Idaho hunting tech rules survive, but with some noticeable tweaks

Idaho’s rules that govern the use of technology in hunting were spiked and then reinvented with only minor tweaks by the state’s Legislature.

The rules forbid the use of drones, thermal imaging, night vision optics and transmitting trail cameras from Aug. 30 to Dec. 31.

Crafted by the Hunting and Advanced Technology Working Group and adopted by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission they only applied to hunting, including scouting and game retrieval. The legislative review is required of all new administrative rules adopted by state agencies.

During that review, some constituents and legislators expressed concern that the rules might reduce the harvest of predators like wolves and mountain lions, or affect nonhunting applications of those technologies.

So legislators killed the administrative rules and then wrote nearly identical legislation that passed both chambers and was signed into law by Idaho Gov. Brad Little earlier this month.

The legislation differs from the rules in a few areas. Wolf and mountain lion hunting are exempted from the technology restrictions. The ban on technology for game retrieval and monitoring traps was eliminated. The rules were extended to cover not only big game hunting but also bird hunting. And the law states the restrictions do not apply to monitoring livestock or property.

“This legislation essentially kept the spirit of the rule but expresses more explicitly the main concerns the legislators were hearing from the public on the rule,” said Ellary Tucker Williams, legislative and community engagement coordinator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at Boise.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game and its governing commission assembled the Hunting and Advanced Technology Working Group in 2024 to craft a set of recommendations designed to ensure the constant march of technology does not swamp fair chase standards nor lead to overharvest of game animals.