Idaho bird season proposals

[Ithaca 37]

These are the new proposals. Please send your comments to F&G. You can find an easy comment form to email at this site:

http://www2.state.id.us/fishgame/feedback.cfm

Upland Game Open House Slated

The public is invited to comment on this year's upland game seasons at any of two upcoming open houses hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Open houses are slated for Monday, April 12 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Fish and Game's Nampa office, 3101 S. Powerline Road and the McCall office, 555 Deinhard Lane. For more information, call the Nampa office at 465-8465 or the McCall office at 634-8137.
Three of this year's proposals focus on ring-necked pheasant hunting rules, with the first aimed at simplifying the season start time. "Some regions start the pheasant season at noon, others at one-half hour before sunrise," Fish and Game wildlife manager Jon Rachael noted. "We're proposing to have the season begin at one-half hour before sunrise across the state."

Another proposal calls for reducing the pheasant bag limit on Department-owned Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) from three roosters/day to two roosters/day. Should this proposal be adopted by the Fish and Game Commission, it would impact southwest region pheasant hunters using C.J. Strike, Ft. Boise, Montour and Payette River WMAs.

The final pheasant proposal applies to C.J. Strike, Ft. Boise, Montour and Payette River WMAs, where the daily pheasant hunting start time would change from one-half hour before sunrise to 10:00am. "Safety concerns for personnel releasing pheasants and efforts to minimize conflicts between upland and waterfowl hunters are driving this proposal," Rachael noted.

Other proposals include:
- extending the quail, chukar, and gray partridge seasons to January 31 (currently December 31, January 15 and January 15, respectively);

- having a uniform (fourth Saturday of September) opening day for quail, chukar, gray partridge, sage grouse and sharp-tailed grouse and;

- extending motorized vehicle restrictions to include upland game seasons as well as big game seasons.

Public comments from across the state will be assembled and presented to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission for review at their next regular meeting. After evaluating the comments, the Commission will determine whether any rule or season changes are warranted.

 

[Idaho Ron]

37, I sent several letters asking for another proposal. I would like to see the law changed about using rifles on forest grouse.
This rule needs to be changed, and this is what I wrote to headquarters. So far nobody has returned a letter. Ron
__________________________________________________
I have been speaking to a lot of people, in the department, and out.
The question I have asked is. Should hunters be allowed to kill forest
grouse with a rifle? Almost everyone I have talked to agrees that
hunting grouse with a rifle should not be allowed. With the exception of
Dave Parish for region 4 F&G.
Here are the reasons we believe it should not be allowed.

First as a hunter ed instructor, we teach people to NOT shoot at deer
on a ridge line. Yet we allow hunters to shoot grouse in a tree with a
rifle.

Next, in hunter ed we teach students that they should use the right
gun, and load for the game they are hunting. A 30-06 with a 180 grain
bullet is not a bird gun! If you are bird hunting use a shotgun, if you
are deer hunting use a rifle.

Third. Most hunters will say, I would never shoot at a grouse while deer
hunting because I will scare the deer. So where do they shoot at the grouse with rifles? In camp, in the road, or in a tree by the road,
after they are back to their trucks. This is DANGEROUS!

Many traditions are falling to the wayside. Seasons are being changed,
the noon opener for pheasant, and using ATV's off road. It is time that
we change this rule.
I was asked this by Dave Parish from region 4. Tell me one case of a person having a close call, because someone shot over them, while shooting at a grouse with a rifle. My answer was, did anyone
ask the people that were shot over, if they knew what the shooter was shooting at?
The thing is this is a dangerous rule. A person can not legally throw a rock at a pheasant, but we can shoot a 300 win mag at a grouse. This is
a bad rule. I would like to see this in the scoping for this year, and
the rule changed THIS YEAR.
I have the full support of Randy Smith region 4, MANY hunter ed
teachers, and bird hunters. Thanks
Ron Klimes.