F&G Commission increases daily bag limit for turkeys

COEIR d’ALENE – The Idaho Fish & Game Commission approved the 2018-19 upland game, furbearer and turkey rules on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

Turkey hunters will get an increased daily bag limit for turkeys in the spring to two bearded turkeys, and for fall hunts, the daily bag limit will align with the number of tags a hunter possesses.

Previously, bag limits were one per day in the spring and one per day in the fall, except in some units in the Panhandle.

The application for spring controlled hunts for turkeys is Feb. 1 through March 1, and information about 2018 controlled hunts will be online by Feb. 1, and that information will also be available at regional offices for those who don’t have internet access. New rules booklets are expected to be out in mid-to-late February.

Other rule changes for 2018-19 include:

In the Panhandle, the duration of the fall turkey season was increased by 16 days. The season opener moves from Aug. 30 to Sept. 15.

Changes were also made in the trapping rules:

- Eliminate existing area closure to allow hunting and trapping of foxes on private land in that portion of Adams County within the Little Salmon River drainage.

- Eliminate existing area closure to allow both trapping and hunting of foxes throughout Valley County, including on private land.

- Eliminate existing closure to allow beaver trapping in Miner and Cedar creeks.

- Add two Controlled Beaver Trapping Units for the Cottonwood Creek drainage within Bannock County (five beavers each).

- Split existing Controlled Beaver Trapping Unit 202 into two separate Controlled Trapping Units, one in Pebble Creek and one in Toponce Creek in Caribou County. Each Controlled Trapping Unit would allow take of five beavers.