ISLAND PARK — After resuming recovery efforts on Thursday morning, search and rescue crews discovered the body of snowmobiler Adam Wayne Andersen, a 36-year-old man from Idaho Falls.

Anderson and several other snowmobilers were riding in the backcountry in the Centennial Mountains on Wednesday afternoon when an avalanche off of Mt. Jefferson swept Anderson under the snow.

Members of his group attempted to locate him but had no success.

After rescue operations were underway, Anderson’s snowmobile was discovered in the area he went missing. By that point, however, conditions were getting to be too dangerous for operations to make any further progress.

Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries cited poor weather conditions and the risk of another avalanche as to why efforts to recover the man’s body were put on hold.

“The Life Flight pilot who flew the area late yesterday reported seeing a number of slides,” Humphries said.

Fremont County Search and Rescue and Sheriff’s Deputies started early Thursday morning to evaluate snow conditions and continue the search.

A rescue dog from Teton County Search and Rescue assisted efforts in the recovery operations, as did Air Ambulance services and Island Park Ambulance. Volunteer searchers were being accepted as well.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a mountain lion sighting Wednesday at the Hubbard Reservoir area near Kuna.Deputies searched the area but could not find the mountain lion.However, they did find fresh tracks, according to a twitter …

POCATELLO — The Portneuf Valley Audubon Society will conduct its annual eagle count between American Falls Dam and the Raft River on Jan. 13, and its Jan. 18 meeting will feature a presentation on carbon tax.

The eagle count is open to the public. To participate, meet at 8 a.m. in the lower Idaho State University campus parking lot by the bison sculpture behind the Idaho Museum of Natural History Building near South Fifth Avenue and East Dillon Street. Participants will walk to the Snake River at all available access points, so should dress for the weather. The field trip should be done by noon.

At 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Marshal Public Library Community Room, Linda Engle, of the Pocatello Citizens’ Climate Lobby, will deliver the presentation “Carbon Tax, a Solution to the Problem of Climate Change.”

Engle will address problem of climate change and how tax incentives can be used to discourage pollution while encouraging a healthy business climate. It is a topic long thought to address the concerns of both business and environmentalists.

Founded in 2007 in the USA, the Citizens Climate Lobby has grown to be an international organization. In the U.S. it supports working with Democrats, Independents, Republicans, and third-party lawmakers to initiate economic solutions to address climate change.

For more information on the field trip or meeting, contact Barb North, PVAS president, at barb.north10@gmail.com or visit pvaudubon.org.

An avalanche warning was issued at 6 a.m. Jan. 10, 2018, for the Wasatch Mountains in Southeastern Idaho.

“Heavy snow has overloaded the pre-existing weak snow pack. The avalanche danger is high and both human-triggered and natural avalanches are likely,” states the warning.

Backcountry travelers should stay off of and out from underneath slopes steeper than 30 degrees. Avalanches may run long distances and can run into mature forests.

Already, several avalanches have been reported to the Franklin County Emergency Management department, said director Warren Wilde.

“I have been getting reports of them occurring in the Copenhagen area, Hilyard Canyon, Franklin Basin and Bloomington Lake areas,” said Wilde.

For updated information, one can contact the utahavalanchecenter.org or call 1-888-999-4019 for more detailed information.

CHESTER, Montana (AP) — Hunters killed 50 mule deer during the first weekend of a special hunt taking place in north-central Montana to test for the prevalence of a brain wasting disease that first showed up in Montana this fall.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials say 37 does and 13 bucks were killed and tested for chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. The results will be available in two to three weeks.

The hunt, in Liberty County north of Chester, will run until mid-February or until 157 deer are killed. Hunters are required to submit their harvested deer for testing at the FWP office in Havre or a check station in Chester.

Another special hunt is ongoing in Carbon County, with a quota of 200 white-tailed deer and 200 mule deer.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A 45-year-old Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison and ordered to pay $105,000 in restitution for setting two forest fires in northwest Wyoming in 2016.

In addition to 53 months in prison, U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson also sentenced Stephanie Joy Nicole Dodson to three years of supervised probation after her release.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that Dodson pleaded guilty to intentionally starting fires in August 2016 in Grand Teton National Park and neighboring Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Police say Dodson worked at a guest ranch when the fires occurred and traveled shortly after to Everett, Pennsylvania, where she was arrested.

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Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com

ST. CHARLES — Officers with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are currently investigating the poaching of a bull elk in Bear Lake County.

According to the Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the elk was discovered by Fish and Game officers in St. Charles Canyon on Saturday.

The animal, which had been stripped of all quarters and its antlers, was located at the national forest boundary halfway between the entrance to St. Charles Campground and the Cache National Forest sign.

Investigators believe the poached bull elk was dumped sometime around New Year’s Day.

In Game Management Unit 78, where the animal’s body was found, there has been no bull elk hunt open for several weeks, except for a muzzleloader cow hunt that concluded on Dec. 31.

Anybody with information regarding this elk poaching is asked to call Fish and Game Officer Cameron Sena at 208-576-9067 or the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999.

The Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office said a reward may be offered for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the elk’s illegal killing.

If you could only pick one rifle and cartridge to hunt everything you like to hunt in North America, what cartridge would you choose?

Every few years this question is asked of some of the best-known American hunters, as well as some who are not so well known but spend a lot of time hunting big game.

I have always enjoyed reading the responses to this question by the hunting guides, professional hunters and gun writers that are asked to participate in the survey and studying their reasons for the cartridge they would choose.

You might think that there would be a consensus among people who do a lot of hunting in North America as to which caliber they would choose if they were limited to only one rifle and caliber for everything from deer and antelope to elk, moose and the largest bears in North America.

Well, yes and no. There does seem to be consensus among those who hunt professionally, those who guide hunts, those who hunt and write for various publications, those who hunt the lower United States and those who hunt Alaska.

Another factor that determines their choices is what they generally hunt and the range they generally have to shoot at. There are also some who don’t readily fit into the general leanings of the group of which you would think they are most representative.

Let’s examine a few of the many hunters we could choose to study, and see if you can understand their thinking based on their particular circumstances.

Hosea Sarber, a game warden and hunting guide out of Petersburg, Alaska, loved the Winchester .270 and carried it or a .30-06 Springfield when on patrol. However, he often carried a .375 H&H if he was guiding a hunt.

Jack O’Conner, a professional hunter and writer who lived in Lewiston, was an avid sheep hunter in Idaho and Alaska. Jack, through his writings, made the public aware of the virtues of the .270 Winchester and usually hunted sheep with it. However, he would carry a .30-06 if he was hunting the larger bears of Alaska, unless he was being paid to carry something else and write about it.

Colonel Charles Askins was for a time the Senior Field Editor of American Hunter/American Rifleman and one of the most interesting characters I have ever read about. Charles spent a great deal of time hunting Kenai moose and the large bears of Alaska.

Being a lot smarter than the average preservationist, he chose the .340 Weatherby Magnum with a 250-grain bullet as the one caliber he would want if limited to one rifle. And no, 43 foot-pounds of recoil didn’t bother him in the least. You were wondering, right?

Craig Boddinton, editor of Petersen’s Hunting Magazine, like most respondents didn’t like being limited to one rifle caliber only. But he was a good sport and chose the .338 Winchester Magnum as the one rifle caliber he would want. Craig felt the caliber was permissible on deer, elk and moose, although a bit more than required, but was just the right medicine for big bears.

Rick Jamison, who was the rifle editor for Shooting Times Magazine, preferred the .300 Weatherby Magnum, for hunting all species of North American big game because it is flat, fast and accurate, and it gave good expansion on long distance shots.

Bert Klineburger, world class hunting guide and booking agent, chose the 7mm Remington Magnum. He hunted and killed polar, Alaskan brown and grizzly bears with the caliber. He also took a 7mm to Texas and hunted deer, javelina, feral hogs and coyotes.

Bob Milek, who loved hunting pronghorn in Wyoming, wrote several articles extolling the .25-06 as a great cartridge for medium-sized game, but chose the old .30-06 as the caliber he would choose if limited to just one rifle. He felt that the .30-06 would be a better all-around cartridge when hunting elk, moose and bears.

So the guys that spend most of their time hunting elk, moose, sheep and bears, with a few exceptions, seem to prefer 7mm, .30 Magnums, .338 Winchester and .340 Weatherby Magnums. The .375 H&H Magnum is preferred by some, particularly guides.

Those who hunt deer and pronghorn, but nothing bigger, tend to shoot non-magnum calibers for the most part.

Nobody likes to be limited to just one so-called all-around caliber for everything. There really is no such caliber, just a lot of calibers that will do if you will do your part.

One other interesting note is that even those who hunt a lot enjoy non-magnum calibers when the extra power and range isn’t necessary.

Smokey Merkley was raised in Idaho and has been hunting since he was 10 years old. He was a member of the faculty of Texas A&M University for 25 years. There he taught orienteering, marksmanship, self-defense, fencing, scuba diving and boxing. He was among the first DPS-certified Texas Concealed Handgun Instructors. He can be contacted at mokeydo41245@hotmail.com.

BOISE — Bowen Toomey is one of the most inspirational people you could meet. Lively, smart and playful, his smile comes from deep in his soul, and its glow outshines his obvious challenges.

Bowen, 9, was born without complete arms or legs, given up by his birth mother in Serbia and placed in a government-run orphanage.

Today, playing with his two brothers, Heath, 11, and Brooks, 9, in the family room of their Eagle home, there are peals of laughter and some brotherly teasing. Bowen gives as good as he gets as he articulates his hips to move his 45-pound body along the floor, enthusiastically chasing after Brooks. A bright smile emanates from his Bowen’s face as shouts and giggles follow.

“It’s been great to see how Bowen’s story has unfolded,” said his mother, Devon Toomey. “He continually inspires people in the community and around the world. He’s a constant surprise. With all that he’s been through you’d think he’d be unhappy, but he is joyful through it all.”

Toomey, a special education teacher turned stay-at-home mom, and her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, adopted Bowen in 2010.

Rather than thinking of himself as disabled, Bowen makes himself very able. With a stubborn streak and the will to persevere, Bowen has overcome obstacles through his own grit, his family’s belief in him and their refusal to treat him differently.

“I have no arms and no legs,” Bowen said. “And that’s a good thing because it makes me special. I like me the way I am.”

Bowen’s story was featured on NBC’s “Today” show at Christmastime in 2014 and in People magazine in the fall of 2015.

The family is happy to tell Bowen’s story to inspire and show that a special-needs child is “not as overwhelming as it may appear on the surface,” said Jeremy Toomey, Bowen’s dad.

THE CAN-DO KID

Bowen uses his incredibly strong torso to inch his way up the stairs to his bedroom. He uses a universal cuff with a spoon on his left upper arm to eat. He undresses himself using a gadget Devon created from a basket, weights and hooks.

He writes by holding a pen or pencil in his mouth. He can use a desktop computer with a mouse or an iPad. And he taught himself to swim like a fish in the family’s pool.

“You need to try and practice,” Bowen said.

Over the summer, Bowen competed in the Hidden Springs Triathlon, an event he’d watched his brothers take part in for several years. Bowen trained all summer and swam by himself. He competed in the running portion in his motorized wheelchair and let a family friend do the cycling.

He can’t wait to do another.

“Everyone cheers for me,” he said.

The family recently purchased Bowen an assisted-skiing apparatus so he can tackle the slopes.

“He’s an adventurous spirit,” Devon said. “He’s got a great attitude. He’s super stubborn, and he’s willing to try things. Whenever we hit a problem, Bowen somehow figures it out, and then he teaches us.”

FROM SERBIA TO IDAHO

Bowen’s success is part of a journey filled with serendipity and strong emotional bonds.

Devon and Jeremy met working at the Portland REI in 2000. They married and began moving their growing family around the country following Jeremy’s medical training in Nevada, Nebraska and Massachusetts.

After having two kids, the couple knew they wanted to adopt, but waited until Jeremy’s five-year residency was complete and he had a job.

“We didn’t know who that child would be,” Devon said. “We didn’t put any restrictions on it, but we never imagined a child like Bowen. God brought him into our lives.”

They were two years into Jeremy’s residency when Devon saw Bowen’s smiling face on Reece’s Rainbow, a website for special-needs adoptions.

“I didn’t move,” she said. “He had these big brown eyes and I knew — it was like the Lord telling me that this is our son.”

Eight months later, they headed overseas to get their third son.

A ROCKY START

Bowen entered the world in dire circumstances. When his single mother gave birth, she and the doctors were shocked to find he had no limbs, a condition related to a rare genetic condition.

“I’ve long suspected it is due to the environmental damage caused by the bombings in Serbia. His mother lived near one of the worst environmental disasters ever recorded,” Devon said. “That’s just my opinion. We don’t have any evidence.”

In 1999, NATO forces bombed Serbia with depleted uranium, the environmental effects of which still linger today. Since then, the country saw an increase in childhood cancers and in problematic births like Bowen’s. Because Serbia has limited resources, even for healthy children, disabled babies are often taken to a state-run orphanage.

“She didn’t have a lot of money and it’s kind of ingrained in their culture, so she said OK,” Devon said.

As soon as Bowen was born, he was whisked away.

The Toomeys’ visits to the Zvecanska orphanage were emotional. The well-meaning staff was overwhelmed.

“We realize that they could only do so much, but it was heartbreaking to see,” Devon said.

They saw babies and children left crying and neglected, they say, and feeding time was traumatic. Young children were fed a watery oatmeal and broth, and given a limited time to eat, Jeremy said.

“When we brought him home, we had a lot of issues around food,” Jeremy said.

“He didn’t know how to chew,” Devon said. “It took over a year to overcome that.”

Fortunately for Bowen, one of the doctors at the orphanage had a soft spot for him.

“Every day she would come in and love on him and sometimes take him to her office, and they’d watch ‘Tom and Jerry’ cartoons together,” Devon said. “So we were very lucky that he didn’t have any attachment issues and he could build a bond with all of us.”

‘YES, YOU CAN’

His limbs have actually been the least difficult thing to deal with because he can do so much.

“The most difficult things have been the things we didn’t expect, like the chewing,” Devon said.

Bowen also has learning challenges that are not fully diagnosed. He has difficulty communicating his thoughts because a speech impairment makes it hard to get the words out. Those are likely related to his limited human contact in his first 18 months, which is crucial to cognitive development, Devon said. (He is working with a speech therapist.)

“(The talking) has been the most difficult,” Devon said. “It’s getting better and better. Every week there is improvement.”

And when the world around him begins to move fast, he often retreats into an imaginary world.

“All you have to do is say his name, and he comes back,” Brooks said.

Right now, home schooling is giving him a stronger base that hopefully will help him succeed in group learning situations. Devon dreams of a time when all three of her sons will attend the same school.

“We had to insist that he be as independent as possible. In school that was not happening.” Jeremy said. “People have a tendency to want to baby him and help. That’s cute when he’s a kid, but when he’s an adult, no one is going to hold his metaphorical hand.”

Devon nods in agreement. “We try to raise him like our other boys. He said he can’t do something, and we’re like, ‘Yes, you can, Bowen. Just figure out a way.’ And he does, every time,” Devon said.

By sharing Bowen’s story, Devon hopes to show that special-needs children can be an amazing part of a family.

“I want people to see that these kids can thrive if they’re in the right environment,” she said.

JARBIDGE, Nev. (AP) — Nevada game wardens are investigating the illegal killing of a moose near the Nevada-Idaho line — the third poaching of a moose in Nevada over the last three years.

State wildlife officials said Tuesday a citizen discovered the carcass Dec. 25 about 20 miles southeast of Jarbidge.

Operation Game Thief is offering a $1,000 reward.

Game warden Fred Esparza says the moose was killed in a visible area near O’Neil Basin Road and the Sun Creek access road so it’s possible someone saw a hunter or an ATV nearby.

He says the moose killed earlier were shot by hunters who thought they were elk and self-reported the incidents. But this time, the animal’s head had been cut off and a large portion of meat taken.

State wildlife officials estimate there’s between 25 and 40 moose now living in Nevada.