Hundreds Fewer Tags In SE Idaho for 2024

Hundreds Fewer Tags In SE Idaho for 2024

By Rodger Holscher

On March 20, 2024, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission voted in favor of the previously proposed changes to the Southeast Region and parts of the Upper Snake Region. What does this mean for hunters planning to hunt Idaho in 2024 and beyond?

For starters you can look at the immediate impact on the tags available for hunters. This is going to reduce the available mule deer doe tags by at least 380 tags. Some of the hunts at least will be converted over to whitetail deer only tags for the 2024 season (i.e. Controlled Hunt No. 1140 (Hunt Area 68AX, 50 tags, extra antlerless) and LAP Controlled Hunt No. 1399 (Hunt Area 68AX, 5 tags, extra antlerless)).  One of the hunts effected is an unlimited tag hunt (Hunt # 1083). 

• While most people are not coming from out of state to hunt does, those doe hunts do fill some people’s freezers and provide opportunity for youth hunters. With the removal of the LAP (Landowner Appreciation Program) tags, will some does be taken under depredation circumstances because of conflict?  Only time will tell.  

  It’s a good thing that Idaho Fish and Game are taking a proactive step to help the deer population in that area. It should not stop with just the temporary removal of tags though. I would like to see aggressive predator management in that area as well (bears, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats).  

  Let’s not forget about the pronghorn. With the restrictions on mule deer does came restrictions on pronghorn. Unlike the mule deer tags, the pronghorn tags are not just the antlerless tags that are going away. The approved new regulations will eliminate 139 pronghorn tags in 2024 from the 2022 numbers.  That includes 94 tags that are “either sex”.  Some of those tags were closed last year as well. This is another aggressive effort to rebuild the population of pronghorn in that region.  

  None of these tags listed for either species are highly sought-after tags but lowering available tags will decrease the draw odds in other units without a doubt. Are two years of tag reductions and shed hunting closures in the area enough to bounce the population back to normal?  What are your thoughts? 

   

Christian Schauf – “Life is not a dress rehearsal!” | Eastmans’ Journal Podcast Edition

https://youtu.be/G9qs8hpKWI0?si=6lmx6r5waKNijmVu

In the latest episode of the Eastmans’ Journal Podcast, Ike had the pleasure of interviewing Christian Schauf, a former singer/songwriter, entrepreneur, and a kind-hearted person. The conversation went deep into Christian’s experience performing for the military overseas and how he helped veterans disconnect from the trauma of war. They then discussed how Christian established companies that help people, including Uncharted Supply Co. He recognized the need for people to prepare themselves for emergency situations and jumped in to lend a hand. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did.