NOVEMBER TOWN HALL
Our November Town Hall was well attended and packed with interesting news and developments in hunting and natural resource policy. So, let’s get right to it, shall we?
Idaho Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks says some positive discussions are taking place between the agency and representatives of Idaho outfitters. For several years, parties across the hunting spectrum have been trying to find compromise with nonresident hunting tag allocations as the agency transitions to a different system for distributing nonresident big game tags. Previously, outfitters have been resistant to any policy shift that would reduce their annual allocation.
The dynamics are changing thanks to new outfitter representatives at the negotiating table and Fredericks and others say it’s a positive step toward reaching a compromise on this thorny policy issue. Fredericks also said the outfitters have pledged not to bring legislation to protect their interests in 2026. “We’re at a better place than we’ve been in a long time,” the director said, adding the parties meet again later this month to continue talks.
Rep. Van Burtenshaw, Chairman of the House Resources and Conservation Committee, encouraged Fredericks and staff to continue engaging with outfitters and said he hoped to have the issue resolved and teed up for review by the Legislature. “I’d just really like to see it resolved in the best way we can,” he said.
There is some disappointing news to report about whitetail deer populations in north-central Idaho. Fredericks said whitetail populations in the Clearwater Region have been hit hard by an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). Agency biologists are monitoring the outbreak and impacts, but Fredericks said mortality has been been significant and it will take several seasons before the numbers return to the levels before the outbreak.
Not all big game health news is dire. So far, Fish and Game has submitted more than 3,000 tissue samples as part of the monitoring program for chronic wasting disease in deer, but so far, no new positive tests have been detected. Currently, CWD management zones include hunting units 14, 18 and part of unit 1. There is also a mandatory testing rule in place for units 23, 24, 32a and 63 a.
One of the top priorities for Fish and Game right now is reviewing comments submitted on the proposed rules for the use of technology in the field. Specifically, the rules apply to the use of transmitting trail cameras on public land and the use of thermal imaging binoculars. More than 2,700 comments were submitted during the public comment period, and Fredericks said the public input covers the spectrum on technology use. The Fish and Game Commission will discuss the rules and how to proceed at its meeting later this month. The goal is to present rules in some form to the Legislature next year, he said.
Here's a sampling of other tidbits from Fish and Game:
The agency is working with counterparts in Oregon on a plan to translocate 30 Bighorn Sheep from Oregon to the Jacks Creek area in the Owyhee Mountains. Staff is in the process of engaging residents and ranchers with grazing allotments in the area.
In recent weeks, Idaho legislators have received emails from a disgruntled group of Lewiston area whitetail deer hunters threatening to push legislation that would require Fish and Game Commissioners to be elected and paid an annual salary. Fredericks said this legislative effort is the result of frustration over a decision by the Commission to change the rules and dates for whitetail season in the region. Fredericks said he doesn’t agree with the concerns of the group or its proposed legislative changes to the commission.
Jess Byrne, Director of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, took a moment to provide a few updates from the work his team is doing to protect water and natural resources. Byrne said the agency continues to provide a support role in the battle against quagga mussels in the Snake River. DEQ staff is monitoring water quality before, during and after the applications of the toxic copper-based cocktail used to kill the species. Reporting on water quality sampling should be available later this month, he said.
Byrne also mentioned the spate of harmful algae blooms that have impacted water bodies across the state this summer. During the summer season, 12 different water bodies were flagged for public health advisories due to the blooms. Byrne said the total is a bit of a surprise to the agency given the lower summer temperatures recorded around the state. He also said there are many factors that contribute to the blooms and his staff is working to better understand the causes.
Benn Brocksome from Idaho Sportsmen shared the news about a new partnership with the Idaho Wildlife Federation to begin winning conceptual support for building more wildlife crossings at strategic points across the state. Nick Fasciano, Executive Director at IWF, said one of the immediate goals is to change the narrative about crossings, the role they play in protecting species and reducing vehicle collisions and the cost in lives and resources.
Brocksome said the strategy this year is to curry support for crossings among legislators by introducing a nonbinding resolution. Passage of a resolution is critical to the pursuit of private and federal grant money that can help pay for these projects. There will be no ask for funds from the Idaho Legislature in 2026, Brocksome said. Stay tuned as we’ll be providing updates in coming months on this initiative.
From the “In Case You Missed It” Department, here are a few news nuggets of import to sportsmen that were reported in the media this week:
Fish and Game law enforcement helped deliver convictions of 17 different men for operating a big game poaching ring in the Magic Valley. Investigators determined the poachers illegally killed 32 mule deer, a bull moose, swan and a bobcat since 2016. Those convicted faced fines and jail time for their actions.
The Idaho Department of Agriculture is reporting positive results from the latest round of treatment in the Snake River to eradicate quagga mussels. This fall, crews injected a copper-based chemical in a 3.5-mile section of the Snake near Twin Falls.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 2. We hope to see you there or online.
