POCATELLO — Local authorities are urging caution after a dog was injured by a mountain lion in a residential area in Pocatello on Wednesday morning.

The Pocatello Police Department said a mountain lion was spotted at approximately 6:50 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Goldfield Drive and Silverfield Way on the east side of town near the Portneuf Medical Center

According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, a homeowner in that area let their dog outside. The canine then encountered the cougar, which was in close proximity, and the two animals fought.

Eventually, the lion ran off and the dog chase the cat up a tree. From the tree, the lion swiped at the dog, which sent the canine running back to its owner. The cougar then left the area, and despite a search by multiple law enforcement agencies, the feline has not been located.

Fish and Game said the cougar was about the size of a young mountain lion or a small adult female lion.

The homeowner told wildlife biologists that the cougar was larger than the dog, which weighed 40 pounds.

Authorities said the dog sustained injuries, including scratches and puncture wounds, during its fight with the cougar. The dog was taken to a nearby animal hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Fish and Game noted that this was likely not a predatorial attack but rather a case of the mountain lion and the dog being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The incident on Wednesday is the third time within the past two weeks that a cougar was spotted in the Gate City area. On March 26 at around 7:10 p.m., a mountain lion was spotted in the 500 block of East Chubbuck Road in Chubbuck.

Then on Saturday a second sighting occurred at around 9:50 p.m. on the opposite end of Chubbuck in the 900 block of Margaret Street. A resident saw the mountain lion after being alerted by her barking dogs.

Fish and Game said that the agency was not able to verify the age or size of the animals spotted in Chubbuck.

The agency also could not confirm whether the cougar on Wednesday is the same animal seen in either of the two Chubbuck sightings.

Mountain lions are predatory animals that rely on deer and small mammals as sources of food. This is why normally most of the area’s cougar sightings are in the south side of town where there is a well-established deer population.

However, Fish and Game said mountain lions can be spotted anywhere near town for a variety of reasons. These reasons could include that the animals are passing through or looking for food. The cougars might also be injured or young and inexperienced.

Local residents are being encouraged to take in any food left outside for their pets.

Usually, if a cougar is trapped, Fish and Game will either relocate the captured mountain lion or put it down, depending on the circumstances.

There have been documented attacks on pet dogs and house cats throughout the years. In December, a pet dog on Buckskin Road was mauled to death by a mountain lion that was later put down by wildlife biologists.

However, attacks on humans are rare, with only three recorded attacks since 1990 in Idaho. The last attack made national headlines in 2016 when a lion attempted to drag a 4-year-old Blackfoot girl away from a family camping trip near Rexburg. The girl survived the attack with minor injuries.

Anybody who sees a mountain lion near their property is encouraged to contact the Pocatello police dispatch at 208-234-6100 or the local Idaho Fish and Game office at 208-232-4703.

AMERICAN FALLS — Authorities in American Falls are advising the public to stay away from a moose and its yearling that have been spotted near the Willow Bay Marina area.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the American Falls Police Department issued a statement advising residents to stay clear of the moose, which had been spotted on the bike path in the marina area.

However, since this moose has a yearling with it, authorities said the moose could become aggressive if anybody gets too close. Police also said the moose will be allowed to leave the area on its own.

The American Falls Police Department also said that the area sees a lot of wild animals coming into the area, including deer and antelope.

Spring is here, days are getting longer and warmer, which are good reasons to break out the fishing rods and take advantage of some early season fishing opportunities.

Idaho Fish and Game stocks trout year round, but expands its operations in April as more waters become suitable for trout. Typically, ponds are among the first places, followed by small lakes and reservoirs, then larger reservoirs, but that depends on weather and other factors.

To get the latest information about where Fish and Game is stocking, check out the stocking reports page at https://tinyurl.com/y9n42j28.

While trout fishing is the favorite in Idaho, there’s also warm-water fishing opportunities in many locations, and don’t take that “warm-water” name too literally. There can be good fishing for bass, crappie and bluegill during early spring when the water is still fairly cool.

If you’re new to fishing, or have never fished before, but still want to take your kids fishing, check out Fish and Game’s Learn to Fish page for instruction, tips, videos and more at https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/learn-to.

If you’re looking for places to go fishing where the trout stocking trucks have already visited, or will soon, here are some places to consider. Most of these are Family Fishing Waters, so there are fairly simple and uniform fishing rules.

Southeast

Bannock Reservoir (Pocatello) aka Portneuf Wellness Complex Reservoir: Located near the county fairgrounds, this community park offers trout fishing from multiple docks, as well as many other recreational amenities nearby. The 6-acre reservoir is surrounded by playgrounds, soccer fields, basketball courts, running and biking trails.

Edson Fichter Pond (Pocatello): This 3.4-acre pond is located in southwestern Pocatello along the Portneuf River at Edson Fichter Nature Area. It features several docks and a trail around the pond for easy access and lots of shoreline fishing. The pond is stocked with rainbow trout. The limited development around the pond make it an oasis for wildlife.

Crystal Springs Pond (Springfield): This 5.3-acre pond is surrounded agriculture lands northeast of American Falls Reservoir. It’s stocked with rainbow trout.

Jensen Grove Pond (Blackfoot): This pond is seasonal, and if conditions allow, it will fill and be stocked with rainbow trout in April. This 55-acre pond is located within Jensen Grove city park along the Blackfoot Greenbelt, and facilities nearby include boating, playground, restrooms and picnic areas.

Upper Snake

Gem Lake (Idaho Falls): This 400-acre reservoir is created by a dam on the Snake River. It has a fishing dock and lots of opportunities for shore angling, as well as boating. You can catch trout, warmwater fish, and sturgeon. Sturgeon are catch and release only.

Becker Pond (Idaho Falls): This 1.4-acre pond, located in Ryder Park, has ADA access for people in wheelchairs or others with limited mobility. This pond is managed with a two-fish daily bag limit to keep catch rates high. Boats, motors, wading and swimming are prohibited because of its small size.

Tips for early spring fishing

Watch the weather: Fishing is typically better when temperatures are warming and the barometer is stable. A temperature drop or a storm typically slows fishing.

Take it slow: Fish can be sluggish in cold water. Air temperature warms much faster than water, so even on a warm, spring day, the water is probably chilly. Bait is a good option, and if you’re using lures or flies, a slow retrieve usually catches more fish.

Don’t overlook warm-water fish: They become active sooner than you might think, but expect subtle strikes, and the fish to be in different places than where you found them last summer. Bass fishing can be good. Catch rates tend to be lower in early spring than other times of year when fish are more active, but the biggest fish are often the first to become active.

Think small: Smaller, shallower waters typically warm faster than larger bodies of water. Ponds, small lakes and reservoirs are good places to start. Same goes for shallow coves, bays and flats in larger lakes and reservoirs.

Fish locally: If the forecast looks iffy, you don’t want to drive a long ways and then find poor weather and water conditions. Spring is a good time to explore local ponds and reservoirs that you may have overlooked in the past.

Make it a kid-friendly outing: If the fish aren’t biting, find other things to keep youngsters amused. If you’re in a city, maybe pick a pond in, or near, a park. If you’re in a rural area, take a hike around the pond and look for wildlife, which often congregates near water. Bring snacks and a dry set of clothes in case kids get wet. Make it a fun trip so they will want to return later.

When I was 14 years old, my cousin Jimmy offered to sell me a Remington 1911 .45 ACP that had been manufactured during World War II. He was afraid he would be in real trouble if his father found out that he had it, so he wanted to get rid of it. I offered him $7 and a knife and became the proud owner of a 1911 .45 ACP.

Jimmy was two years younger than I was, and there has been some confusion as to where he got the pistol in the first place. My aunt Doris was shocked when I mentioned it years later after Jimmy died in Vietnam.

I no longer have that old Remington, having traded it for something else and buying a new Colt Commander version of the 1911 in .45 ACP caliber. Later I purchased a custom 1911 manufactured by Kimber.

In the 1960s through the 1980s, competition with service pistols was mostly governed by the International Practical Pistol Association (IPPA), the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) or the late Col. Jeff Cooper’s leather slap matches.

The problem I and many others had with the IPPA and the USPSA was that to be competitive, one really had to spend thousands of dollars on race guns and special holsters, and the emphasis was on shooting several small circular targets as fast as possible.

That kind of shooting is fun, but doesn’t simulate what service pistols were designed for in the first place. Col. Jeff Cooper’s leather slap competition did simulate self-defense scenarios, but the competition was held in Arizona, California or South Africa.

Finally in 1996, the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) was formed, and anyone with a stock, out-of-the-box service pistol could use it to compete in simulated self-defense scenarios. As chapters of the IDPA were organized around the country, there was an IDPA competition reasonably close to where people lived that offered competition, fun and some really good instruction and exchanges of information between like-minded shooters.

In Texas, the IDPA grew like a wildfire, and many of the students that I trained in the Texas Concealed Handgun Certification Course immediately joined the organization and began to at least compete on a local level to stay proficient.

In the years since IDPA was first organized, some new divisions in competition have been added, such as custom pistol, enhanced service pistol, compact carry, revolver, backup gun and pistol caliber carbine. However, competition in the stock service pistol division is still the bread and butter of IDPA.

Competitors are classified as novice, marksman, sharpshooter, expert, master, distinguished master or unclassified. Competitors compete against others in their respective divisions instead of having to compete against those at a higher skill level. Those who compete at the higher levels as well as most of the competitors are usually willing to share information and techniques with everyone. That might well be the most important reason people join IDPA.

There are also plenty of officials present at IDPA sanctioned matches to ensure safety and to supervise the competition.

If you think you might be interested in IDPA, they have a website. Just type in “IDPA” and read about them. The closest IDPA-affiliated club in Southeastern Idaho appears to be The South Eastern Idaho Practical Shooters in Idaho Falls. Their website lists Doug Mckendzie (mcdoug595@centurylink.net), and William Orr (orrwd@cableone.net) as contact people.

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.

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.”

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office has issued the following statement regarding an ATV accident at the St. Anthony Sand Dunes: 

On April 1, 2018 the St. Anthony Sand Dune season got underway. Around 9:45 am the Fremont County Ambulance, along with Fremont County Sheriff deputies responded to the St. Anthony sand dunes for an ATV accident.

The victim 35 year old Christopher Hansen, from Meridian ID, went over a small dune, while landing, he and the ATV rolled end over end. After being treated by the Fremont County EMT’s and Paramedics the victim was transported by Life Flight to EIRMC.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind everyone that the dunes have undergone an extreme geographical change during the past few winter months and urges everyone to operate their equipment safely and within their riding abilities. The Sheriff’s Office is also reminding everyone that safety flags and a current 2018 OHV registration is required to operate any vehicle on the sand dunes.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A National Park Service report says a 23-year-old Utah man who lost his life guiding kayakers on Yellowstone Lake last summer spent at least 30 minutes in the cold water before being pulled out by rescuers.

Timothy Conant, of Salt Lake City, was trying to assist a client who had overturned while on a June outing when he rolled his own kayak into water estimated to be about 43 degrees (6 Celsius).

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that Conant remained in the water as two other guides towed the client to shore. When one of the guides went back for Conant, he was floating motionless.

Conant was pronounced dead after resuscitation efforts failed to revive him.

His death was the first fatality in Yellowstone Lake in 20 years.

———

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

The Bureau of Land Management has released a new set of rules meant to deal with crowding issues on the South Fork of the Snake River, one of the nation’s best trout fisheries.

The goal of the new rules to help with overcrowding on the river, particularly during the annual stonefly hatch that draws fisherman from throughout the West. But it avoids limiting the number of individuals who can hit the river on any given day.

“We’re not going to require individuals to get a permit,” BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Monica Zimmerman said. Instead, the rules focus on limiting money-making ventures and large-group outings on the river, particularly during prime fishing season.

Zimmerman said the new rules have been under consideration for a decade, the last time BLM issued a management plan for the river. From a set of public comment sessions, and later surveys and other efforts to take public input, emerged two common themes.

First, there was increasing concern about the amount of traffic on the river. Second, the public didn’t want access to be limited by a permitting system.

There are four main changes in the rules that attempt to achieve both goals, Zimmerman explained.

First, the state and federal rules and regulations for outfitter licensing and permitting have been tweaked to eliminate inconsistencies.

Second, a decision has been made to limit “special recreation permits” on the river, especially during the stonefly hatch. Special recreation permits are needed by outfitters who engage in profit-making ventures on the river.

None of the eight fishing outfitters licensed to work on the South Fork stand to lose them, Zimmerman said, but BLM won’t expand the number. There will be only six permits for non-fishing outfitters, and the number of trips they can make will be limited by the stonefly hatch.

Third, large groups who want to organize river outings — groups of more than 15 people — will need a permit if they want to launch between July 1 and Labor Day. Such large group permits will be limited to three per day between Monday and Thursday, and to two per day between Friday and Sunday.

Zimmerman said implementation of this rule will occur in 2019 because BLM needs time to work out administrative details.

A fourth rule will implement a reservation system for camping at designated sites along the South Fork, Zimmerman said. With increasing pressure, campsites have sometimes been overcrowded and some campers have begun illegally making camp outside of designated areas, endangering bald eagle habitat and areas home to rare plant populations.

“We’re starting to see a lot more camping, so we’re getting a lot more pressure on resources,” Zimmerman said.

Like the large group rule, the camping reservation rule won’t be implemented until next year as many details have yet to be worked out.

Jimmy Gabettas, owner of Jimmy’s All-Season Angler, said he’s watched traffic on the South Fork explode in the last several decades.

“During the stonefly hatch, people from all over the West come to fish it,” Gabettas said. “There’s been a tremendous increase from the early ’80s.”

Gabettas said he doesn’t think the new rules will have much adverse impact on local fishermen.

“I don’t think it’s going to have much impact on someone going to fish for the day or the afternoon,” he said.

A river ran through it.

That’s how Zach Hillman described flooding at the St. Anthony Sand Dunes last month. The combination of snow runoff and a Thursday rain storm created the waterway through about a mile of the popular recreation spot, he said.

“Somebody said ‘A river went through the dunes.’ We started looking for it and found it,” he said.

Hillman headed to the sand dunes with his camera and drone taking pictures and video of the newly formed sand dunes river. Hillman later placed those images on Facebook and since that time, his video has been viewed 20 thousand times as of Monday.

Hillman said that a combination of more than an inch of rain, frozen ground and snow runoff produced a flood that washed away a portion of the dunes.

“So off the Juniper Mountain — that’s what we call it — it looks like the water pooled up and kind of hit this dam area,” Hillman said. “It just got too full. Once it went over the top of that, it made it quite aways across to a farmers’ field. That was kind of interesting.”

Hillman grew up near the sand dunes and said that he had never seen such flooding happen before.

“What it kind of reminded me of was the Teton Dam Flood. It kind of threw the earth around and made its own path and blew through. Some of the sand dunes it took out were pretty good-sized,” he said. “A few spots are very impressive. It was crazy how big it was and how much it washed away.”

Hillman said his dad told him that once there had been hidden lakes on the dunes.

“He said they would pop up in the spring and come out of nowhere,” Hillman said. I haven’t seen them in my lifetime. Now all the sudden this happened. It’s kind of crazy.”

Hillman said that flood waters eventually formed a temporary lake.

“If we got another rainstorm, I think it would start to flow,” he said. “It just pooled up. The water is still just sitting there. It will probably be out there for awhile. Once those sand dunes dry out, this wind moves the sand very quickly. It will cover everything up.”

Bureau of Land Management official Jason Byrd said that he had seen Hillman’s footage of the flooding.

“It looked like the water scoured the sand down to lava rock and created some pretty deep canyon features,” he said.

Such features inside a sand dune region aren’t normal, Byrd said.

“Sand dunes normally have drop offs and cliffs that shift and change all the time. To have something that dramatic — that’s not normal to have water moving through the dunes,” he said. “It does create an additional hazard that I don’t think people are used to. It’s kind of an abnormal event to have that much material moved that quickly.”

Byrd said that BLM sent two workers to the sand dunes on Monday to inspect the situation, and the organization would know more about the flood later this week.

In the meantime, no one has been injured and no Fremont County roadways have been damaged, said Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries. He said the sand dunes flood was a first for him.

“I have never seen that amount of runoff at the sand dunes,” he said.

Just like Hillman and Humphries, Fremont County Emergency Management official Keith Richey said he’d never seen flooding at the sand dunes.

“It’s impressive,” Richey said. “You look at that, and there’s a lot of power involved there.”

While it’s powerful, residents needn’t worry that the flooding will stretch down into the valley, Richey said.

“It doesn’t pose any threat to the public,” he said.

Humphries doesn’t expect the flooding to have an impact on the sand dunes during the upcoming summer months.

“I don’t see that this is going to make a big change to the sand hills. Some areas obviously have a wash in them, and the first time we get a windstorm, it will blow in new sand,” he said.

People should always be careful while on the sand dunes, Humphries said.

“People need to be cautious,” he said.

Hillman urged residents to be careful if they decide to visit the sand dunes lake.

“If you’re going to go out there, just be safe and watch out for others. I worry a bunch of inexperienced people will run out and take a look at it. It’s easy to get stuck,” he said.

In the meantime, Hillman says that he and his family enjoy living so close to the sand dunes.

“The sand dunes are in my backyard — it’s a really big back yard, 10,000 acres of sand dunes. We love it out there. It’s a fun place to live,” he said.

For more information on the sand dunes, visit www.blm.gov/visit/st-anthony-sand-dunes.

A river ran through it.

That’s how Zach Hillman described flooding at the Sand Dunes over the weekend. The combination of snow runoff and a Thursday rain storm created the waterway through about a mile of the popular recreation spot, he said.

“Somebody said ‘A river went through the Dunes.’ We started looking for it and found it,” he said.

Hillman headed to the Sand Dunes with his camera and drone taking pictures and video of the newly formed Sand Dunes River. Hillman later placed those images on Facebook and since that time, his video has been viewed 20 thousand times as of Monday.

Hillman said that a combination of more than an inch of rain, frozen ground and snow runoff produced a flood that washed away a portion of the Dunes.

“So off the Juniper Mountain – that’s what we call it — it looks like the water pooled up and kind of hit this dam area. It just got too full. Once it went over the top of that, it made it quite aways across to a farmers’ field. That was kind of interesting,” Hillman said.

Hillman grew up near the Sand Dunes and said that he had never seen such flooding happen before.

“What it kind of reminded me of was The Teton Dam Flood. It kind of threw the earth around and made its own path and blew through. Some of the Sand Dunes it took out were pretty good sized,” he said. “A few spots are very impressive. It was crazy how big it was, and how much it washed away.”

Hillman said his dad told him that once there had been hidden lakes on the Dunes.

“He said they would pop up in the spring and come out of nowhere. I haven’t seen them in my lifetime. Now all the sudden this happened. It’s kind of crazy,” he said.

Hillman said that flood waters eventually formed a temporary lake.

“If we got another rainstorm, I think it would start to flow. It just pooled up. The water is still just sitting there. It will probably be out there for awhile. Once those Sand Dunes dry out, this wind moves the sand very quickly. It will cover everything up,” he said.

Bureau of Land Management official Jason Byrd said that he had seen Hillman’s footage of the flooding.

“It looked like the water scoured the sand down to lava rock and created some pretty deep canyon features,” he said.

Such features inside a sand dune region aren’t normal, Byrd said.

“Sand Dunes normally have drop offs and cliffs that shift and change all the time. To have something that dramatic – that’s not normal to have water moving through the Dunes,” he said. “It does create an additional hazard that I don’t think people are used to. It’s kind of an abnormal event to have that much material moved that quickly.”

Byrd said that BLM sent two workers to the Sand Dunes on Monday to inspect the situation, and the organization would know more about the flood later this week.

In the meantime, no one has been injured and no Fremont County roadways have been damaged, said Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries. He said the Sand Dunes flood was a first for him.

“I have never seen that amount of runoff at the Sand Dunes,” he said.

Just like Hillman and Humphries, Fremont County Emergency Management official Keith Richey said he’d never seen flooding at the Sand Dunes.

“It’s impressive. You look at that, and there’s a lot of power involved there,” Richey said.

While it’s powerful, residents needn’t worry that the flooding will stretch down into the valley, Richey said.

“It doesn’t pose any threat to the public,” he said.

Humphries doesn’t expect the flooding to have an impact on the Sand Dunes during the upcoming summer months.

“I don’t see that this is going to make a big change to the sand hills. Some areas obviously have a wash in them, and the first time we get a windstorm, it will blow in new sand,” he said.

People should always be careful while on the Sand Dunes, Humphries said.

“People need to be cautious,” he said.

Hillman urged residents to be careful if they decide to visit the Sand Dunes Lake.

“If you’re going to go out there, just be safe and watch out for others. I worry a bunch of inexperienced people will run out and take a look at it. It’s easy to get stuck,” he said.

In the meantime, Hillman says that he and his family enjoy living so close to the Sand Dunes.

“The Sand Dunes are in my backyard — it’s a really big back yard, 10,000 acres of Sand Dunes. We love it out there. It’s a fun place to live,” he said.

For more information on the Sand Dunes visit www.blm.gov/visit/st-anthony-sand-dunes.