chromate or zinc chloride; or shot made from bismuth-tin, tungsten-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-nickel-iron, tungsten-iron-nickel-tin, tungsten-tin-bismuth, tungsten-tin-iron, tungsten-iron-copper-nickel, or tungsten-bronze, is on the list of approved nontoxic shot.
answered 9/27/2009

A: 

It depends. In addition to a valid 2009 Idaho hunting license, hunters need a permit to hunt sage-grouse and sharp-tailed grouse. Any person hunting sage- or sharp-tailed grouse must have in possession their license with a sage/sharp-tailed grouse permit validation, available from license vendors at $4.75. No permit other than a current hunting license is required to hunt forest grouse, including blue, ruffed and spruce. Check the current rule brochure for seasons and bag limits.
answered 9/13/2009

A: 

That depends on where you live and how old she is. Anyone who is 10 or older may take the independent study course on the internet, with a required supervised field day. But in some regions field days may not be available because of the hunting season. Before taking the internet course, please check with the nearest Fish and Game regional office for field day availability. Regional office contact information is located at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/about/offices/. For those wishing to go the traditional route, some courses are already full, and others are filling up quickly. For more information go the Fish and Game Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov./cms/education/hunter_ed/
answered 9/3/2009

A: 

There is no minimum caliber for centerfire cartridges. But it is unlawful to hunt big game with rimfire ammunition. The number of bullets is limited only by the size of your magazine. For more information see Page 65 in the 2009 Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure.
answered 8/16/2009

A: 

Applicants whose names were drawn had through August 1 to pick up their controlled hunt tags. If they didn't pick them up, their tags became available for the second drawing. The application period for the second drawing runs through August 15. The list of leftover and unclaimed tags is online at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/licenses/leftover/deab2.cfm and at vendors statewide.
answered 8/9/2009

A: 

It is not legal to use any live fish as bait, except that live crayfish and bull frogs may be used if caught on the body of water being fished. But game fish reduced to possession may be used as fishing bait, either whole or cut up. Those fish, however, still count toward bag limits. Steelhead roe is legal if cured - that is, dead eggs.
answered 8/2/2009

A: 

Family Fishing Waters are great places to take the grandchildren and the rest of the family fishing. They are easy to get to, the rules are simple and they have plenty of fish to catch. To find good places to take a youngster fishing, directions on how to get there, what kind of fish will you find, and some tips to make your first fishing trip a success, go to: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/ffw/, which lists family friendly waters in each of Idaho Fish and Game's seven regions across the state. Or go to the Fish and Game Website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ and click on the "Idaho Fishing Planner" logo under the picture, and search for a place. Or contact the nearest Fish and Game regional office.
answered 7/26/2009

A: 

Any local vendor or Fish and Game office can issue a duplicate license. But lost tags, including bear tags, can be replaced only at a Fish and Game office. Each duplicate item costs $7.25 for Idaho residents and $8.25 for nonresidents.
answered 7/19/2009

A: 

Under legislation passed this year, Idaho Fish and Game no longer issues separate controlled hunt permits. All the permit information is included on the tags, which must be purchased by August 1.
answered 7/5/2009

A: 

Winners of the first deer, elk, pronghorn, and fall bear drawing will be notified by July 10. Winners in the drawing will be mailed a postcard notification. It is, however, the responsibility of the hunter to find out if they were successful in drawing a controlled hunt permit. Results will also be available by July 10 on the Idaho Fish and Game Website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/. Hunters who were drawn must buy their tags by August 1 or the tags would be considered unclaimed.
answered 6/28/2009

A: 

No. It is illegal to fish for salmon in areas closed to salmon fishing - including catch-and-release. You can fish for other species in waters that also have salmon. But any unintentionally hooked salmon must be released immediately. If you fish with salmon gear in a closed area, a conservation officer may think you are fishing for salmon and cite you for it.
answered 6/21/2009

A: 

No. Anglers need to record only salmon longer than 24 inches on their permit. But anglers cannot retain salmon less than 24 inches in length in the Salmon River upstream of the town of Salmon. This restriction in the upper Salmon River is to protect endangered sockeye salmon from incidental harvest.
answered 6/14/2009

A: 

No. Archery permits are only required for hunting. But a valid Idaho fishing license is required to fish with a bow. Fishing with a bow and arrow, crossbow, spear or mechanical device, excluding firearms, is permitted only in the taking of bullfrogs and unprotected nongame fish - such as carp and suckers - and only in those waters during the season set for the taking of game fish. F08
answered 6/7/2009

A: 

In Idaho, largemouth and smallmouth bass are lumped together in the rule book. Limits are for the total of largemouth and smallmouth bass together. The bag limit and size restrictions depend on the water. For general rules waters, the limit is six bass. North of the Salmon River there is no length limit; south of the Salmon none under 12 inches may be taken. In quality bass waters, no bass may be kept until after July 1, and after that the limit is two, none between 12 and 16 inches. In waters managed for trophy bass, the limit is two fish, none under 20 inches. There are some exceptions so check the rules brochure for the water you want to fish. If that water is not listed under "exceptions," then the general bass rule applies.
answered 5/31/2009

A: 

It is illegal to pick up wildlife hit by vehicles. Protected wildlife that has died of natural or accidental causes is considered the property of the state. Parts of animals that have died from natural causes may be kept for personal use. These parts, such as horns, antlers, skulls, teeth, bear and lion parts, may be sold or bartered. The horns of bighorn sheep that have died of natural causes must be pinned by Fish and Game if kept, but they may not be sold.
answered 5/21/2009

A: 

Here is a simplified version of how the controlled hunt drawing system works: The procedure has been computerized since 1973 and was certified random by Boise State University professors in 1977. Every applicant has the same chance of drawing. Officials verify that applicants meet all of the eligibility requirements to draw a permit. Each application is then assigned a randomly generated number, which is then scrambled and coded before being drawn by the computer system. The computer, located in the state controller's office, selects the successful applicants from the entire application file of eligible applicants.When a group of people enter on the same application, the group is assigned a single application number, and the system will recognize only one application number. That means a group has the same chance of drawing as an individual.The controlled hunt drawing system processes all first choice hunts in the first round. The system then does a second drawing to fill any open hunts with second choice hunts. No person can draw a second choice before that hunt has been filled by first choice people.When residents and nonresidents enter on the same application, the chances of drawing are limited to the nonresident chances. Nonresidents are limited to up to 10 percent of the permits available in any individual controlled hunt. In a controlled hunt with 100 permits, for example, nonresidents can draw up to 10 permits. If, after drawing 90 applications, the computer draws an application and finds it includes a nonresident, it checks to see whether a permit is available for a nonresident. If 10 nonresidents already have drawn permits for that hunt, the computer simply goes to the next application.Hunters can improve their odds by doing a little homework. Using the odds and results from the previous year, found on the Idaho Fish and Game hunt planner at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov, hunters can find hunts with fewer applicants and better odds of drawing.
answered 5/17/2009

A: 

Family Fishing Waters are great places to take the family fishing. They are easy to get to and have plenty of fish to catch. Each of Idaho Fish and Game's seven regions across the state can answer your questions and get you and your family started on the road to fishing. Or find local Family Fishing Waters at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/apps/ffw/.
answered 5/10/2009

A: 

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission sets spring Chinook seasons based on preseason forecasts. But forecasts are just that. The actual numbers may be higher or lower. Salmon managers have not revised their forecasts yet, but some do not expect the run at Bonneville Dam to meet preseason predictions. Others say the run is simply late and predict it will still come close to earlier expectations. So far, as of May 3, about 240 Chinook salmon have been counted at Lower Granite Dam on their way to Idaho - the 10-year average for this date is more than 17,000. And about 38,396 fish have crossed Bonneville Dam- the 10-year average is about 107,389 fish. The preseason forecast predicted about 105,600 hatchery origin and almost 23,000 wild Chinook would return to Idaho. That would translate into estimates of 13,341 fish available for nontribal anglers in the Clearwater River, 9,700 in the lower Salmon and Little Salmon, and 1,365 in the Snake River. For an online preview of the Chinook salmon season on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S86yoxrI9Wk.
answered 5/3/2009

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Not at all. The sign-up period to participate in depredation hunts this year runs through June 30. Applications that come in after June 30 are added to the list but have little chance of being selected. Applicants must have a valid Idaho hunting or combination license. Depredation hunts, if needed, are usually held on short notice, in small areas and involve only a few hunters. Hunters may apply in only one region for a given species. For more information and an application form check pages 73 and 74 in the big game rule book.
answered 4/26/2009

A: 

It's a joke. But it wasn't always. In about 1917 it became illegal to fish from the back of an animal. Any animal. The law was not specific about the kind of animal, whether camel, zebra, rhino or giraffe. This item from the 1920 Fish and Game rules made it clear: "It is unlawful: ... ; to fish for trout from the back of any animal, or to travel up or down any stream on back of animal while fishing for trout." This restriction no longer appears in Fish and Game rules. But "chasing fish up or downstream in any manner" is still illegal.
answered 4/5/2009

A: 

The 2009 Big Game Seasons and Rules books are at the printer. They are expected to be on the street by mid-April. They also will be available on the Internet by that date at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.
answered 3/29/2009