Category: Outdoors

01MAY

Wyoming commission decides against grizzly bear hunt

JACKSON, Wyoming (AP) — The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has opted not to hold a grizzly bear hunt this year.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the decision last week follows a bill passed by the Wyoming Legislature this winter that authorized state wildlife officials to hold a grizzly bear hunt in spite of the species’ “threatened” federal status.

But the commission voted unanimously against drawing up grizzly hunting regulations.

Commissioner Patrick Crank explained to his fellow board members that 230 years of case law supported the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which establishes the precedence of federal laws over state law.

Crank says if the state authorized a grizzly hunt, hunters who killed bears could face federal prosecution.

An estimated 700 grizzly bears reside in and around Yellowstone National Park.

30APR

35,000 rainbow trout to be stocked in fishing spots around region

Grab your fishing pole, pack the cooler, and don’t forget your fishing license. Personnel from Idaho Fish and Game’s hatcheries in the Southeast Region will be releasing over 35,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout at the following locations during May. Fish on!

Here is the schedule:

  • Portneuf Wellness Complex Pond: May 7-11 (500 fish)
  • Portneuf Wellness Complex Pond: May 21-25 (500 fish)
  • Bear River, below Oneida Dam: April 29-May 3 (1,500 fish)
  • Bear River, below Oneida Dam: May 20-24 (1,500 fish)
  • Blackfoot River, below dam: May 20-24 (1,000 fish)
  • Bloomington Creek: May 27-31 (200 fish)
  • Cherry Creek: May 27-31 (100 fish)
  • Crowthers Reservoir: May 20-24 (1,100 fish)
  • Crystal Springs Pond: April 30-May 4 (375 fish)
  • Crystal Springs Pond: May 21-25 (375 fish)
  • Cub River: May 20-24 (500 fish)
  • Deep Creek Reservoir: April 29-May 3 (3,990 fish)
  • Devils Creek Reservoir: May 6-10 (2,160 fish)
  • Dingle Gravel Pond: May 13-17 (500 fish)
  • Dingle Gravel Pond: May 20-24 (500 fish)
  • East Fork Rock Creek: April 30-May 4 (500 fish)
  • Edson Fichter Pond: May 7-11 (625 fish)
  • Edson Fichter Pond: May 21-25 (625 fish)
  • Hawkins Reservoir: April 29-May 3 (840 fish)
  • Kelly Park Pond: May 13-17 (250 fish)
  • Kelly Park Pond: May 20-24 (250 fish)
  • Little Valley Reservoir: May 20-24 (1,000 fish)
  • McTucker Ponds: May 14-18 (750 fish)
  • Mill Creek: May 20-24 (250 fish)
  • Montpelier Rearing Pond: May 20-24 (250 fish)
  • Montpelier Rearing Pond: May 27-31 (250 fish)
  • Montpelier Reservoir: May 6-10 (3,500 fish)
  • Paris Creek: May 27-31 (250 fish)
  • Pebble Creek: May 27-31 (500 fish)
  • Pleasantview Reservoir: May 6-10 (1,500 fish)
  • Portneuf River in Lava Hot Springs: May 6-10 (330 fish)
  • Portneuf River in Lava Hot Springs: May 20-24 (fish)330
  • Rose Pond: May 14-18 (1,000 fish)
  • Snake River near American Falls: May 28-June 1 (4,000 fish)
  • Snake River north of American Falls Reservoir: May 28-June 1 (1,000 fish)
  • Topance Creek: May 27-31 (750 fish)
  • Trout Creek: April 29-May 3 (2,000 fish)
  • Weston Reservoir: May 13-17 (1,500 fish)

The number of trout actually released may be altered by weather, water conditions, equipment problems or schedule changes. If delays occur, trout will be stocked when conditions become favorable.

30APR

6mm calibers for dual varmint and big game hunting

There are three 6mm caliber cartridges that are commonly used for hunting deer as well as varmints that my friends and I discuss, sometimes in loud voices, the merits of for the game animals we hunt. The loud voices don’t mean we get into knock-down, drag-out arguments, only that we some times have some spirited discussions concerning the calibers and loads we prefer for the different game animals we hunt if relegated to one rifle for both deer and varmint hunting.

So, if my friends will keep their hands where I can see them, I will try to discuss the different 6mm calibers that we all prefer for the dual purposes of deer as well as varmint hunting.

The three 6mm calibers we normally discuss are the 6mm Remington, the .243 Winchester and the .240 Weatherby Magnum.

The best marksman of the group prefers the 6mm Remington and uses an 80-grain, hollow-point bullet for smaller varmints, an 85-grain, hollow-point point bullet for coyotes and a 100-grain, spire-point bullet for deer.

The 80-grain bullet leaves the barrel of his 7-pound rifle at 3,100 feet per second, hits him with 5.3 foot-pounds of recoil and the recoil velocity is about 6.3 feet per second, which is pretty light, and accuracy is excellent. He prefers an 85-grain, hollow-point bullet for coyotes that leaves the barrel at 2,800 feet per second with 5.3 foot-pounds of recoil that comes back at him at 6.4 feet per second, which is still pretty light. His choice for hunting deer is a 100-grain, spire-point bullet that leaves the barrel at 3,100 feet per second, recoils with 10 foot pounds and comes back at him at 9 feet per second. Still, a pretty soft recoiling caliber with excellent accuracy out to a couple hundred yards.

The 6mm I am most familiar with is the .243 Winchester, which I gave to one of my sons-in-law because I don’t hunt varmints very much with the exception of coyotes, and I hunt deer, pronghorn and elk with a .30-30, .30-06 or .300 Weatherby Magnum. I still kick myself from time to time for parting with that rifle. The .243 is ballistically very close to the 6mm Remington, and that is where most of the loud conversations takes place. The .243 Winchester fires a 75-grain bullet at 3,400 feet per second muzzle velocity from an 8-pound rifle for 7.2 foot-pounds of recoil and 7.4 feet per second coming back at the shooter. It also shoots a 95-grain bullet at 3,100 feet-per-second muzzle velocity, with 11 foot pounds of recoil energy coming back at the shooter at 9.9 feet per second. The .243 also shoots a 100-grain spire point bullet at 2,960 feet per second, with 8.8 foot pounds of recoil energy, coming back at the shooter at 8.7 feet per second.

The .240 Weatherby Magnum was Roy Weatherby’s attempt to increase .243 velocities by about 300 to 400 feet per second. The .240 Weatherby fires an 85-grain Barnes TSX bullet from an 8-pound rifle at a muzzle velocity of 3,500 feet per second with approximately 10 foot-pounds of recoil energy, coming back at the shooter at about 10 feet per second. A 95-grain BST bullet exits the muzzle at 3,420 feet per second with approximately 15 foot-pounds of recoil energy coming back at the shooter at about 13 feet per second. A 100-grain soft-point or Partition bullet leaves the Weatherby muzzle at 3,406 feet per second, generating 17.9 foot-pounds of recoil energy and coming back at the shooter at about 15 feet per second.

When the .240 Weatherby Magnum was first introduced, it was only available in Weatherby’s expensive Mark V rifles and stayed that way until Weatherby’s Vanguard series of rifles were introduced. Now the .240 Weatherby Magnum is available for under $1,000 even though it is still a proprietary caliber.

All of the group agree that the 6mm or .243 caliber rifles are not long-range deer and pronghorn hunting calibers and the 75- to 85-grain loads should not be used on deer and pronghorn because they are liable to break up on tougher deer-sized animals. However, the 100-grain bullets have done very well out to 200 yards on deer and pronghorn by excellent marksmen.

All three of the 6mms discussed here are accurate rifles and allow for year round hunting of varmints and pests, as well as deer and pronghorn during the Fall big game hunting season. With the exception of the .240 Weatherby, they all have very little recoil that would intimidate youth hunters.

Smokey Merkley was raised in Idaho and has been hunting since he was 10 years old. He can be contacted at mokeydo41245@hotmail.com.

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.

25APR

Help track and map bumble bees

The Pacific Northwest is home to nearly 30 species of bumble bees and many of them face an uncertain future. As part of the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas Project, Idaho Fish and Game and its conservation partners are collecting field observations of bumble bees. The goal is to map bumble bee populations in the Pacific Northwest, but they can’t do it alone.

“Washington, Idaho and Oregon are large, and we need an army of trained volunteers equipped with cameras to help survey the entire region,” said Rich Hatfield, Senior Conservation Biologist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

To create this army of volunteers, Fish and Game and its partners is holding a bumble bee workshop in Idaho Falls on Saturday. The training is provided for anyone who has a curiosity for bumble bees and flowers, and an interest in contributing to this important citizen science project. The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fish and Game’s regional office. Go to the Xerces website to register at bit.ly/2IWofNy.

For more information on the workshop and other ways to participate, contact Fish and Game biologist Joel Sauder at 208-750-4223 or joel.sauder@idfg.idaho.gov

If you can’t go to the workshop, but still want to know how to collect bumble bee data? There are detailed instructions on the Xerces website including videos on how to net, handle and photograph bumble bees.

In recent years, all pollinators have been recognized for their essential role in keeping our environment healthy and contributing to successful harvests on farms. Much attention has been given to the plight of the introduced European honey bee. Less publicized, but no less important, is the parallel decline of native, wild bee populations, particularly bumble bees.

While this project will target all species of bumble bees, there are three species whose population declines are of particular concern: the western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Morrison’s bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni) and the Suckley cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus suckleyi).

One of the goals of the project is to better understand where bumble bee species occur in remote parts of the region. Much of what we currently know about bumble bee distributions is focused on places where people live or travel, such as towns, cities and near roads.

Getting better information about which species of bumble bees occur in remote areas will help researchers track these species and understand what types of habitat they are associated with, ultimately supporting the conservation of the most at-risk species.

People can learn more about the project and how to contribute at the Pacific Northwest Bumble Bee Atlas Project website: www.pnwbumblebeeatlas.org.

25APR

F&G Commission sets migratory game bird seasons and adjusts wolf hunt in two units

Meeting by conference call on April 11, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission set seasons for migratory game birds for 2019-20 and amended wolf hunting seasons in Units 51 and 50 for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

The seasons for migratory game birds will remain mostly the same as the 2018-19 seasons, with a few exceptions:

  • Ducks — Daily pintail limit was reduced form two to one
  • Light Geese — Butte County and portions of Bonneville, Jefferson and Clark counties west of Interstate 15 were shifted into a different zone to allow late winter/spring hunting opportunities.
  • Sandhill Cranes — The number of crane tags was reduced from 306 to 220, in response to reductions in the Rocky Mountain population numbers over the past three years.

Hunters will be able to find exact season dates, zone maps and shooting hours in 2019-20 Migratory Game Bird Brochure later in spring and well in advance of any of the upcoming seasons.

The commission also amended to the 2019-20 and 2020-21 wolf hunting seasons in Unit 50 (excluding the portion in Blaine County) and Unit 51, to allow year-round hunting on private land.

The commission previously set statewide wolf hunting seasons in March and intended to include all of Custer and Lemhi counties to address depredation concerns, but Units 50 and 51 were inadvertently omitted during the process.

25APR

Sportsman’s Warehouse in Pocatello to host Ask Fish and Game event on Friday

The 2019-2020 seasons and rules books for both big game and trophy species have hit license vendor shelves, and now comes the fun part — making plans for the hunting seasons this fall.

To help hunters better understand the rules, including the latest changes to some of the Southeast Region hunts, Sportsman’s Warehouse in Pocatello is hosting an Ask Fish and Game event on Saturday. Stop by their store located at 760 Yellowstone Ave. any time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to visit with Idaho Fish and Game staff. Bring your questions, and Fish and Game will be happy to provide answers and clarifications.

The timing of the event is perfect for those hunters interested in the controlled hunt application period for big game, which starts May 1. And there is still time to get your application in by April 30 for trophy species such as moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat.

The rules and regulations for hunting big game and trophy species can be found online at idfg.idaho.gov. While visiting Fish and Game’s website, don’t forget about the Idaho Hunt Planner tool on the home page. Hunters can use this tool to search hunts (by species, region, or weapon choice), browse statistics, and explore and print off hunt area maps.

25APR

Early crappie fishing 2019

I might as well cut and paste this paragraph and use it all spring. Springtime in Idaho is magical. We have ground squirrel hunting going on, turkey hunting, bear hunting, mushroom hunting and crappie fishing. You can wear yourself out, can’t you? So I’m running myself ragged right now.

But I had a Texas hog hunt last week. I got home after midnight Thursday and had a talk on Good Friday at the veteran’s home and then three seminars at Sportsman’s Warehouse on Saturday. My family loves eating crappie so I had to get out and see if they were hitting yet.

So I finally got a free day the Monday after Easter and called my buddy Christopher Robertson to see if he was free. He’s a fish-a-holic, so of course he signed up. I had to take Katy to an Aggie Muster that night so we left early so we could get in a few hours of fishing.

I figured we were a week or two early to catch them spawning, but you don’t want to be late, so I always start early. We slipped the jon boat out of the back of the truck and loaded up, and I ran up to park the truck. Chris caught something like four or five fish during that time period right by the boat dock.

My secret spot should be great so we jetted over — well, jetted as fast as my Minn Kota would jet. We were using 1/8-ounce jigs tipped off with tube jigs. This year, I started using Pautzke Crappie Fire Balls. They come in the colors of pink, orange, blue and gold and garlic or shad flavored. The Fire Balls are durable, well scented and prompt fish to bite. I will be using them this spring on my crappie fishing trips.

I also upgraded my fishing equipment and got some Field & Stream fishing rods. And probably just in time because I was attending to some menial task and laid my ultra-light rod off the back of the boat. A big crappie grabbed it and the rod jumped out of the boat like a high diver, never to be seen again.

We fished a while and were catching a few. They had not moved up yet to spawn so we fished out 30-50 yards from shore and that was the main area we were catching them at.

After a while, we decided it would be better fishing back at the dock so we went back and fished there a while as well as a few of my other spots.

Most of the bites were gentle so when they hit, start reeling. The way we were catching them is to cast out a jig tipped off with a Pautzke Crappie Fire Ball and let it sink to the bottom and then gently reel it in. Many taps came right away but we caught a lot of fish up close to the boat. Whether they had followed it up or were up that high feeding I can’t tell you.

To be successful I’d recommend using the Crappie Fire Balls. They are super slippery but very effective. To make them easier to hook, I put a few on my seat. They dry up fast so you don’t want to wait too long because they will really shrink. Just let them dry enough so they’re easier to handle, or I think if you took a little flour and rolled them in it you could grasp them better. I’m going to try that next trip.

Pretty soon it came time to leave, especially because we had to clean our fish before I took Katy to dinner. We caught 92 in five and a half hours. They’re still pre-spawn but will move in and start spawning any day now.

They’re just waiting on the water temp to rise a few more degrees.

I told Chris to keep fishing while I loaded the boat and he caught something like nine to 12 in that short amount of time. I have to get back this weekend. It might be hot.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana.