Idaho sets new rules for bear hunters
A stock image shows a grizzly bear.
Photo courtesy Pixabay
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission recently approved temporary rules for black bear hunting in Idaho that include new requirements for bear baiting and a mandatory bear identification course for hunters.
Starting Sept. 1, any person placing bait to hunt black bears, hunting at a bait site or witnessing the use of a bait site by a grizzly bear, must immediately report the presence of a grizzly bear at a bait station to a Fish and Game regional office.
"Hunters must stop hunting over that bait site for the remainder of that specific hunting season," the release said. "The bait site may not be rebaited and must be removed as soon as it’s safe and feasible."
The temporary rules adopted Aug. 15 will still go through a formal rulemaking process and include public comment.
A male grizzly bear was shot and killed June 10 at a bait site near the Lower St. Joe River about 5 miles from the town of St. Maries, "an area not commonly used by grizzly bears," the release said.
A June 18 Fish and Game press release said that two days prior to the incident, the hunter recorded video of the bear at the bait site and sent it to Fish and Game for review.
"The hunter expressed concern that the bear was a grizzly and not a black bear," the release said. "Unfortunately, Fish and Game staff misidentified the young bear as a black bear because it lacked some common features of a grizzly and shared that misidentification with the hunter."
Starting Jan. 1, anyone hunting black bears in Idaho must show proof of taking a bear identification test to help them differentiate between black bears and grizzly bears. Details on how hunters can take a test and show proof will be provided before the new rule takes effect.
There is no hunting season for grizzlies in Idaho, and "grizzly bear death from hunter misidentification is a rare occurrence and has not prevented the remarkable growth and expansion of Idaho’s grizzly bear population," the release said.
Roger Phillips, Idaho Fish and Game public information supervisor, said the recent case at St. Maries had little or no bearing on the latest decision involving grizzly bears.
Phillips said Idaho is seeking to have grizzlies removed from Endangered Species Act protection, which includes ensuring existing state regulations can protect grizzlies if and when they are delisted.
The bear identification requirement aligns with similar requirements in Montana and Washington and was at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the delisting process, he said.
For decades, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission has prohibited black bear hunters from using bait in occupied grizzly bear recovery areas in the Panhandle and Greater Yellowstone area.
"Idaho’s case for delisting is even stronger by having these additional rules in place," the release said.
The U.S. Forest Service reported that about 35-40 grizzly bears reside in the Selkirk Mountains with another 30-40 occupying the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem of Idaho and Montana.
Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law, "and bear hunters are responsible for proper identification of their target," a Fish and Game release said. "All hunters are encouraged to review their bear identification skills to avoid mistaken identity."
Conservation organizations last month sent a notice of intent to sue Idaho for violations of the Endangered Species Act over state hunting authorizations that put grizzly bears at risk, a press release said.