Wildlife Conservation and Management

Fish and Game has winter feeding guidelines in place to separate normal winter conditions from extreme weather that can cause high wildlife mortality. 

Preventing crop depredation is getting more emphasis and funding thanks to partnerships. Fish and Game spent about $500,000 in 2016 to build fencing around haystacks to discourage elk and deer from helping themselves this winter. 

The Multi-species Baseline Initiative is a collaborative of organizations that monitor wildlife and micro-climate across the Idaho Panhandle and adjoining mountain ranges. From 2010-2014 we collected data on nearly 200 species at over 2,000 locations.

Idaho Fish and Game will host a public meeting to take comment on proposed grizzly bear rules at 7 p.m., Oct. 12 at the Washington Group main auditorium at 720 E. Park Blvd in Boise.  People who cannot attend the meeting can submit written comments to: P.O. Box 25, Boise, ID, 83707 on or before October 26, 2016.

Health and Welfare state public health veterinarian Dr. Leslie Tengelsen will talk about avoiding bat rabies exposures in people and pets. Dr. Rita Dixon, Fish and Game state wildlife action plan coordinator, will review the ecology of bats and threats to a healthy bat population. After the presentation, Dr. Dixon will take participants on a walk to look and listen for bats.

No grizzly hunts are planned. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission on Monday, Aug. 8 approved a plan to limit the take of grizzly bears in Idaho as part of removing the Greater Yellowstone population from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. The plan supports an agreement among Idaho, Montana and Wyoming for state management of this grizzly bear population upon federal delisting.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game is gathering public comments on rules for potential future hunting of the Greater Yellowstone population of grizzly bears in eastern Idaho once it is no longer listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.