History of Hagerman WMA
History
The Hagerman Valley region has extensive Native American history. Both Shoshone and Bannock Indians journeyed to the area now known as Hagerman WMA, often from great distances, to feast on Chinook salmon and steelhead migrating up the Snake River to spawn. Semi-permanent camps were established and utilized year after year, as tribes made use of the fish and other wildlife resources found in Hagerman Valley (Hagerman Historical Society Files).
The Snake River’s Lower and Upper Salmon Falls proved to be significant bottlenecks for migrating salmon and steelhead, concentrating fish in the pools below. There, they became vulnerable to the spears and nets of native fishermen. Fish not immediately eaten were smoked or salted for later use; others were traded to white immigrants for items normally unavailable to the Indian tribes (Hagerman Historical Society Files).
In the 1860s, homesteaders following the Oregon Trail through southern Idaho passed through the Hagerman Valley. The Trail skirted the southern edge of the Snake River, just a river’s width from the southern boundary of Hagerman WMA. For some, this glimpse, combined with an already long, weary trip, was all the persuasion needed to end the journey and settle in the Hagerman Valley. During the mid-to late 1800s, a number of farms and ranches sprung up in the Hagerman Valley. The Tucker Ranch became the Hagerman Valley Refuge in 1940 and currently Hagerman WMA (Hagerman Historical Society Files).
Land was acquired for Hagerman WMA beginning in 1940 with the purchase of 423.47 acres from Richard W. Tucker. An additional 170.28 acres were purchased in 1941, and 58.37 acres were added in 1951. Beginning in 1953, and continuing today, 223 acres are licensed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Subsequent, small acreage additions resulted in the current Hagerman WMA size of 880.52 acres.
Hagerman WMA, Idaho’s first Wildlife Management Area, was established principally to provide habitat for waterfowl and upland game birds. Pittman-Robertson funds were used to purchase this property.
The majority of Hagerman WMA has always been closed to waterfowl hunting. However, waterfowl hunting did occur on Riley Creek, Oster Lakes, and the south end of Hagerman WMA until 1979. Firing lines surrounded the core of Hagerman WMA. Lead shot accumulated in wetland sediments and along the Hagerman WMA boundary for 20 years due to hunting in these areas. Between 1978 and 1980, 1,566 mallards were examined to assess lead poisoning at Hagerman WMA (Hompland 1981). Hompland (1981) did an x-ray analysis of gizzards from hunter-shot ducks and found a lead shot ingestion rate of 15%. Fluoroscopy of bait-trapped mallards and X-ray analysis of gizzards indicated that 9% contained ingested shot (Hompland 1981). Postmortem examination and analysis of kidney and liver tissues indicated that 15% of bait-trapped mallards contained toxic levels of lead (Hompland 1981).
The “firing line,” (hunters congregating along the Hagerman WMA waterfowl hunting boundary and pass shooting at ducks), was eliminated in 1979 by extending the area closed to waterfowl hunting outside the Hagerman WMA boundary. Waterfowl hunting remained closed on the Hagerman WMA until 2008 when a mentored youth waterfowl hunt was instituted. The hunt allows up to four youth per day for three weekends (six days) during November. Each youth or pair of youth has an adult mentor who guides them in waterfowl hunting from a predetermined blind on Anderson Pond #1 and the Bass Ponds.