Public Comment Sought On Several Wildlife Issues

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will host an open house meeting to collect public comments on upland game and furbearer rules, turkey seasons and a draft mule deer management plan.

The open house will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, November 30, at the Clearwater regional Fish and Game office, 3316 16th Street, Lewiston.

Issues include proposed recommendations to the 2008-09 and 2009-10 upland game, furbearer and falconry season rules, 2008 and 2009 turkey seasons, and the draft Mule Deer Management Plan.

Proposed changes include:
" Upland Game: Start the youth pheasant season the first Saturday in October and extend it through the following Friday.
" Turkey: Allow hunters to take two bearded turkeys before May 1 in all general seasons.
" Furbearer: Increase the individual otter harvest quota from two to three, and adopt a year-round beaver and muskrat trapping season in man-made irrigation canals and ditches.

Information and public comments forms for the upland game, turkey and furbearer proposed season changes will soon be available on the Fish and Game Website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/public/.

Fish and Game wants public comments on the Draft Mule Deer Management Plan by December 31. Comments will be incorporated into a final plan to be presented to the commission for adoption in January 2008. If adopted, Fish and Game would develop 2008 mule deer hunting season recommendations based on the new plan direction.

The plan is available at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/public/.

Fish and Game personnel will be present during the open house to answer questions. All comments will be forwarded to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission for consideration before any changes are made.

Anyone unable to attend the meeting or comment online may contact Jay Crenshaw, regional wildlife manager at the Clearwater regional office in Lewiston.