In recognition of current licensing system issues, the Idaho Department Fish and Game has extended the big game application period to midnight on June 7. Fish and Game continues to work with its license system contractor to solve the problem so it can get the licensing system back online as soon as possible.

“We don’t have an estimated time yet, but we will inform people as soon as it’s live again,” said Michael Pearson, Fish and Game’s Chief of Administration.

In the meantime, Fish and Game is trying to ensure customers are treated fairly and have an opportunity to apply for controlled hunts. The department will be updating people on the website and through other means as more information becomes available.

“We value you as a customer and always want you to have a good experience with us,” Pearson said. “We realize we are not currently living up to those expectations, but we are doing our best to make it right.”

The deer, elk, antelope and fall black bear controlled hunt deadline is among the busiest days of the year for the licensing system. Last year, there were 166,000 applications for those controlled hunts, and Pearson said traditionally about 20 percent come on the final day of the application period, which opened on May 1.

It is not yet known whether extending the application deadline will affect the drawing and notification dates.

POCATELLO — A moose running loose in Pocatello caused a stir on Tuesday morning.

Multiple local residents reported a yearling cow moose running in the Old Town Pocatello area at approximately 11 a.m. Tuesday.

When the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Pocatello Police Department arrived on scene, the moose was wandering around Memorial Park at the intersection of North Grant Avenue and West Fremont Street.

Fish and Game officers attempted to dart the moose with a tranquilizer twice but missed. The moose then ran for a short distance down West Fremont Street before it was successfully darted. The animal came to rest in a residential backyard on North Grant Avenue.

After the animal was tranquilized, Fish and Game officers moved the animal into a truck and relocated it in a remote area away from cities and people.

Nobody was injured during the incident. 

This is not the first time that residents in Pocatello have been visited by a wayward moose.

Last August, a moose that wandered into Pocatello’s east side was tranquilized near the intersection of Alameda Road and Monte Vista Drive. That moose was then relocated to a remote location.

Months earlier on Easter, multiple local residents spotted a young bull moose near Pocatello High School. After finding a shady area near Centennial and Rainey parks along the Portneuf River, the animal eventually made its way back into the wild on its own.

Tuesday’s incident in Pocatello was also not the first time over the past month that conservation officers had to tranquilize and relocate a wild animal. On May 11, a mountain lion on Red Hill Trail in Pocatello was darted and moved out of the area.

According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, there were multiple mountain lion sightings around the Pocatello/Chubbuck area after the May 11 incident, but these reports have not been verified due to either a lack of evidence or possible misidentification.

Idaho Fish and Game’s Free Fishing Day on June 9 is exactly as it sounds: a chance for anyone to grab a rod and go fishing with no license required.

At many locations, you don’t even need a rod, tackle or bait. Just show up and Fish and Game employees and volunteers will loan you gear and show you how to catch a fish.

Here’s a list of events in Eastern Idaho on Saturday:

Southeast Region

• Bannock Reservoir (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Grace Fish Hatchery (limited to anglers 14 and under, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Upper Kelly Park Pond (limited to anglers age 13 and under, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Edson Fichter Pond (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Upper Snake Region

• Becker Pond (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Mill Creek Pond, Mill Pond (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Rexburg City Ponds (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
• Trail Creek Pond, Victor Kids Pond (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

The department will stock trout in select locations before the event to increase your chances of landing a fish.

Free Fishing Day events aren’t the only way to learn how to fish. Fish and Game’s “Take me Fishing Trailers” are loaded with loaner rods and tackle, and Take Me Fishing Trailer events let you try fishing without having to first buy a license. Events are held throughout June, July and August. 

Free Fishing Day and Take Me Fishing trailers are great opportunities to learn firsthand why fishing is one of Idaho’s favorite activities, and a fun way to spend time with your family and learn how to catch your own dinner.

While Free Fishing Day temporarily waives the requirement for a fishing license, all other rules such as bag limits and other restrictions still apply. 

While the day is intended to give folks an opportunity to try fishing without having to spend money up front, fishing remains a very affordable, year-round activity. To keep fishing, anyone age 14 and older needs to buy a daily license, or an annual license, both of which are available at vendors throughout the state, or an annual license can be bought through Fish and Game’s online vendor. 

Fishing in Idaho is a convenient way to get outside, and many fishing spots are easily available near urban and rural areas. Community ponds make for easy fishing trips close to home, while rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs make excellent weekend trips or vacation destinations. 

Idaho also has a large variety of game fish, from palm-sized bluegill that are a great way to teach kids fishing, up to sturgeon that are decades old and measured in feet rather than inches or pounds. 

Church Universal and Triumphant is in the process of building a new public hot springs on the bank of the Yellowstone River.

Located in Corwin Springs roughly eight miles north of Yellowstone National Park, the facility — Yellowstone Hot Springs — will include a large central pool and a pair of hot and cold plunge tubs, as well as a waterfall and hydrotherapy features.

The year-round facility, across U.S. Highway 89 from the Lighthouse Restaurant, will also sport a fire pit and indoor area selling food and beverages.

The hot springs is expected to open sometime in mid-August. During peak season from May 15 to Oct. 15, the facility will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Off-season hours haven’t been finalized.

“It will be a place where people can have a soak and a snack,” said Yellowstone Hot Springs project manager Martine Griffiths. “There’s nothing quite like it.”

The hot springs will operate as a for-profit under the umbrella of the nonprofit Royal Teton Ranch, the longtime headquarters of Church Universal and Triumphant. Founded in 1975, the worldwide sect has made headlines over the years for legal issues and controversies such as the building of an underground shelter system in preparation for a predicted apocalyptic event.

In the 2000s, the group built a two-mile stretch of pipe drawing from LaDuke Hot Springs to the south to the proposed hot springs site, but excavation and construction on the property itself didn’t begin until this year.

While there are several other local options for those looking to soak in hot bodies of water, the new springs will aim to complement what already exists, said hot springs general manager Susie Shimmin.

“This is very much for the community and the people of the world,” Shimmin said. “It is going to be something quite special.”

More than 30 years in the planning, the hot springs have historically been a source of tension between the church and Yellowstone National Park.

The property has seen hot springs before — in 1899, a French-Canadian immigrant opened a resort there, and 10 years later a doctor built a hotel to attract tourists to pools full of hot water piped in from the nearby spring. Church leaders moved their headquarters to Paradise Valley in 1986 with plans to build their own resort, but National Park Service officials and environmental groups protested, claiming that tapping the spring could adversely affect geothermal features within the park.

In 1993, Montana’s then-Rep. Pat Williams introduced the Old Faithful Protection Act, a bill that would have regulated the development of springs near Yellowstone. The bill died in the Senate.

The Park Service has since agreed to the use, and Griffiths said the group has been working closely with Yellowstone officials, as well as Gardiner and surrounding businesses.

“We’ve kept them advised of everything we’re doing,” she said.

Exact entrance fees are yet to be determined, but there will be discounts for locals and the space will likely host events, Griffiths said.

“We want to open it, we want to open it, but we have to be patient,” she said. “It’s very exciting.”

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — State and federal wildlife officials are investigating the shooting death of a male grizzly bear in northwestern Montana.

The young adult bear was found dead on a forest road north of Libby near the Idaho border in the Kootenai National Forest.

Investigators believe the animal was killed on the evening of May 20.

Grizzly bears in northwestern Montana are protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Barron/Bristow Creek area to call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 406-329-3000 or the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks at 1-800-TIP-MONT

A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for any information leading to a conviction.

I began hunting at a time when many sportsmen hunted with lever-action rifles such as the .25-35 Winchester Center Fire, .32 Winchester Special, 32-40 Winchester Center Fire, .348 Winchester Center Fire, 35-55 Winchester Center Fire, .30-30 Winchester …

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — An elk attacked and seriously injured a hotel worker at Yellowstone National Park as the animal sought to protect a nearby calf.

Park officials said 51-year-old Charlene Triplett of Las Vegas was attacked by the elk behind the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel on Sunday.

The animal reportedly kicked Triplett multiple times with its front legs, striking her head, torso and back.

She was flown to a trauma center at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Her condition on Monday was unknown.

Park officials say it’s uncertain if prior to the encounter Triplett saw the elk or calf, which was bedded down behind some cars about 20 feet away.

Visitors are advised to use caution around elk, especially during calving season, and to stay at least 25 yards away.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (AP) — For the second time in three days, an elk has attacked someone in Yellowstone National Park.

The National Park Service says a female elk with a calf attacked 53-year-old Penny Allyson Behr, of Cypress, Texas, Tuesday behind the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

Yellowstone officials say the elk surprised Behr as she walked between cabins. The elk followed Behr as she backed away and kicked her in the head and body.

An ambulance took Behr to a hospital in Livingston, Montana.

On Sunday, a female elk with a calf kicked 51-year-old Charlene Triplett, of Las Vegas, in the head and body behind the same hotel.

Triplett was in fair condition Tuesday.

Park officials are unsure if it was the same elk but say elk often aggressively defend their young.

Imagine a river loaded with big fish that are eager to bite and put up a mean fight when hooked. Imagine you have most of the river for you and your fishing pals to catch as many fish as you want to clean and eat.

Imagine no more, because this place actually exists, and it’s only minutes from Idaho’s most populous region. If you haven’t already guessed, it’s the Snake River, and while anglers may pine for that scenario to include steelhead and salmon, the river has catfish in almost embarrassing abundance.

Despite being in the Snake River since the 1940s, catfish fishing doesn’t have a rich tradition in Idaho. They’re kind of an “other” fish that many anglers catch incidental to fishing for something else. But anglers might want to rethink that because they are a big, fun fish to catch, and there are lots of them.

How many? Joe Kozfkay, Southwest Region Fish Manager for Fish and Game, pauses when asked and concedes there’s no way of getting an exact count in a system this large. But he’s comfortable estimating it’s more than a million catfish in Snake River and its Southwest Idaho reservoirs in the stretch from Hells Canyon Dam upstream to Bliss Dam. In the prime water between Swan Falls Dam and Brownlee Reservoir, he estimates there are a couple thousand catfish per mile.

Those include both channel catfish and their larger cousins, flatheads, with channel cats being by far the most common. Channel cats are available in such large numbers there’s no limit on them, and previous angling surveys done by the department have shown the harvest is so low it doesn’t affect the population. In fact, there are so many that Fish and Game captures catfish from the Snake River and transplants them into Treasure Valley ponds and elsewhere to provide more fishing opportunity.

Catfish are also available in many of the Snake River’s tributaries, including the Weiser, Payette and Boise Rivers, typically in the lower stretches.

And these catfish aren’t the little bullheads many people are familiar with catching. Channel cats average about 4 to 6 pounds and lots of them range above 10 pounds. The state record is 31 pounds and 38 inches, but it’s practically a runt compared to the record flathead catfish, which weighed in at 58.5 pounds.

Catching cats

Another thing attractive about catfish fishing is its simplicity. You don’t need a whole tackle box — or several — full of expensive, exotic lures and baits (looking at you, bass anglers). You just need some large bait hooks, some swivels and some pyramid weights.

A good basic set up is the “sliding sinker rig” that Fish and Game requires for sturgeon anglers. It’s a good set up for catfish as well and reduces the chances of lost tackle becoming hazardous to fish and wildlife.

During summer when weeds become thick in the Snake River, people can switch to a float rig and hang or drift bait so it stays above the weeds.

There are many options for bait, and you might start with a common nightcrawler. But experiment with different bait, such as shrimp, cutbait from any oily fish such as carp, sucker or pikeminnow. Crickets are also a popular catfish bait, especially Mormon crickets when they’re available. There’s also a variety of premade catfish baits available at sporting goods stores and tackle shops.

“Catfish are true omnivores,” Kozfkay said. “They will eat anything in the river they can get their mouths around.”

A misunderstood fish

There are many species of catfish, but they all seem subject to the same stereotype: they live in slow-moving, muddy rivers scavenging dead stuff from the bottom. There’s enough truth to support some of the stereotype. Catfish are adapted to living in dark, murky water and those barbels (whiskers) that give them they’re name are highly sensitive to taste and smell, so they don’t have to rely on their eyesight to find food.

“That reinforces the myth that all they do is hang out in deep, dark holes, and all they do is scavenge,” Kozfkay said.

But much of the stereotype is inaccurate, especially for channel catfish. As previously stated, they’re omnivorous and will seek out a variety of food, including hunting live prey. They can also be found in most of the habitat in the Snake River, not just its deep holes.

“They’re very comfortable in rivers,” Kozfkay said. “They really like river features with depth changes, velocity changes and woody cover.”

Channel catfish will also move into riffles to feed, especially during summer and can even be seen eating insects on the surface.

So anglers should take note and fish for them in different places. Kozfkay noted the fish are very migratory and move in and out of reservoirs, so you may have to move around to find them. Catfish will find your bait pretty quickly if they’re feeding, so if you go 10 or 15 minutes without a bite, move to another spot.

Piscivorous panic button

If you put some effort into trying several spots, you’re likely to catch some catfish in the Snake River (or its tributaries), so now you’ve cracked the code, right?

Sort of. After you’ve caught several fish, you may notice fishing gets a little slower. It’s unlikely you’ve caught all the catfish in the hole, it’s that the fish may recognize something is amiss in their world. Catfish, like carp, release a pheromone that signals danger to other fish. So when you hook, fight and land a fish, there’s a good chance it will release that pheromone and the remaining fish will catch a whiff of the scent and flee or stop feeding.

“It seems like if you catch five or six fish out of a hole, they’ve figured it out,” Kozfkay said.

That’s when you know it’s time to move and find more fish. But keep that spot in mind when you return because chances are good you will find them there again.

Time for catfish fry

It’s a tasty tradition, and most people have eaten catfish at one time or another. They’re commonly raised commercially and sold in restaurants.

Catfish from the Snake River are also tasty fish, but there’s a consumption advisory from Idaho Health and Welfare that recommends balance and moderation for catfish consumption, especially for children and pregnant or nursing women.

People should balance that advisory with the health benefits of eating fish, and Health and Welfare also states, “Eating fish on a regular basis can be beneficial to both adults and children. Fish are a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids.”

One easy way to minimize contaminants contained in catfish is eat the younger, smaller ones in the 1 to 4 pound range, eat only the white meat, trim off as much fat was you can prior to cooking, and bake or broil fish on a rack so the remaining fat drips away while cooking.

You can see Health and Welfare’s consumption advisory at https://bit.ly/2H7fKuP.

Don’t let that discourage you from taking advantage of a great fishing opportunity. It’s rare to have a plentiful population of big fish so close and available to so many anglers. Even if you decide to release the catfish you catch, you will have a blast catching them.

I have been writing a lot of crappie fishing articles lately, but there’s a good reason — the fishing has been unbelievable! Just like last year, every time I go, it keeps getting better and better. As far as size and numbers, the best trip was a week ago when my daughter and I went. We caught 213 and got some nice ones.

But yesterday, my friend Ron Spomer and I went, and as far as sheer numbers, it was the best trip. We caught 241. A lot of them were small. We threw back 192 but came home with 49. Again, the killer lure was a Mister Twister Red/White tube jig. I used a small jig head because there was no wind and it seemed to drop perfectly.

We caught the bulk of them about 30 feet off the bank but near dusk they had moved up right by the rocky banks to feed. If you haven’t gotten out yet, you need to go. The last few trips they’ve been full of eggs but last night I probably filleted only three to five fish that still had eggs, so the spawn is pretty much over.

But enough talk about fishing. Today I want to talk about cooking crappie. Crappie to me are the third-best freshwater fish, trailing behind walleye and then perch. They are a white, light, flaky fish.

I’m sure there are a million ways to cook them, but here are some of my favorites. To begin, fillet them. That way you have some nice little chunky fillets that will fry evenly. You’ll catch more than you can eat in one setting so it is important to preserve them properly. Vacuum pack them to keep them fresh and to prevent them from getting freezer burnt. I have a Caso vacuum sealer that works great.

RECIPES

• My go-to recipe is very simple. Sprinkle some cornmeal on a plate. Roll the fillets in the cornmeal and then throw in a Lodge black cast iron skillet that has some hot oil in it. Fry. My wife likes to fry them a little crispy. I don’t fry them as well done so they are more moist. Either way is great. While frying, I sprinkle on some Tony Chachere’s seasoning. Use the Tony’s just like salt. It is a Cajun spice and my go-to all-around spice.
• I also like to mix up pancake batter and dip the fillets in the batter and then fry (same as in No. 1) but these I like to fry to a golden brown. This method is great, too.
• Here’s a Cajun recipe that I like. I got it from a Cajun girl named Roe while red fishing down in Louisiana. Sprinkle flour on a plate. Lightly dust the fillets. Put in a hot black iron Lodge skillet that has a little grease in it. Sprinkle on a little Worcestershire sauce and throw in a few spoonfuls of capers. I also like to sprinkle in a little balsamic vinegar. Fry a little crisp. These are great as is but on the first two recipes, I dip the fish in ketchup.

Happy Eating! Now I’m off to the mountains to bait for bears and pick some mushrooms. Ahhh, springtime in Idaho is great.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana. He also writes for various outdoors magazines and teaches outdoors seminars at stores like Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Bass Pro Shop.