With the first day of deer season starting in Southeast Idaho on Wednesday, frigid wintery precipitation wasn’t all that was falling to the ground.

At least a dozen fallen deer, shot by Southeast Idaho hunters, passed through the Idaho Fish and Game’s checkpoint at the weigh station along Interstate 15 just north of Inkom on Wednesday, according to Zach Lockyer, a wildlife manager for Idaho Fish and Game.

“About 50 people and about a dozen animals or so, including a moose, passed through the checkpoint today,” Lockyer said just after 1 p.m on Wednesday. “This morning has been a little interesting with the rain and snow. It was a little different of an opening day than in past years where it’s been 70 degrees and warm.”

Lockyer said the Southeast division of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game establishes a checkpoint at the weigh station near Inkom every opening day and for the following two weekends to get a better understanding of deer herd populations and to receive feedback from Southeast Idaho hunters.

“We always have our check station here to give us the first glimpse of what the hunting season is going to be like,” Lockyer said. “It also gives us some face time with hunters to understand what they are dealing with and to receive any ideas they may have for potential changes.”

In addition to meeting with hunters for a sense of what the season may hold, Lockyer said officials also look at the health and quality of the deer population.

Lockyer added that Fish and Game officials at the checkpoint make an incision on the neck of many of the deer to collect lymph nodes that will later be tested for chronic wasting disease, a neurological condition that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose.

Moreover, Lockyer said Fish and Game officials host the checkpoint to get a better sense of the success rate for hunters going out on opening day.

“We keep track of the people who didn’t get an animal and the ones who did,” Lockyer said. “We also get a sense for the quality of deer that people are seeing and harvesting. We look to see if it’s a bunch of young, skinny deer or if it’s larger bucks. The checkpoint gives us that first pulse on how the deer herds are doing and how the hunters are faring.”

One hunter who had success on opening day, Annie Mowrey, of Pocatello, said she had expected to stay out all weekend in search of her deer. But with a little luck and the right conditions, she was able to fill her tag before 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Mowrey only recently took up the sport of hunting after she learned from her doctor that she needed to remove beef from her diet for medical reasons.

“I am not supposed to eat beef anymore, but we raise our beef on our ranch and farm in Pocatello,” Mowrey said. “(My husband) always hunted and so I said, ‘Well if I can’t eat beef, then maybe I’ll go get a deer.’”

Mowrey is two for two in her deer hunting adventures, landing one last year in addition to the three-point buck she got on Wednesday.

“He’ll be dinner tonight,” Mowrey said. “Now the hard work is about to start.”

Unlike many who hang harvested animals for seven to 10 days before butchering, Mowrey said it’s her family’s preference to butcher right away, as it keeps the meat from tasting super gamy.

Mowrey shot the buck near Downey, staying with relatives overnight on Tuesday night and hitting the hillsides early Wednesday morning. She said the inclement weather definitely played a significant role in her hunting strategy.

“With the weather this morning we didn’t know if it was going to force them down into the lower country or if we should head into the high country,” Mowrey said. “We decided to try the low-country with as much snow and rain that we got last night.”

Mowrey said she worked some of the smaller draws in the Downey area and just happened to come across a small herd.

“We were able to come up the draw and they didn’t realize we were there, of course,” Mowrey said. “We got on top of the hill country that we were in. I got set up, waited for him to turn broadside and got blessed this morning.”

Compared with beef, Mowrey said deer meat is much leaner and has no hormones, chemicals or antibiotics that can oftentimes be found in store-bought beef products.

“No nothing,” she said. “They don’t have any saturated fats. It’s a much healthier red meat, which is nice, because I wasn’t willing to give up the red meat.”

Mowrey used a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle — a gun she said is the perfect midsize firearm.

“It’s a good female gun,” she said. “They’ve got decent knockdown power. You can take down a deer or an elk with that gun and it doesn’t clobber your shoulder.”

Lockyer told the Journal that one moose, in addition to the dozen or so deer, passed through the checkpoint on Wednesday, adding that a limited number of moose and elk tags were issued in the region.

“But the majority of hunters out today are deer hunters,” Lockyer said. “Most hunts in this region in the southeast part of the state are buck only. After that bad winter we had two years ago, we closed some of our doe hunting to give them a chance to rebound, so there are very few doe tags out there.”

Mowrey said her next hunt is to fill an elk tag that opens on Oct. 25. Her husband, Jim Mowrey, is planning for an archery hunt that starts Nov. 16. Though they both have their sights set on future harvests, Annie Mowrey spent the rest of Wednesday soaking up the opening day success.

“It’s been a great morning,” she said. “We’ll have meat for quite a while, which is pretty cool.”

She continued, “It’s quite a blessing. There have been times where you’ll search for an an animal to harvest all season and not get the opportunity. So to get him on opening day is just a blessing. I’m super stoked.”

POCATELLO — Bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers and any other outdoor enthusiasts in just a few weeks will have a new section of the Portneuf Greenway to enjoy.

The Portneuf Greenway Foundation announced Tuesday that the next major part of the greenway trail system generally known as the Interstate 15 corridor project is under construction and should be complete by the first of September.

“We have been working with our partners in the community for several years to pull this project together,” said Dan Harelson, the projects manager for the Portneuf Greenway Foundation. “It’s very gratifying to see the equipment here on site building this major extension of the Greenway along I-15.”

Harelson said it’s the first step in creating trail that will connect the Highland Area and the Wellness Complex south to Idaho State University and the Edson Fichter Nature Area.

The I-15 corridor project involves taking the existing Marshal-Racine section of the Portneuf Greenway and extending it south for almost a mile from the Monte Vista Overpass, which runs parallel to I-15, up to the Farm Bureau Insurance building.

In addition, Farm Bureau Insurance will also pave a section of trail on their property to provide a complete route from Monte Vista to Tierra Drive and then on to Center Street.

This paved multi-use non-motorized trail will be 10 feet wide and is being constructed by the DL Beck Company. It will also be built in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Rory Erchul, president of the Portneuf Greenway Foundation, said “Our community supporters have been key to making this trail system a reality and I would especially like to thank Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance for their support.”

“The Greenway would not have received the grant funding needed to build this important route if Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance had not opened their employee trail to the public and allowed the Greenway to connect with it,” Erchul said. “I feel proud to live in a community where we can work together to make Pocatello an even better place to live and work.”

Erchul said the city of Pocatello sponsored the project by coordinating the construction bids and the Marshall and Racine families granted easements across their property for the trail.

“The city has been a tremendous partner over the years,” Erchul said.

In addition to grants from the Idaho Department of Transportation and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the I-15 corridor project had numerous community members contribute matching funds to the Portneuf Greenway Foundation.

Erchul said various donors include the Ifft Foundation, Keller Engineering, Idaho Community Bank, Idaho Central Credit Union, Farm Bureau Insurance, Paul Link and several others who wished to remain anonymous.

“Right now we have about 15 miles of paved greenway trail in Pocatello,” Erchul said. “Our capital investment plan has roughly 27 miles in it and this I-15 corridor project should be about four or five miles.”

Erchul continued, “This one-mile section should be done by September, but we would like to see the entire corridor completed by 2022.”

The Greenway Foundation has recently engaged Chubbuck officials in conversations about future expansion of the trail system further north, Erchul added.

In addition to being a fun outdoors activity for the whole family, Erchul said that a successful greenway trail system provides people with an alternative means for transportation and is also an economic driver for the area.

“Thousands of communities from Idaho Falls and Boise to Austin in Texas or Oklahoma City in Oklahoma have greenway trail systems,” Erchul said. “And every single person that I have spoke with said they love what the trail system does for their city. Why should Pocatello be any different?”

In addition to the construction of the I-15 corridor greenway section, Erchul said the foundation is gearing up for one of its two annual fundraisers. Those who would like to support the Portneuf Greenway Foundation and its future endeavors are invited to Riverfest at Lower Ross Park on Saturday, Aug. 18, from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m.

A typical outdoor festival with music in the park, Riverfest is hosted in conjunction with Zoo Idaho’s Ice Cream Zoofari at the zoo earlier in the day from 12 to 4 p.m.

POCATELLO — Bicyclists, skateboarders, rollerbladers and other outdoor enthusiasts will soon have a new paved section of the Portneuf Greenway trail system to enjoy.

The Portneuf Greenway Foundation announced Tuesday that its Interstate 15 corridor project — the next major part of its paved trail system — is now under construction and should be completed by Sept. 1.

The $355,000 section of trail now under construction will connect the Monte Vista Drive/Interstate 15 overpass with East Center Street. It is the first step in creating a lengthy trail that will connect Pocatello’s Highland High School area and the Portneuf Wellness Complex, both on the city’s north side, with Idaho State University and south Pocatello’s Edson Fichter Nature Area, according to Dan Harelson, the projects manager for the Portneuf Greenway Foundation. 

“We have been working with our partners in the community for several years to pull this project together,” Harelson said. “It’s very gratifying to see the equipment here on site building this major extension of the Greenway along I-15.”

The Greenway Foundation’s Interstate 15 corridor project involves taking the existing Marshall-Racine section of the Portneuf Greenway trail, which runs parallel to Interstate 15 north of the Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance building, and extending it south for almost a mile from the Monte Vista Drive/Interstate 15 overpass. The work that began this week will build a new section of paved trail from the overpass south to the Farm Bureau Insurance building.

The Farm Bureau will then pave a section of trail from its property to East Center Street, meaning that when the corridor project is completed by Sept. 1 there will be a paved trail from the Monte Vista/Interstate 15 overpass all the way to East Center. 

This paved multi-use non-motorized trail will be 10 feet wide and is being constructed by the DL Beck Co. of Rexburg. It will be built in accordance with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, the Greenway Foundation reported.

Rory Erchul, president of the Portneuf Greenway Foundation, said “Our community supporters have been key to making this trail system a reality and I would especially like to thank Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance for their support.”

Erchul said Idaho Farm Bureau Insurance’s willingness to be part of the project made it possible for the necessary grant funding to be obtained to complete the work.

“I feel proud to live in a community where we can work together to make Pocatello an even better place to live and work,” Erchul said.

Erchul said the city of Pocatello sponsored the project by coordinating the construction bids and the Marshall and Racine families granted easements on their properties for the new section of trail.

“The city has been a tremendous partner over the years,” Erchul added.

In addition to grants from the Idaho Department of Transportation and Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the Interstate 15 corridor project was aided by numerous community members, organizations and businesses contributing matching funds to the Portneuf Greenway Foundation.

Erchul said the various donors included the Ifft Foundation, Keller Engineering, Idaho Central Credit Union, Farm Bureau Insurance, Paul Link and several others who wished to remain anonymous.

Erchul said thus far there are about 15 miles of paved Greenway Foundation trails in Pocatello, with plans to eventually add another 27 miles.

Erchul said the Greenway Foundation would like to have the Highland High School area and Portneuf Wellness Complex connected via trail to ISU and the Edson Fichter Nature Area by 2022.  

The Greenway Foundation is also talking to Chubbuck officials about expanding the Greenway trail system into that city, Erchul said.

The Greenway Foundation’s trail system enhances Pocatello’s outdoor recreation offerings, provides people with an alternative thoroughfare to travel in the city, and represents an attractive feature for prospective residents and businesses looking to possibly relocate here, Erchul said.

“Thousands of communities from Idaho Falls and Boise to Austin in Texas or Oklahoma City in Oklahoma have greenway trail systems,” Erchul said. “And every single person that I have spoke with said they love what the trail system does for their city. Why should Pocatello be any different?”

In addition to the construction of the new section of trail along Interstate 15, Erchul said the Greenway Foundation is gearing up for one of its biggest annual fundraisers. Those who would like to support the Portneuf Greenway Foundation and its future endeavors are invited to Riverfest at Lower Ross Park from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Aug. 18.

CHUBBUCK — The police chief of this Southeast Idaho city is encouraging residents to keep a watchful eye over their outside pets after receiving multiple reports of a mountain lion cub roaming neighborhoods.

Chubbuck Police Chief Bill Guiberson on Monday said that there have been two reported sightings of a mountain lion cub on opposite sides of town over the last week. 

The reports have described the lion as a cub, Guiberson said, adding that no law enforcement officer has been in contact with the predator to confirm the age. Guiberson said that Fish and Game has been notified.

The first sighting was reported on Monday, March 26, around 7:10 p.m. in the 500 block of East Chubbuck Road. The second sighting occurred on Saturday around 9:50 p.m. on the other end of town in the 900 block of Margaret Street.

Police said the Margaret Street resident was alerted by her barking dogs. Then she saw the mountain lion cub.

“On both occasions the officers arrived to the scene and couldn’t observe the animal, which is typically the case,” Guiberson said. “These animals are pretty crafty. Mountain lions will generally leave people be, but we encourage folks to leave it alone and to contact the local authorities or Fish and Game for assistance.”

Mountain lions are predatory animals that rely on deer as a primary food source, said Marc Porter, the Idaho Fish and Game West District enforcement supervisor. When the deer migrate to and from higher elevations, mountain lions aren’t close behind, he added.

“Unless the mountain lion is really sick or starving they tend to keep to themselves,” Porter said. “But if the lion in question is in fact a young cub then it does raise some questions about what happened to its mother.”

Mountain lions are legal to hunt in Idaho near Chubbuck, said Porter, adding that the season ended on March 31. It’s possible the mother of a cub was killed during the season, he said.

Local residents are encouraged to take in any food usually left outside for their pets because it could attract the animal. Further, mountain lions have been known to attack house cats, he said.

“Just like any wild animal, don’t approach the lion no matter how big or small it appears to be,” Porter said.

If the lion is located and captured, Porter said it is the typical practice of Fish and Game to try and relocate the animal. If it is too young to survive on its own Fish and Game will attempt to find a home in captivity for the lion, he added.

Over the last several years, there have been several mountain lion sightings throughout Southeast Idaho, Guiberson said.

“In the years I’ve been here, wildlife encounters are not unusual experiences,” he said. “We do live in Idaho and animals tend to find their way into town now and again on accident.”

Though on one occasion, what was reported to be a small mountain lion turned out to be a large farm cat, Guiberson said. Mistaken identity reports are not all that uncommon, said Porter, adding that he still encourages residents to report any possible lion sightings and to refrain from coming in contact with the animal.

If you spot the mountain lion, please contact Chubbuck police at 208-237-7172 or Fish and Game at 208-232-4703.

“Mountain lions are extremely elusive,” Guiberson said. “These cats are usually spooked by human contact, but we encourage people if they see a mountain lion to report it immediately.”

From their first blind date to the moment he found out his wife, Summer, was pregnant with their third child, Adam Andersen loved hard.

Andersen, 36, of Idaho Falls, died last week from injuries sustained in a snowmobile accident. He was caught in an avalanche while snowmobiling with friends near Mount Jefferson in Island Park.

“It was just a normal day,” Summer said. “He was just going to go out for a short afternoon ride with two friends. He said he loved us and that he would be careful when he walked out the door and that was it.”

The avalanche occurred late in the evening on Jan. 10 and because of the conditions, a full search and rescue happened the following day. Several dozen friends and family volunteered to help locate Adam. But because the rescue team found him so quickly, they didn’t participate in the recovery.

“They went back the next day with cadaver dogs and were able to find him quickly,” Summer said. “It was really touching how many people showed up to help Adam.”

Summer and Adam celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary five days before he left for Island Park. In addition to his wife, mother and two older sisters, Adam leaves behind three children: a 6-year-old boy, a 3-year-old boy with special needs and a 2-month-old baby girl.

“Adam was the most amazing father,” Summer said. “He had a love for his children that could move mountains.”

Being the parent of child with special needs can be difficult, but that wasn’t the case for Adam, Summer added.

“With my son with special needs he had incredible support in Adam,” she said with emotion in her voice. “I cry for that. I cry for all three of them because Adam provided everything they needed to be successful in life.”

She continued, “He was just the most amazing father, and I am just so sad for them that they won’t get that for the rest of their lives. It’s just a tragedy that this is all they got.”

Born in Pocatello where he lived until he was 10, Adam moved to Rigby and graduated from Rigby High School. Described by Summer as a naturally athletic man, Adam received a full-ride athletic scholarship to play football for Idaho State University.

“He was one of those men that can do anything with very little effort,” Summer said. “Eventually he transferred to the University of Louisville where he finished his biology degree.”

Adam moved back to Idaho and established his own trucking company before meeting Summer. This last year, he transitioned into a new position with Teton Petroleum Transport as a regional manager so that he could be home with his family every night.

“I was incredibly reluctant, but my best friend set me up on a blind date with him,” Summer said about the first time she met Adam. “She told me I was really going to like this guy and I did, and that was it.”

Not just a devoted father, son and husband, Adam loved everything outdoors. Summer said he was a man of adventure and grew up roaming the Idaho mountains with his best friend and father, the late Ed Wayne Andersen.

“He was an outdoor enthusiast,” Summer said. “He did everything with his dad — camping, snowmobiling, dirt-biking, four-wheeling and riding horses — anything you could imagine outside Adam did it and he loved it.”

In addition to athletics and outdoor recreation, Adam was a social butterfly, someone who made new friends at every turn in life, according to Summer.

“He was incredibly vivacious,” Summer said. “When I became pregnant for the third time I was very stern about keeping it to ourselves. But within a week everybody knew because he was so excited and just couldn’t contain himself. He would tell people but say, ‘Don’t tell Summer, though.’”

Services for Adam will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, in the Idaho Falls LDS Mesa Building at 2545 Mesa St. Bishop Jason Blundell, of the Bridgewater Ward, will officiate. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home East Side at 963 South Ammon Road, and Monday from 10 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church.

To assist with Adam’s funeral and his family’s living expenses, an online fundraiser has been established and is accessible by visiting, www.youcaring.com/summerandersen-1066160. The YouCaring.com fundraiser has been shared more than 2,000 times on social media and — with 184 donors — has raised more than $15,000.

Adam was an avid hockey fan and it was a sport that he shared a love for with his 6-year-old son. The Idaho Falls Youth Hockey Association canceled two practices from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, and will host a skate-a-thon open to the public. The entry fee is $5. All proceeds from the entrance fee and sales of concessions will go directly to the family.

Lastly, the Chick-fil-A in Ammon is hosting a fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday night. Adam’s family will receive 15 percent of the money spent by patrons of the restaurant who dine during those three hours, and identify that they are visiting on behalf of Adam and his family.

“I have just been completely blown away by the support of the community,” Summer said. “I genuinely don’t have the words to express how thankful we are. It’s been absolutely humbling. I just don’t have the words to properly thank people.”

She continued, “Adam was just such an adventurous man and will be so greatly missed by more than just his family. He was just incredible.”

POCATELLO — A mountain lion was killed after it fatally attacked a dog near Pocatello on Wednesday morning.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game, in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services division, responded to a call Wednesday afternoon from a woman who resides on Buckskin Road just outside of Pocatello.

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“Archaic.”

“Barbaric.”

“Indiscriminate killers.”

“Potential terrorist weapons.”

That’s what protestors called M-44 devices, also known as “cyanide bombs,” at an informational session hosted on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services agency at Idaho State University’s Bengal Theater in the Pond Student Union in Pocatello.

More than 100 local citizens, conservation activists and local community officials joined together holding signs and chanting on the street an hour before the meeting began to protest the use of M-44s with the Mansfield family.

The family’s dog was killed, and their 14-year-old son Canyon was exposed to deadly sodium cyanide after triggering an M-44 device that was placed fewer than 300 yards away from their home on West Buckskin Road in March.

Not one elected state or federal official representing Idaho attended the protest or the meeting. But had they, Canyon, who watched his best friend suffocate in front of him and experienced cyanide poisoning symptoms for weeks after the incident, would have had some choice words to share.

“Don’t be afraid to lose a few votes just to do what’s right,” Canyon said. “Just think about the costs that could happen if you don’t support legislation permanently banning M-44s in Idaho.”

Wildlife Services issued a temporary moratorium on the use of M-44 devices in Idaho after the incident. However, Jason Suckow, the Fort Collins, Colorado-based western regional director for Wildlife Services, said on Thursday the agency will not decide to lift the ban in Idaho until an investigation into the incident involving Canyon Mansfield is complete.

Idaho Republican U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson openly supported Mark Mansfield, Canyon’s father, when he brought Canyon’s Law, which calls for federal law to prohibit M-44’s and Compound 1080 nationwide, to legislators in Washington, D.C. But nothing has yet changed how Wildlife Services plans to control predators and protect livestock from animals like coyotes or other varmints.

“I first became aware of this issue when I lived in Colorado in 1971,” said Bill Peterson, a protestor and Pocatello resident. “Wildlife Services was throwing Compound 1080 all over the range down there, killing eagles and causing all sorts of collateral damage.”

During the presentation, Suckow said Wildlife Services reissued its use restrictions and guidelines to all employees in June, adding that the agency employs over 1,000 people.

Suckow then informed the audience that M-44 devices only recently received the definition of “cyanide bombs,” something he said was an inaccurate description. He even brought a few M-44s loaded with cornmeal instead of sodium cyanide to display how the device works.

“I don’t have to see how you killed my dog,” Theresa Mansfield, Canyon’s mother, told Suckow as she removed herself from the auditorium.

A Wildlife Services employee triggered the device, which sent cornmeal shooting about 20 feet into the air.

The audience gasped in disbelief.

Suckow then passed the microphone to Mark Mansfield, who from his phone, read the definition of bomb from Webster’s Merriam Dictionary.

“‘A container filled with explosive, incendiary material, smoke, gas or other destructive substance, designed to explode on impact or when detonated by a time mechanism, remote-control device or lit fuse,’” Mark Mansfield said. “I don’t care how small the pop was, (M-44s) are by definition a bomb.”

According to Wildlife Services’ M-44 factsheet re-released in June 2017, “The M-44 ejector device consists of four parts: a capsule holder wrapped with cloth, wool, or other soft material; a cyanide capsule (small plastic container holding less than 1 gram of sodium cyanide); a spring-activated ejector; and a 5- to 7-inch tubular stake.”

Suckow said M-44s are pesticides that have to be registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the EPA, an average of 30,000 M-44s, deployed by the federal government in concert with Western states and counties, are triggered each year.

In its press release announcing the informational sessions, Wildlife Services said, “In a 2015 survey of producers, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) found that coyotes nationwide killed an estimated 118,032 sheep and lambs, including almost 3,700 head in Idaho.”

Melissa Cain of the Western Watersheds Project, a wildlife advocacy group based in Hailey, said she thinks those numbers are wholly inaccurate. She added that oftentimes, if Wildlife Services finds a domestic dog or an animal killed by an M-44 device, they bury it without documenting the death.

“Fifty-three of the more than 3,700 coyotes killed in Idaho last year were from these bombs,” Cain said. “M-44s aren’t even a significant portion of the efforts they are making to kill coyotes.”

So far, no humans have been killed by M-44s. But according to an investigation by the Sacramento Bee, 18 Wildlife Services employees and several other people were exposed to cyanide by M-44s between 1987 and 2012. Between 2000 and 2012, the devices killed more than 1,100 dogs.

Established 120 years ago under a different name, Wildlife Services exists primarily for the benefit of the livestock industry. The agency spends more than $120 million a year killing animals deemed “nuisances” to humans. These include coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, bears, foxes, bobcats, prairie dogs and birds, the National Geographic reported in April.

During the past decade, the agency has killed some 35 million animals. It killed 2.7 million in 2016 alone.

Idaho Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-Inkom, who is also a member of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, said during a Thursday phone interview that his father purchased land intended for ranching when Guthrie was 6 years old.

Now, 55 years later, he said he had just recently heard of M-44 devices.

“The first I ever heard of these was when this story broke,” Guthrie said. “That’s how unaware I was that they are even employing these devices. I haven’t heard of anybody, at least in my circle, to ever use them.”

U.S. Congressman from Florida Matt Gatez has reached across the aisle and co-sponsored Oregon’s Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio’s legislation to permanently ban the use sodium cyanide and Compound 1080 in predator control devices nationwide. However, Carson Barylak, a campaigns officer with the Washington, D.C.-based International Fund for Animal Welfare, said much, much more work remains ahead.

“Now there is a bi-partisan push in the U.S. House of Representatives to enact H.R. 1817, now known as Canyon’s Law,” she said. “The Mansfield family met with both Idaho senators as well as their representative, Mike Simpson, when they traveled to Washington to advocate for the legislation.”

She continued, “Various commitments were made during those discussions and I know the family looks forward to seeing action from those offices sooner rather than later.”

A nonprofit conservation group encourages Idahoans to protest M-44 cyanide pest-control devices at information sessions planned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services division throughout the state this week.

“Protesters will tell Wildlife Services that it must make permanent the moratorium that began in March 2017 on all use of these indiscriminate and deadly devices on Idaho lands,” Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project, wrote in a Monday press release. “M-44s are intended to kill coyotes, but they can also injure and kill people, pets and unintended native wildlife.”

In March, 14-year-old Canyon Mansfield and the family’s dog, Casey, were exposed to sodium cyanide after the dog accidentally triggered an unmarked M-44 device less than 300 yards away from their home.

Canyon Mansfield displayed cyanide poisoning symptoms for weeks after the exposure and Casey died within minutes of triggering the device.

Since the incident, Canyon’s father, local doctor Mark Mansfield, has traveled to Washington, D.C., to petition lawmakers to make the March ban on M-44s in Idaho permanent.

Wildlife Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, released a statement last week saying the division will host several sessions throughout Idaho this week to provide information about how the USDA complies with the restrictions on M-44 devices set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

A temporary moratorium is nice, Molvar said during a Monday phone interview, but it doesn’t solve the problem.

“The real problem is that there is no way to make these devices safe,” Molvar said. These devices are always going to be a lethal hazard. This is the 21st century, there is absolutely no reason for these things to be out in the landscape.”

In addition, Molvar said the announcement from Wildlife Services about the meetings was so filled with misdirection, spin and obfuscation that he took a crack at editing it. He provided plain-English subtitles for the bureaucratese, and told parts of the story that Wildlife Services would prefer the public not notice.

In other words, Molvar said the “spin-factor” from Wildlife Services is to convince Idahoans that additional restrictions and clear guidelines to follow those rules will be significant enough to start deploying M-44s in Idaho once again.

“A lot of people are fed up with Wildlife Services selling landmines in the Idaho and endangering the public, their pets and wildlife,” Molvar said. “There doesn’t seem to be any justification for using this barbaric technique when there are many non-lethal methods available to have livestock operations become more compatible with the native wildlife.”

Molvar said he encourages people to attend and make their views known at the sessions. They are open to the public and will take place from 7-9 p.m. in the following locations:

Tuesday, July 25, at the Lewiston Community Center at 1424 Main Street in Lewiston; Wednesday, July 26, at the Holiday Inn Boise, located at 2970 West Elder Street in Boise; and Thursday, July 27, at the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Building, which is at 1065 Cesar Chavez Avenue in Pocatello.

“We want people to know that when they come out to voice their concerns about M-44 ‘cyanide bombs,’ that they are not going to be alone,” Molvar said. “We want them to know we will be there to support Canyon Mansfield’s family, who has really been leading the charge to try and get these M-44’s out of Idaho permanently.”

Last week, Mark Mansfield told the Journal that Wildlife Services is focused on incorporating additional guidelines and restrictions about the use and placement of M-44 devices. That is something he said would be ineffective considering the M-44 that his son triggered was placed near his property in violation of the existing rules and conditions.

Molvar agreed with Mansfield’s statement. And Molvar believes the public has the opportunity and right to tell Wildlife Services how important it is to permanently ban M-44s in Idaho.

“I don’t think that there is anything that Wildlife Services can say that will make these cyanide bombs OK with the public,” Molvar said. “Hopefully, with these protests, Wildlife Services will get the message, free and clear, that it’s time to end this practice once and for all.”

A nonprofit conservation group encourages Idahoans to protest M-44 cyanide pest-control devices at information sessions planned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services division throughout the state this week.

“Protesters will tell Wildlife Services that it must make permanent the moratorium that began in March 2017 on all use of these indiscriminate and deadly devices on Idaho lands,” Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project, wrote in a Monday press release. “M-44s are intended to kill coyotes, but they can also injure and kill people, pets and unintended native wildlife.”

In March, 14-year-old Canyon Mansfield and the family’s dog, Casey, were exposed to sodium cyanide after the dog accidentally triggered an unmarked M-44 device less than 300 yards away from their home.

Canyon Mansfield displayed cyanide poisoning symptoms for weeks after the exposure and Casey died within minutes of triggering the device.

Since the incident, Canyon’s father, local doctor Mark Mansfield, has traveled to Washington, D.C., to petition lawmakers to make the March ban on M-44s in Idaho permanent.

Wildlife Services, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, released a statement last week saying the division will host several sessions throughout Idaho this week to provide information about how the USDA complies with the restrictions on M-44 devices set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

A temporary moratorium is nice, Molvar said during a Monday phone interview, but it doesn’t solve the problem.

“The real problem is that there is no way to make these devices safe,” Molvar said. These devices are always going to be a lethal hazard. This is the 21st century, there is absolutely no reason for these things to be out in the landscape.”

In addition, Molvar said the announcement from Wildlife Services about the meetings was so filled with misdirection, spin and obfuscation that he took a crack at editing it. He provided plain-English subtitles for the bureaucratese, and told parts of the story that Wildlife Services would prefer the public not notice.

In other words, Molvar said the “spin-factor” from Wildlife Services is to convince Idahoans that additional restrictions and clear guidelines to follow those rules will be significant enough to start deploying M-44s in Idaho once again.

“A lot of people are fed up with Wildlife Services selling landmines in the Idaho and endangering the public, their pets and wildlife,” Molvar said. “There doesn’t seem to be any justification for using this barbaric technique when there are many non-lethal methods available to have livestock operations become more compatible with the native wildlife.”

Molvar said he encourages people to attend and make their views known at the sessions. They are open to the public and will take place from 7-9 p.m. in the following locations:

Tuesday, July 25, at the Lewiston Community Center at 1424 Main Street in Lewiston; Wednesday, July 26, at the Holiday Inn Boise, located at 2970 West Elder Street in Boise; and Thursday, July 27, at the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Building, which is at 1065 Cesar Chavez Avenue in Pocatello.

“We want people to know that when they come out to voice their concerns about M-44 ‘cyanide bombs,’ that they are not going to be alone,” Molvar said. “We want them to know we will be there to support Canyon Mansfield’s family, who has really been leading the charge to try and get these M-44’s out of Idaho permanently.”

Last week, Mark Mansfield told the Journal that Wildlife Services is focused on incorporating additional guidelines and restrictions about the use and placement of M-44 devices. That is something he said would be ineffective considering the M-44 that his son triggered was placed near his property in violation of the existing rules and conditions.

Molvar agreed with Mansfield’s statement. And Molvar believes the public has the opportunity and right to tell Wildlife Services how important it is to permanently ban M-44s in Idaho.

“I don’t think that there is anything that Wildlife Services can say that will make these cyanide bombs OK with the public,” Molvar said. “Hopefully, with these protests, Wildlife Services will get the message, free and clear, that it’s time to end this practice once and for all.”

After landing a monster, 57-pound lake trout, Soda Springs resident Sidney Cellan has reeled his way into the Utah record books.

Cellan said he brought the 48-inch fish up from about 80 feet of water last month during his annual fishing trip at the Flaming Gorge Reservoir near Manila, Utah.

“Our guide estimated this fish was probably about 50 to 60 years old,” Cellan said about his record-setting catch. “It took me about 30 minutes to reel it in.”

Fishing with a friend from Victor, his son and their Utah guide, Jim Williams, from Creative Fishing Adventures, Cellan’s lake trout set a new Utah catch-and-release record, according to the state’s Division of Wildlife Resources.

For at least the last 10 years, Cellan has fished the Flaming Gorge with his friend, but never have their previous excursions been nearly as successful as the one this year.

“This was one of our best trips ever. Normally, we catch about seven to 10 fish,” Cellan said.

“We went out jigging and ended up catching a total of 27 fish in two days,”

In addition to the 57-pounder, Cellan said they boated two other fish over 35 pounds.

“And the day before, we caught probably 14 other fish between 12 and 35 pounds,” Cellan added.

As many fishermen would expect, Cellan declined to reveal exactly where he caught the fish and with what lure, as both are tight-kept secrets.

After pulling the fish into the boat for some pictures and measurements, Cellan released the fish back into the water.

“So somebody else can catch it,” Cellan said about releasing the fish. “You know if I kill all the fish that I catch then means there’s going to be less fish for other people to catch.”

Though it was his pole and hard work that landed the fish, Cellan preferred to credit their guide Williams for putting them in the right spot at the right time.

“We get out there fishing and we had fished all day until about 1:30 in the afternoon,” Cellan said. “Jim (Williams) watched it hit my line, and immediately, he knew it was a big fish.”

As soon as he hooked the fish, Cellan knew it was big because of how long it hung around the bottom of the reservoir.

“I was shaking because all I had was the 12-pound line,” Cellan said. “As Jim (Williams) watched him on the fish finder I felt him start up then head back down until eventually he turned his head up and I just started reeling him in.”

Did he expect to catch a record breaking fish? No, Cellan said, he was just fishing for a good time and a break from the monotony of everyday life.

Cellan said he knew the previous record holder, who also caught his fish with Williams as his guide. Cellan said that fish weighed 53 pounds, and the record was set about 12 years ago.

Despite catching the biggest fish in his life, Cellan said he will look forward to next year’s trip as if nothing has changed.

“This is just a great fishing trip,” Cellan said. “The weather was perfect, and I’ll look forward to this trip every year. Yeah, I caught a big one, but I’m sure there are bigger ones out there.”