Hunting in brief: Grant helps hunting access in Idaho

A $50,000 grant from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is helping the Idaho Fish and Game Department expand its program to open hunting access on private lands.

“Opening and securing public access is a key component of RMEF’s mission,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “This grant will allow Idaho Fish and Game to work with landowners to provide access to land that hunters would not otherwise be able to use.”

The funding will help the state bridge a gap in federal funding so that no Access Yes! will have to be terminated during the fall hunting seasons, said Virgil Moore, Fish and Game director in Boise.

The Access Yes page on the agency’s website highlights locations, the amount of acreage including available public and private land, type of wildlife, a general land description and a listing of available opportunities for hunting, fishing or trapping.

This season, at least 97 lease agreements in the program are opening 394,952 private acres and access to 511,555 public acres.

Idaho offers tag discounts

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has reduced the price of unsold nonresident deer and elk tags to be sold as second tags.

The following discounts are available to resident and non-resident hunters purchasing second tags in 2014.

• Second elk tags are discounted from $415 to $299.

• Second deer tags are discounted from $300 to $199.

The price does not include the $1.75 vendor fees.

Since 2000, the Commission has offered any unsold tags remaining to resident and nonresident hunters as a second tag at the full nonresident price. In 2013, the release date for second tags was moved forward one month from Sept. 1 to Aug. 1.