MARCH TOWN HALL
IDAHO SPORTSMEN | ACCESS & OPPORTUNITY
MONTHLY REPORT
March 2026
It’s not difficult at all to determine what’s at the top of mind for Idaho sportsmen these days. Our March townhall and recent House and Senate committee hearing shows hunters and trappers are locked into the policy debate around the use of advanced technology tools and regulations on their future use.
The topic, and impassioned testimony on both sides of the issue, dominated the townhall discussion. Hunters who focus on wolves and other predators and representatives from state houndsmen groups complained about proposed rules that would restrict the use of night vision, thermal imaging and cameras. Critics cited the inability to use these tools to hunt wolves and limits on use in certain districts at important times of the season. Others say the rules would curtail hunting on bear and other species.
Subsequently, the Senate Resources and Environment Committee heard testimony from a dozen hunters who mostly spoke in favor of the rules. Many made the case that the rule struck the appropriate balance between advanced technology and fair chase. At the tine, the committee agreed to hold the pending rule in committee for now. The rules were dealt a similar fate in the House Resources and Conservation Committee, and for a time it seemed like the rules were left to wither on the vine for the session.
And yet, several legislators expressed a commitment to set hunting technology policy this year. This led to the Senate Resources and Environment Committee voting 6-3 on March 16th to approve the rules. This puts the onus back on the House Resources and Conservation Committee, which has yet to schedule a vote. If the rules pass the House committee, a resolution seeking approval of the rules will be sent to the House and Senate floors for consideration.
So, next steps? Stay tuned. If the rules fail to pass before the legislature adjourns, we’ll continue our efforts to draft and introduce a bill supporting the HAT committee recommendations and clarify the use of technology for wolves, predators and big game. Considering we’re in the 9th week of the session, time is running short. This has been a volatile and heated debate all session.
The technology rules have been a divisive issue in the hunting and trapping community for several years. The Department of Fish and Game, looking to set guidelines for use, put together a diverse working group to study and debate the issue and provide recommendations to put into rule form. Last year, agency staff along with the Fish and Game Commission approved a pending rule.
But agency’s proposed roadmap for using technology in the field has failed to win over the broader sportsmen community. Some say the rule is confusing. For others, it’s too restrictive and arbitrary. More than likely, the next step is to address the issue during the legislative offseason and get something ready for review in the 2027 Legislature if a bill to replace the rules doesn’t pass in the 2026 session.
We intend to keep sportsmen up to date on this important question.
Tuesday’s townhall was well attended by legislators, agency heads, congressional staff and sportsmen and leaders of hunting and trapping groups across the state. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the more interesting topics:
Rep. Raymond (R-31) said he had pulled a bill that would have made it unlawful to build wildlife hunting blinds near water sources on public lands. Raymond said the legislation drew significant alarm from hunters and acknowledged more investigation is needed before he would bring back legislation. Idaho Sportsmen Access & Opportunity board member Benn Brocksome praised Raymond for recognizing the potential controversy and flaws of his proposed legislation. “Thank you for being a gentleman and a statesman and giving us all the opportunity to work through it,” Brocksome said.
Raymond and Sen. Ron Taylor each expressed disapproval of SB 1300, which would give the Governor authority to appoint directors for Fish and Game and the Department of Parks and Recreation. The bill cleared the Senate but Taylor called it a “grudge bill” and urged the House to reject it.
Darren Parker, State Natural Resources Director for U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, informed the audience that Risch stood up for public lands in a recent confirmation hearing for Steven Pearce, the nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management. During the hearing, Parker said the Senator made it clear he is adamantly opposed to the idea of Idaho sportsmen losing access to any public lands. Pearce and his nomination have drawn fire based on his past statements showing support for selling public lands to help pay down the national debt.
Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks said the second round of nonresident tag sales went well. All available tags sold and from a revenue perspective the agency has brought in more money than a year ago.
Ok, time for a briefing on Northwest dams, river flows and salmon and steelhead. Mike Edmondson, Administrator of the Office of Species Conservation, said a federal judge issued a decision on operations of the Snake River dams. One of the key impacts from the decision is there will be additional water spills in the spring and summer of each year.
Idaho is an intervenor in the lawsuit, filed by a coalition of environmental groups against the federal government. Edmondson said Idaho and the federal government will ask the judge to reconsider the August spill. Generally, he said the ruling favors releasing more water to help fish and means less ability for power companies to generate hydropower.
Finally, it appears two proposed constitutional amendments for redefining how Idaho manages, sells and prioritizes public access to acreage acquired from the federal government may not be moving forward.
HJR 8, sponsored by Rep. Britt Raybould, R-34, failed to make it out of the House State Affairs Committee on a 7-7 tie vote. On the other side of the building, SJR 102 sponsored by Sen. Ben Adams, R-12, failed to win enough support and this week he asked that it be returned to committee.
Idaho Sportsmen Access & Opportunity has worked hard with both bill sponsors (Raybould and Adams, respectively). We were very supportive of Rep. Raybould’s efforts, especially after she introduced the idea to us in a town hall before introduction of HJR 8. She has long supported the sportsmen community, and we see her as a thought leader on public land use for all interested parties. We owe thanks to Rep. Raybould for her efforts and hope she and her supporters remain committed to working on this through the interim and into next year. We are committed to continuing to work with her.
As for SJR 102, concerns existed with the overall plan for payment to schools and counties, which could lead to the creation of a property tax offset account. The account would be controlled by the Legislature and could draw funds from public land land management and into accounts aimed at lowering PILT and the rising cost of public education. While SJR102’s public land provisions had merit, we believe it also had flaws. It is further clouded by ambiguous refences to transfer of federal land and the development of land in harmony with recreation. Sen. Adams’s effort was well intentioned, and he was genuine and honest with us throughout the process.
We hope he will also stay engaged in the issue and come to terms with Rep. Raybould and maybe, just maybe join forces to work together to get this important update to Idaho’s Constitution ahead of any effort to sell public lands in Idaho.
Working to achieve an outcome that works for all users of public lands is no easy task. The ability to gain enough support from legislators, stakeholders – from mininig, logging, grazing, recreation and sportsmen groups – is a daunting task. Both efforts contained thoughtful approaches and were built on the desire to keep public lands accessible for all Idahoans. This is the paramount takeaway and as the issue continues, we will always support working with other stakeholders collaboratively and of course continue to promote Access and Opportunity for Idaho Sportsmen.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7. We hope to see you there or in attendance online.