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ISB Meeting

ISB will be having a meeting with F&G in January to discuss, bowhunting, hunt changes, and other things in regions 3 and 4. We have invited a couple members from each of the affiliated clubs to join. If you are a member of those clubs please speak with the president and let him know if you have any ideas. Equipment restrictions will not be part of this conversation. Additional hunts, and changing hunts will be the main topics of conversation. So with that being said, what Ideas do you have? Remember when submitting a idea that it has to be fair to all of the user groups, we don’t get to boot rifle hunters or walk on the ML guys. Whatever the proposal is, it has to work for them as well.

Hopefully region 4 will be well represented to discuss the ridiculous unlimited Archery Deer draws that have been implemented in Units 54 and 53. This should have never been allowed to happen and IF&G has ZERO facts to backup why this was done. Just a sign of things to come for Archery Deer hunts in ALL UNITs if we don’t stand up and ask for justification on why this was needed.

Stickflinger, it was from pressure from user groups. No biology just people wanted it and pushed for it.

Ditto on 54. can it be pushed back by our user group, or no?

Next year they are talking only one choice for unlimited draw hunts. Thats the story. Guess it will be time to start buying a second tag again.

Who is "they"? I know a few in your area that would be happier in Utah :)

-Please name this so called "user group" we continue to hear about?? SFW ?

-Why do "they" have more pull than ISB when it comes to Archery hunts ?

-How do we (ISB) get these unlimited archery deer draws removed and back to general deer tag hunts in units 53 and 54 ?

Unit 54 Elk:

Address the concern of having the ML draw hunt during the Archery draw Hunt. Move that ML draw hunt to where it needs to be which is in Nov. or Dec.

If IDFG wants to do something like that let the Trad guys have a shot at that hunt instead of mixing ML and Archery together.

Looks like the ML guys (or user group) had no problem "walking" on the Archery guys to get that prime time hunt established.

Stickflinger, We worked on this last year with the F&G the response we got back was so mixed that it was hard to take a stance. I did testify at the commission meeting against it.

I believe that is was a lot of the bowhunters in that region that wanted it as much as anyone. There are complaints about to many people hunting in the area, to many people that didn't get a rifle deer that grab bows and hunt. The people that were opposed to it changing didn't speak up till after it changed, it was on the proposals.

It will take enough people to want it changed back to make it happen. It was not a biological issue but a social issue.

We have a region director in that area that is busy with life and is willing to step aside if someone else would like to step up. Basically the job is to work with the clubs in the region, put on a region shoot, work with IDF&G to promote bowhunting and the wishes of those in your region. Each region is different.

So looking at the 54 deer hunt, it is a Aug 30- Sept 30 hunt, right? and it was a general hunt last year but it got changed to a unlimited draw this year? SO what are some of the reasons to change it back? how much support does this have? (i have Dean and Dale on this page and one on FB)

The ML hunt i see in 54 is during a cow hunt. 20 tags and does not effect the bull hunt. I will be pushing for 15 tags in that hunt to match the other user groups.

Dean feel free to call if you would like my number is on the web page idahostatebowhunters.com

I would be in favor of pushing the Unit 54 hunt back to a general season. I would like to see if the amount of pressure was reduced by making it a controlled hunt, and if so by how much! I primarily (one rifle day in the last three years) bow hunt every year (mostly the late hunts) but it was nice to hunt in 54 each year if I had a free weekend and could make it down there. I grew up in Jerome and killed my first deer in 54. Now I have to choose to hunt there or the late hunt (the late hunt wins every time)? I would like to hunt with family from time to time.

Guessing all but the 4 people above are happy with the way things are?

I like the unlimited draw in 53 the way it is now. If it comes to a first choice thats where I will be putting in. As for the 52 rifle tag I used to put in for on first choice I will start putting grandkids and nephews in for that. Good luck with your next years hunts.

Would like to have ISB sponsor a proposal to open the late deer/elk bow season in Unit 15 the day after the general whitetail season closes.

Nov. 20 general closes, Nov 21 bow opens. This works in Unit 39, why not Ujnit 15?

For mule deer or white tail Mike?

We had a fantastic meeting tonight with 21 sportsmen, 9 F&G employees, and 2 commissioners. I don't think that anyone that attended the meeting was disappointed and in fact it was a huge success! As sportsmen from the regional clubs there was a lot to learn about how we make proposals to the dept and then worked through a few dozen with them. I will post more on what the proposals that may have a chance are later. Remember this was only regions 3-4.

Last night we had a meeting with Fish and game including Commissioners Fisher and Dorr. Many things we discussed in the meeting. We went through the whole proposal process and discussed everything from police, habitat, wildlife research, bowhunting and a variety of other things. Some of the ideas that came from this meeting are as follows.

44 elk and deer hunts, August 30-sept 30

39 Elk and deer hunts, August and sept, no dates really discussed but we will be looking at it, Low number of tags for both, and to include a bull hunt for ML hunters (15-20 tags)

38 antelope, this is an unknown and if any of you have any info on numbers in this area please feel free to let us know where and how many you see during the summer months. 41 elk, there is now believed by sportsmen to be a large enough population to have an archery hunt in this area. F&G will be reviewing population counts.

Motorized closures in the 39. This would extend the closures in the danskin area. The number of elk that moved down on to private property was substantially less this last couple years of closure. It is believed that the lack of traffic and pressure contributed to this.

Hunters Ed. instructors, we need more, if you have time and are willing please contact the F&G office closest to you.

54 elk, Increase tags during archery to 15 to match the rifle and ML hunts.

Draw wait periods, this has been a discussion for a couple years and was brought up again last night. Changing the wait period from 1 to 3 years will increase odds for those that have not drawn a tag in most units.

Rifle permits: just like archery and ML have to do. And last changing catfish to be legal to shoot with a bow. F&G admits that the take on catfish is so low that this is just a rule or law change and we will be working on that but it might take a couple years. I would like to know your thoughts on these, they are not proposed but ideas brought to the table and are open for further discussion. Any ISB proposals will be made later in the month before F&G puts out their proposals.

"motorized closures in 39" any details on what this would entail?

DDD

DDD, Danskin system. Propose an earlier closure of about 10 Nov instead of 1 Jan.

So after almost a week of reflection and input from local sportsmen, I decided i need to post more about our conversation with F&G the other night. This meeting is the start of something big, not just a conversation but an annual, bi-annual or even quarterly. I had hopes of doing it every year but have heard from several parties involved that they want more.

Part of the reason for this meeting is that when i work with F&G i always hear they want more input from hunters. We Have not been going to them as organizations for far to long. We have a perception that when we go to an open house it is already "too late". Well it is and you are all right, WE needed to be doing more long before those happen. We can complain about F&G and what they do all we want but if we have done nothing to help change policy then we are letting them get away with whatever you think they are doing. They are a state agency and work under a commission that they have to follow the rules set by the commissioners.

The public hearings are for our input, but we can and are being active in making our own proposals and working with the dept and finding solutions or new hunts long before it gets to the "too late" stage. I asked people from regions 3 and 4 for input on several forums for input on things they would like to see. The response was much less than i had hoped for. But on the bright side i believe we must all be content with how things are!

Like i said above, we will be doing this more often so please think about changes that will truly help our hunting heritage, and things that will make it so we leave things better for our kids.

We only have one F&G dept to work with and they work for us. Lets work with them and see if we can get things back on track for both!

Thank you

Tad

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