Idaho extends already liberal season

Idaho Panhandle deer seasons – among the most unrestrictive in the West – have been liberalized even more this season in answer to complaints about too many deer.

Three additional weeks of antlerless white-tailed deer hunting were authorized for most Panhandle units this season.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission also issued extra whitetail “doe tags” in selected Panhandle units.

“This is the first time the Panhandle has had extra permits in the 20 years I’ve been around here,” said Jim Hayden, Idaho Fish and Game Department regional wildlife manager. “We have a lot of deer.”

Archers are already in the field, but for most hunters, Oct. 10 is the opening day for bull elk, any whitetail, and (except for Unit 1) mule deer bucks. Exceptions are detailed in the 2007-08 big-game regulations pamphlet.

The 650 extra antlerless whitetail permits were issued by drawing as “second tags” to help reduce the deer populations throughout the Panhandle, with special emphasis around suburban areas such as the outskirts of Hayden, Dalton Gardens and Fernan.

Most of the tags can be used anywhere in the designated units, but the 150 extra tags issued for Unit 3 will be valid only on private land, Hayden said.

“The goal is to add pressure to those deer that are causing complaints,” he said.

“Whitetail numbers have been increasing for several years and the populations are really blossoming. We’re seeing some nice, mature bucks, even in the roadkills. We’re following yet another mild winter, so this should be a very, very good year for hunters.”

One caveat: The dry weather probably has left the deer in some areas a little undernourished this year, he said.

Since antlerless whitetails are fair game in North Idaho, but not antlerless mule deer, laws require hunters to leave the fully haired tail attached to all antlerless deer harvested in the Panhandle.

Whitetails make up more than 80 percent of the Panhandle deer harvest, but mule deer haven’t been left out of the recent growth years for North Idaho big game. Adult muley buck survival has been good, with 52 percent of last year’s bucks having at least four antler points on at least one side. This figure is twice as high as is found in heavily harvested populations, said Phil Cooper, Idaho Fish and Game Department spokesman in Coeur d’Alene.

Mule deer hunters can harvest only bucks in the Panhandle, and they must hold a “regular deer” tag.

Clearwater Region whitetails appear to have recovered completely from a disease die-off three years ago.

“A lot of landowners say they’re seeing more deer than ever seen in the hard-hit areas around Orofino, Kamiah and lower South Fork Clearwater,” said Dave Koehler, Idaho Fish and Game Department biologist in Lewiston.

The state’s “whitetail deer tag” is perhaps best suited for the Clearwater Region where it allows hunters to participate in attractive seasons that extend well into the rut in some units. Panhandle hunters, however, might be better off with a regular deer tag, since the general seasons are long and hunter-friendly.

The Clearwater provides excellent mule deer hunts for those who beat the heavy odds to draw tags for choice areas along the Snake and Salmon rivers.

The Panhandle’s Unit 1 is Idaho’s perennial top whitetail area – with hunter success rates higher than 52 percent. But Units 8a and 10a in the Clearwater region are nothing to scoff at, with success in the high 40 percent range. The best whitetail hunting almost always is in the neighborhood where wild land meets agricultural fields.

“We’re producing some big buck sin the Clearwater, with the percent of four-point bucks running 60-75 percent of the harvest in our best units, and 20-40 percent of those bucks are five pointers or better,” Koehler said.

Salmon Region mule deer hunting may not be up to its usually high standards this year. The season was reduced a week last year to compensate for an unusually big harvest of bucks the previous year. But once again, weather boosted hunter success even in the shorter season.

Since outfitted hunters had already book hunts for the late portion of the season dropped by the new regulations last year, the Fish and Game Commission accommodated them with 278 special permits for a late hunt. Of those hunters, 53 percent filled their tags and 62 percent of those bucks were four-point or better.

“We can’t maintain the high harvest we’ve had in the past few years and keep the big bucks,” said Tom Keegan, Salmon Region wildlife manager. “But we’re already down to a 15 day season, the shortest ever.”