Commissioners adopted rules that would allow the use of electronic calls for bears, mountain lions and wolves, and traps and snares for taking wolves in areas and with bag limits and seasons to be specified by the commission. The commission will set wolf seasons and limits during the August meeting in Idaho Falls.

They also adopted depredation hunts on black bears and wolves, and a provision that would allow hunters to take wolves incidental to hunting over bear bait, and extended the mandatory check-in for wolf hunts to 72 hours to report a kill and 10 days to check the skull and hide with Fish and Game.

They rejected the proposed bonus point program after several commissioners expressed their reservation about the program and the lack of clear public support.

The commissioners adopted a chukar and gray partridge season that will run October 1, 2011, through January 31, 2012, with a daily bag limit of six birds and a possession limit of 12 of each. They also moved the sage-grouse and quail seasons opening to October 1, effective in 2011. Starting next year, the chukar, gray partridge, quail and sage-grouse season will open October 1.

The commission adopted a forest grouse season opening August 30 statewide, and changed shooting hours for all upland game at CJ Strike, Fort Boise, Montour and Payette River wildlife management areas to 10 a.m., during the pheasant season, including youth hunts.

Other changes will:

Prohibit shooting upland game birds from any watercraft.

Prohibit use of telemetry or other electronic tracking to hunt game, except for use with hunting hounds or other sporting dogs.

Allow collection and sale of up to six rattlesnakes a year; a hunting license is required and only four snakes may be in possession at any time.
They postponed action on a proposal to establish standardized rules for placement of traps and snares to their August meeting in Idaho Falls.

In other action, commissioners awarded one bighorn sheep auction tag to the national Wild Sheep Foundation, and one bighorn sheep lottery tag to the Idaho chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation.

The commission also approved several proposals to be submitted to the 2011 Legislature, including:

Auction tags for existing and new big game species.

Restrict collection of wildlife from the wild without a permit.

Discretionary authority to create a mentored hunt program.

Access Permit and fees for designated Fish and Game lands.
Other ideas to consider for possible legislation included:

Allow the use of credit cards.

Discontinue use of social security number as license identifier.
The commission also approved providing funds to the Animal Damage Control Board as recommended by Fish and Game in accordance with state law.

The Fish and Game Commission meets again August 16 in Idaho Falls.

The early “green-field” hunts in seven elk management zones – Palouse, Weiser, Lemhi, Beaverhead, Pioneer, Snake River and Owyhee-South Hills zones – are meant to help landowners reduce crop damage.

Early archery hunts also start August 1 in the Snake River elk zone, and controlled green-field hunts also open in the Dworshak and Hells Canyon zones.

The green-field hunts are open only outside the National Forest Boundary and within one mile of cultivated fields. They help reduce depredation problems and control populations causing crop damage by harvesting or discouraging animals in specific areas or portions of units.

August hunts, however, bring concerns about waste. Hunters have an ethical and legal obligation to salvage the edible portions of their kill. But meat spoilage is an important concern during typical hot August weather.

The key to preserving meat is starting the cooling process quickly. Game animals should be skinned immediately and quartered in most cases and transported quickly to cold storage facilities. Early season hunters may consider using large ice chests to keep game meat cool and clean. Removing meat from the bones also helps speed cooling.

When cutting up the elk carcass, hunters must be sure to preserve the evidence of sex. If the head or antlers are removed, evidence of sex in the form of testicles, penis, scrotum, udder or vulva must remain naturally attached to the carcass or parts thereof until it reaches the final place of storage or personal consumption, or a commercial meat processing facility. Antlers or horns removed from the head must be left naturally attached to the skull plate where size, point or brow-tine restrictions apply, and they must accompany the carcass or parts thereof.

Hunters must have a valid 2010 Idaho hunting license and tag in their possession, and they are encouraged to review the 2010 Big Game Rules for additional details.

Comments are being sought in four general areas.

1. Proposed rules for big game, upland game would:
” Remove motorized vehicle rule restrictions from units 48 and 57.
” Prohibit shooting upland game from a watercraft.
” Allow the use of sabots in muzzleloader-only hunts.

2. A proposed bonus point system designed to improve odds of unsuccessful controlled hunt applicants in subsequent years, would:
” Apply to all species for which controlled hunts are conducted.
” Apply only to the applicant’s first choice in any drawing.
” Allow hunters who do not wish to participate to opt out.
” Allow hunters to buy a bonus point without applying for that species’ controlled hunts that season.
” Allow hunters to buy a bonus point in the years when rules make them ineligible to apply for certain controlled hunts.
” Cost $4.50 plus a $1.75 vendor fee.

3. Proposed 2011 upland game bird seasons would:
” Extend the forest grouse season through January 31.
” Open the forest grouse season August 30.
” Change the shooting hours for all upland game to begin at 10 a.m. on wildlife management areas where pheasants are stocked in the Southwest Region.

4. Proposed changes in the landowner appreciation program would:
” Prohibit the selling, trading, bartering, or marketing of LAP tags.
” Prohibit the use of LAP tags for any commercial activities.
” Restrict landowners who charge a trespass fee from being eligible in LAP.
” Allow all eligible landowners have a chance at one tag before any landowners receive a second tag.
” Establish a one-year waiting period in those LAP hunts that are oversubscribed by more than 2 to 1.
” Exclude “affiliates, management companies, associated entities, wholly- owned subsidiaries, and controlling interests” from being eligible for more than a maximum of two tags per species.
” Allow landowners with 320 to 639 acres of valuable wildlife habitat to be eligible to apply for leftover LAP tags.

These proposed changes and a public comment form also will be available on the Fish and Game Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/public/. Public meeting times and locations also will be listed at this site as they are announced.

Written comments may be submitted at one of the open-house meetings, at a Fish and Game office or by mail to one of these: Big Game Comments, Bonus Point Comments, Upland Game Comments or LAP Comments c/o Idaho Fish and Game, P.O. Box 25, Boise ID 83707.

The public comment period ends June 28.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission will consider these proposals during a meeting July 7, 8 and 9 at the Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg.

Because of a change in state law, Fish and Game no longer will hold a public drawing. The law doesn’t allow Fish and Game to release the names of license or tag holders without written permission.

Fish and Game will notify winners individually and announce winners who consent to release their names.

The drawing will be for eight elk, eight deer, and eight antelope hunts as well as one moose hunt; one “Super Hunt Combo” entry also will be drawn that will entitle the winner to hunt for one each elk, deer, antelope and moose.

It’s too late to enter the June 15 drawing. But a second drawing will be in mid-August when another “Super Hunt Combo” and entries for two elk, two deer, and two antelope hunts along with one moose hunt will be drawn. The entry period for the second drawing continues through August 11.

Hunters can take an animal or animals on their Super Hunt or Super Hunt Combo tags in addition to any general season or controlled hunt tags they also hold. All other rules of individual hunts apply.

The special drawings began in 2004 as a way to raise money for the Access Yes! program, which helps assure hunter and angler access to and across private lands by compensating willing landowners.

The first entry costs $6; additional entries for the same species cost $4 each when purchased at the same time. Super Hunt Combo entries cost $20 for one; additional entries are $16 when purchased at the same time. Enter at license vendors, all Fish and Game offices, or on the Internet at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/superhunt/, and on the phone at 800-824-3729 or 800-554-8685.

Fill out entry orders and mail them to: Fish and Game License Section, P.O. Box 25, Boise, ID 83707.

Entries in this year’s 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 15.

The Super Hunt is a fund-raising drawing for 40 big game tags. The tags are handed out to winners in two drawings. Entries are drawn for elk, deer, pronghorn and moose tags. Winners can participate in any open hunt in the state for deer, elk, pronghorn or moose. That includes general hunts and controlled hunts.

Hunters may purchase any number and combination of Super Hunt and Super Hunt Combo entries.

The first Super Hunt entry will cost $6. Each additional entry purchased at the same time will cost $4 each. The Super Hunt Combo entries work the same way.

The first one costs $20, and each additional entry purchased at the same time will cost $16.

The first drawing is in June when entries are drawn for eight elk, eight deer, and eight pronghorn hunts as well as one moose hunt. One Super Hunt Combo entry also will be drawn that will entitle the winner to hunts for one each elk, deer, pronghorn, and moose.

The entry period for the second drawing is June 2 through August 11.

The second drawing is in August with two winners for elk, two for deer, two for pronghorn and one for a moose along with another Super Hunt Combo winner.

Winners can participate in any open hunt in the state for deer, elk, pronghorn or moose, including general and controlled hunts.

Entries can be purchased online at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/superhunt/, at license vendors and Fish and Game offices, by phone at 800-554-8685 or 800-824-3729, or by mail at: IDFG License Section, P.O. Box 25, Boise, ID 83707.

Money from the sale of entries supports the Access Yes! program, which compensates landowners who provide hunter and angler access to or across private land.

For information about this program contact local Fish and Game officials or visit the Website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/huntplanner/accessyesguide.aspx.

2010 Nonresident Deer and Elk Tag Quotas
As of:April 30, 2010
 

The general season youth turkey hunt runs Thursday April 8 through Wednesday April 14. Youths 15 years or younger on April 8, may participate in the youth hunt. All youth hunters must have a valid 2010 Idaho hunting license.

The general spring turkey hunts open April 15 and runs through May 25. Dates vary for controlled hunts, listed in the brochure.

Spring turkey hunting seasons and rules can be found in printed form at all Fish and Game offices and at license vendors statewide. The brochure is also on the Fish and Game web site at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/rules/ug/.

Hunters also can use the convenient Idaho Hunt Planner, found in the hunting section of the Website, where detailed maps are available.

Hunters must have a valid hunting license and a turkey tag. They may buy an extra tag for the spring hunts, but the limit for the year is three turkeys with no more than two taken in either the spring or fall seasons. The extra tag is now valid throughout the spring season and may also be used in the fall turkey season.

The waiting period for using the second tag has been eliminated.

Two turkey tags – one general tag and one extra tag – may be purchased for the spring turkey season before May 26.

Resident adults pay $19.75 for the first tag and $12.25 for an extra tag. Discounted tags for youth, seniors and disabled veterans are $10.75. Nonresident turkey tags cost $80, except for junior mentored tags priced $19.75.

Item may be viewed beginning at 10 a.m., and the auction will begin at noon Pacific Time. The fairgrounds are at 4056 N. Government Way, Coeur d’Alene. Items typically include hides, furs, antlers, horns and fishing and camping gear.

A taxidermist-furbuyer license is required in advance to bid on bear parts, mountain lion parts or any furbearer for anyone in the business of buying and selling hides or animal mounts. Resident licenses are $40 for one year, and nonresident licenses are $170. The licenses can be purchased at any Idaho Fish and Game office.

Buyers for personal use are not required to have a taxidermist-furbuyer license.

For more information contact the Panhandle Region Fish and Game office at 208-769-1414.