Field reports: Idaho panel forms legislative proposals

HUNTING – The Idaho Fish and Game Commission last week approved several proposals for legislation to be submitted to the 2012 Idaho Legislature.

• Allow youth under the age of 12 who are participating in the mentor hunt program to possess a firearm.

• Allow the transfer of a controlled hunt tag to a minor child or grandchild.

• Change the nonresident season hunting license to a nonresident season hunting/three-day fishing license, retaining current fee structure for the nonresident season hunting license.

• Add a wolf tag to the Sportsman’s Package License. The new fee would be $114.65 plus $9.60 vendor fees. The license and tags are scaled at about 63 percent of full price. Current total cost is $117.25.

Commissioners directed Fish and Game officials to revised the department’s motorized hunting rule and release it for public comment. Meanwhile, the commission called for a moratorium on applying the rule in any additional hunt units.

Commissioners acknowledged that off-road vehicle use is one of the biggest issues for hunters.

Rich Landers

Hayden man fined for bighorn poaching

HUNTING – A 64-year-old North Idaho man has agreed to pay more than $13,000 in restitution and fines and will lose his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for life for illegally obtaining a Montana hunting license and killing a trophy bighorn sheep in Montana.

Roger J. Woodworth of Hayden was sentenced Nov. 6 by District Judge Nels Swandal as part of a plea agreement with Fergus County prosecutors, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials.

FWP officials say Woodworth illegally bought a Montana resident hunting license in 2009, then applied and was drawn in the lottery for a bighorn license in the Missouri River Breaks north of Lewistown, where he shot the ram.

A tip led to the charges against Woodworth, who was required to give up the bighorn sheep trophy mount.

Associated Press

Bear hunter indicted for killing hiker

HUNTING – A grand jury in Salem, Ore., indicted a bear hunter Monday on a criminally negligent homicide charge in the shooting death of a hiker near Silver Creek Falls State Park.

If convicted, 67-year-old Eugene Irvin Collier of Turner could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Collier was hunting with his 12-year-old grandson on Oct. 25 when Collier mistook the hiker for a bear and shot Christopher Ochoa, a 20-year-old from French Camp, Calif., and a Marine reservist who was due to report for active duty later the same day.

Associated Press

Boating business offered at Lake Roosevelt

PARKS – The National Park Service is accepting proposals from potential concessionaires to operate houseboat and boat rentals, moorage, retail, fuel sales, food and beverage and related services at Keller Ferry and Seven Bays Marinas within Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.

The existing concession contract expires Dec. 1.

Contact: Kimberley Gagliolo, Pacific West Region Commercial Services specialist, kim_gagliolo@nps.gov.

Proposals are due by Jan. 24.

Rich Landers