Author: By Jennifer Jackson, Idaho Fish and Game

03JUN

Where to catch the fun in Southeast Idaho on Free Fishing Day

If you have never “dunked a worm” or “wet a fly”, you don’t know what you are missing! And, here is your chance to find out. Saturday is Free Fishing Day in Idaho, which means anyone can fish without a license on any of Idaho’s waters open to fishing.

To help celebrate the day, there will be several Free Fishing Day events around Southeast Idaho. Even if you or your kids do not know how to fish, there will be plenty of helpful hands at the various events to assist with fishing basics, from baiting a hook to reeling in a catch. Poles, bait and other gear will be available for use for free at the events while supplies last.

Bannock Reservoir in Pocatello

Join us at Bannock Reservoir at the Portneuf Wellness Complex from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lots of fishing fun. This event is open to anglers of all ages, and there will be free raffles for wonderful prizes. This event is also part of the Idaho State Journal’s Family Fun Day, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the complex.

The Portneuf Wellness Complex is located on Olympus Drive, north of the old Bannock County Fairgrounds. Please note that there is a two-fish limit at this pond, but the fun is limitless!

Edson Fichter Pond in Pocatello

This event is being hosted by South East Idaho Fly Fishers and Pocatello’s own Snake River Fly. This event is open to anglers of all ages and runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those attending the event can sign up for free raffles for wonderful prizes and grab a free lunch. Folks will be on hand to teach fly fishing basics. Fly fishing equipment will be available for use on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about this particular event, contact Dave Raisch at 208-406-4593.

The Edson Fichter Nature Area is behind Indian Hills Elementary School at 666 Cheyenne Ave. in south Pocatello. Please note that there is a two-fish limit at this pond.

Kelly Park Pond (upper pond) in Soda Springs

This event is being jointly hosted by Idaho Fish and Game and the city of Soda Springs. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A free hot dog lunch will be provided, complete with cookies and lemonade. Rounding out the fun, there will be a free raffle for various prizes, including a prize for the biggest fish!

The event is open to anglers aged 13 and younger, and all kids under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. There is also a three-fish limit.

Kelly Park is at 325 N. Kelly Park Road. Access to the upper pond is via a quarter-mile hiking trail beginning at the Kelly Park parking lot.

Fish Hatchery in Grace

This event is hosted by Fish and Game and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p,m. Anglers aged 14 and younger are welcome to participate. All kids under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Young anglers can keep up to two fish each. The settling ponds at this hatchery hold some big fish and should provide some exciting fishing. There will also be a free drawing for raffle prizes.

Grace Fish Hatchery is at 390 Fish Hatchery Road.

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For more information about fishing opportunities in the region or the upcoming Free Fishing Day events, contact the Fish and Game office in Pocatello at 208-232-4703 or visit idfg.idaho.gov.

Remember, you don’t have to enjoy a specific event to get the benefits of Free Fishing Day! Just get outside and enjoy a day of fishing on Saturday without the need of a license! All other fishing rules apply, so make sure to check the fishing regulations before you head off to “reel in” some fun.

30APR

Found a baby animal in the wild? Leave it be

You have heard of deer season, bear season, turkey season, and, with warmer weather making appearances across the state, we have left ski season behind to welcome fishing season. But, right now, there is another important season just getting underway — baby animal season.

When visiting the great outdoors in the spring and early summer, even if you are only venturing as far as your own backyard, there is something important to keep in mind: When it comes to taking care of wildlife babies, no one does it better than wildlife moms.

If you see a baby bird hopping on the ground or a tiny deer fawn curled up in the shade of an aspen, leave it alone. Don’t assume the young animal has been abandoned. In almost every situation, the mother is very close by and may even be watching you watch her baby.

Animal parents will periodically leave their young to search for food or to divert attention away from their vulnerable offspring, especially if they sense danger. Young wild animals, like deer fawns, know instinctively to remain still and in the places their mothers left them. Does will return every three to four hours to nurse and care for their young. In the meantime, a fawn’s protective coloring and lack of movement helps hide its location from predators.

Adult birds will often continue to feed their young even if they fall out of the nest. In fact, as chicks grow, mom and dad will actually “encourage” them out of the nest for some supervised flight training.

There are examples of adoption in the wildlife world, too. Have you ever seen a pair of Canada geese with 15 goslings following close behind? Mother goose didn’t lay 15 eggs — more like six or eight. But she and her mate undoubtedly “inherited” another goose’s brood — kind of like a neighborhood play date that never ends.

During the spring and early summer, Idaho Fish and Game receives a flurry of phone calls from the public regarding everything from baby owls and goslings to young foxes and fawns. While the first instinct of most callers is to “rescue” the animal by removing it from the wild, this is not always the best solution.

It may seem cold-hearted to just leave a baby animal alone, but imagine how sad it is for a mother to return to an area and find her baby missing. In the case of mule deer, a doe will often hang out in an area for several days, searching and waiting for her missing baby to reappear.

So what do you do if you see a robin fledgling hopping in your backyard or stumble upon a pronghorn fawn that you think has been orphaned? Leave them be. Then if you wish, contact your nearest Fish and Game office. Fish and Game employees work for the agency because they truly care about wildlife. They are happy to take calls about orphaned or injured animals, answer questions and, when necessary, retrieve animals.

Fish and Game is committed to helping Idaho’s wildlife. There are times when we have had to place moose calves in a new home or even find a new nest and parents for a baby eagle. But keep in mind that sometimes “helping” means standing back and letting wildlife do what comes naturally. After all, mothers know best.

16JAN

Take a walk on the wild side; become a master naturalist

If you are a lover of golf, you have undoubtedly watched the Masters Tournament a time or two. If you have a green thumb (on each hand) and have received some extra training in horticulture, you might be a Master Gardener. You may have earned a master’s degree, watched Masterpiece Theatre or have a Mastercard in your wallet. But do you know what a Master Naturalist is?

An Idaho Master Naturalist is a person who enjoys nature, outdoor recreation, supporting conservation and is interested in continually learning more about the natural world around us. It is someone who then channels their skills, interest, and energy to volunteer at nature centers, help biologists collect data, monitor wildlife, assist at parks and natural areas, help with fishing or hunting clinics, participate in habitat projects, give nature programs to children, or contribute to many other conservation-related efforts. An Idaho Master Naturalist can be a teacher, farmer, hunter, angler, birdwatcher, retired professional or homemaker — perhaps you!

To earn the title of Idaho Master Naturalist, an individual completes 40 hours of hands-on training in areas focused on Idaho’s ecology, plants, animals and natural systems taught by experts in their fields. You don’t need to have an education or background in science — just the desire to learn and the enthusiasm to volunteer.

The New High Desert Chapter of the Idaho Master Naturalists is now recruiting new members and will hold its first training on Jan. 24, led by Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Biologist Becky Abel, who will be presenting information on Idaho mammals. The class starts at 6 p.m. at the Southeast Regional Fish and Game Office located at 1345 Barton Road in Pocatello.

This first class is free of charge. Bring a friend, neighbor, co-worker, fellow outdoor-enthusiast or anyone who may be curious about this opportunity to give back in a unique way to our community and the wild world around us. For interested individuals who desire to become certified Idaho Master Naturalists, additional trainings/classes will be offered. The total cost for the certification process is $80 per person to cover supplies and materials. And, later in the year, much of the training will be spent outside in the great outdoors!

In the U.S., there are more than 30 states with Master Naturalists programs.

To date, Idaho has eight Master Naturalist chapters throughout the state, including the High Desert Chapter here in Southeast Idaho. And interest in starting new chapters is growing.

Though Idaho Fish and Game coordinates the state’s Master Naturalist Program, it is not solely a Fish and Game program. It is a program that belongs to the volunteers who drive it and donate their services, to the various partners who provide support, and to the communities who derive benefit from it.

So what does this program mean for Idaho?

The Idaho Master Naturalist program aims to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to actively work toward stewardship of Idaho’s natural environment — something we can all appreciate. Here in Southeast Idaho, Master Naturalists help with monarch butterfly monitoring, conduct wildlife surveys, give informed presentations to area schools, work information booths at environmental fairs, help with Fish and Game’s Trout in the Classroom programs, assist the Department of Environmental Quality and US Forest Service with water sampling and stream assessments, help with projects at the Edson Fichter Nature Area. But the possibilities are endless.

Furthermore, agencies like Idaho Fish and Game benefit from having skilled volunteers like Master Naturalists in the community. Volunteers are not only critical to completing important projects and tasks, their donated hours often serve as match for securing grants and other funding sources. Simply put, volunteerism helps Idaho Fish and Game and other agencies stretch their dollars further and do their jobs better.

If you would like more information on the Idaho Master Naturalists Program, the upcoming training in Pocatello, or if you have a need for these specialized volunteers, contact Tessa Atwood at the Southeast Regional Fish and Game Office in Pocatello at 208-232-4703 or visit the Idaho Master Naturalist webpage at idfg.idaho.gov/master-naturalist.

Jennifer Jackson is the Regional Communications Manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, southeast region.