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In brief: Wolf trapping courses available in North Idaho

From staff and wire reports

PREDATORS – Courses required for obtaining a wolf trapping license in Idaho are scheduled in North Idaho in September and October.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game will sponsor wolf trapper certification courses from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as follows:

    Lewiston: Sept. 10 at Fish and Game Clearwater Regional Office, 3316 16th St.

    Coeur d’ Alene: (two separate courses) Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 at Fish and Game Panhandle Regional Office, 2885 W. Kathleen Ave.

Registration is required at the Fish and Game offices or online.

Participants must be age 9 or older.

The courses cover a variety of topics including wolf biology, wolf behavior and management, wolf trapping techniques, proper care of a hide for maximum value and harvest reporting requirements.

On-site demonstrations in the field include making trap sets free of human scent, rigging snares, placing diverters to avoid non-target catches, and trap site selection.

Department officials say all instructors and assisting Fish and Game staff have expertise in furbearer management, trapping laws and ethics, responsible trapping, proper equipment and trapping techniques.

Certified wolf trappers may purchase up to five gray wolf trapping tags per trapping season. Wolf trapping seasons on public lands opens on Oct. 10 on the Idaho Panhandle. However, wolf trapping is allowed year around on private lands on the Panhandle.

A general furbearer trapping class that is different from the Wolf Trapper Certification class is also offered by Idaho Fish and Game. The general furbearer trapping class does not qualify people for the purchase of wolf trapping tags.

Bowhunters give up kill to grizzly bear

HUNTING – A father and son who were bowhunting for elk in Montana’s Big Hole Valley ended up surrendering their kill to one of the grizzly bears that appear to be moving into the area this year.

The hunters called 911 shortly after noon on Sunday and told a Beaverhead County sheriff’s deputy and a state game warden that they shot a cow elk and were following the blood trail to the animal when a grizzly bear began to parallel them. They said the bear was huffing and growling so they backed off.

Sheriff Frank Kluesner said they were wise to retreat and leave the elk behind for the bear.

A Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden gave them permission to abandon the elk they shot.