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Season setting time for big game |
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February 13, 2017 |
By Wayne Wakkinen, Regional Wildlife Manager
Deer and elk seasons might seem like a long way
off, here in the middle of winter, but there are
things you should do now for the upcoming
seasons. I’m not talking about tuning up the bow
or sighting in the rifle (although those are
always options).
Idaho Fish and Game is starting the process of
taking public input for the 2017 and 2018 big
game seasons. In 2015, Fish and Game went to a
two-year cycle for setting big game seasons.
That two year period is now up, so it’s time to
look at options for the next two years.
Biologists look at a variety of things when
considering what potential seasons might be.
These include the number of animals harvested in
the 2015 and 2016 seasons, success rates of
hunters, results from winter helicopter surveys,
survival rates of radio-collared animals, and
weather, including both summer and winter
conditions.
These help set the range of seasons that Fish
and Game might offer.
Another very important consideration is finding
out what hunters want. That’s what we will be
looking for in the upcoming month. There are
several ways to have your voice heard. Fish and
Game will be holding four public meetings in
February.
Meetings will be held in the following
locations:
* Sandpoint, February 16, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.,
Ponderay Events Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way,
Suite E
* St. Maries, February 18, 8 to 10 a.m., 18th
Elks Lodge, 628 Main Ave (We will be checking
bobcats at this meeting)
* Coeur d’Alene, February 23, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.,
IDFG Regional Office, 2885 W Kathleen Avenue
* Osburn, February 25, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., VFW
Hall, E318 Mullan Avenue
Comments on big game seasons can also be
submitted on the Fish and Game website. For
those who hunt in different areas of the state,
all statewide season proposals can be viewed at
https://idfg.idaho.gov/.
The Fish and Game department will review all
public input, consider current winter conditions
and make recommendations to the Idaho Fish and
Game commission.
The commission will make the final decision on
2017-2018 big game seasons at their March
meeting.
I’ll briefly cover what seasons Fish and Game is
considering.
* White-tailed Deer: The past 3
winters have been mild and as a result deer have
experienced high over-winter survival.
Increasing deer numbers are causing agricultural
crop depredations in some portions of the
Panhandle. Therefore, we are proposing to
increase the number of extra antlerless
white-tailed deer tags (X-tags) for Unit 1,
change hunt unit boundaries for the X-tags to
focus harvest on and near agricultural land, and
add X-tags in Units 2 and 5. Regionally, the
Panhandle white-tailed deer harvest is estimated
to exceed 12,000. We are keeping an eye on the
current winter conditions. This may affect what
we recommend to the commission.
* Mule Deer: Mule deer harvest
in the Panhandle is restricted to antlered deer
only. Mule deer represent a minor part of the
deer harvest in the Panhandle. Harvest varies
from 600 to 800 bucks annually. Four-point or
bigger bucks made up 35-percent of the mule deer
harvest. We are proposing no changes to the mule
deer seasons in the Panhandle.
* Black Bear: Black bear
populations appear to be stable throughout the
Panhandle. Annual harvest varies from 450-800
bears, about equally split between the spring
and fall seasons. Harvest is affected by hunter
access in the spring and the huckleberry crop in
the fall. We are proposing no significant
changes to the bear hunting season. The changes
we are proposing align the period when the use
of hounds is permitted for black bears and
mountain lions in the same unit.
* Mountain Lion: Mountain lion
populations in the Panhandle appear to be stable
to increasing. Annual harvest has increased from
2007 when 60 mountain lions were harvested;
harvest in 2015 was 134. Similar to black bears,
we are proposing no significant changes to the
mountain lion season. The changes we are
proposing align the period when the use of
hounds is permitted for black bears and mountain
lions in the same unit.
* Wolves: Regional wolf harvest
set a new high last year when 107 were harvested
during the period including the fall and winter
of 2015-2016. Wolf populations appear to be
slightly declining. We are taking public input
on two alternatives, the first being no change
to the current seasons. The second alternative
would move the opening date for wolf hunting on
public land from August 30 to August 1.
* Elk: We are recommending few
changes for all the other big game species in
the Panhandle but things are different with elk.
We are proposing significant changes that would
allow either-sex harvest during the general
hunting season, something that was last offered
in 2011.
Elk populations in some parts of the Panhandle
have been increasing, especially on private
lands associated with agricultural fields. There
are also areas within the Panhandle where elk
populations are low and should be allowed to
continue to recover.
Survival rates of radio-collared elk have been
high. Cow survival rates have been 95% the last
2 years. Six-month to one-year old calves also
have high survival rates, averaging 82%. Winter
helicopter flights have shown high calf:cow
ratios, also indicating high calf survival. This
is the primary reason we feel we can offer
either-sex harvest during the general seasons in
2017 and 2018.
The either-sex season would not be offered
throughout the entire Panhandle elk zone as was
done in the past. IDFG has a legal obligation to
address depredation issues. Either-sex hunting
seasons on and near private land will help
address depredations while offering hunting
opportunity for the general public. Maintaining
the antlered-only seasons in other portions of
the Panhandle will allow elk herds in those
areas the opportunity to continue to recover and
grow.
It’s exciting to be able to consider either-sex
elk hunting in the Panhandle again.
The elk season alternatives that will be
presented at the public meetings are not simple.
It’s challenging to try to develop seasons that
reduce elk in some parts of the Panhandle and
protect other areas with seasons that will allow
elk herds to grow. Consider attending one of the
public meetings or look on line for statewide
big game seasons.
And now that I think about it, maybe it is time
to go put a few rounds through that rifle after
all. |
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