Hunter’sAlmanac North Central Idaho
OCTOBER 2015
Clearwater Region
PHOTO COURTESY ROBERT MILLAGE, KAMIAH ID
Great land, wide open Few places on the planet are much more than a day’s travel away from Earth’s biggest cities, but the remote parts of North Central Idaho are far off the beaten paths that criss-cross the contiguous United States. That makes this area a boon to anyone who wants to get away from the cities for a spell. An Englishman could jump on a flight out of Heathrow but would find it difficult to put himself much more than 24 hours away from a major city. Even a rock star with airfare to spare — say, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger — would need about as much time to get from London to Lewiston by jet plane as it’d take him to tour Hells Canyon Dam by jet boat. And that’s the point: covering great distance at high speed separates a person from the modern world far less than a walk in the woods. • Though deeper woods than those of the Nez PerceClearwater National Forests can hardly be found in the Lower 48, easy access is a large part of the Clearwater Region’s appeal. Two local game units — 8A and 10A — reliably feature among the state’s most hunting ground. The thirdlargest whitetail deer harvest in Idaho history went off last year, and both of
these units — which neighbor Dworshak Reservoir — ranked in the state’s top five. Unit 16 — which includes the lower part of the Selway River drainage — posted the state’s highest deer hunting success rate (55 percent) with more than 600 tagged by fewer than 1,200 hunters. By the same measure, four other units in the region were among the state’s top performers in 2014. Unit 8 and Unit 11A are mainly agricultural with large
proportions of private land. In Unit 15, which surrounds Elk City, deer hunters reported success at a rate of nearly 45 percent. Also ranking in the Top 10 by deer hunting success rate was Unit 11. South of Lewiston, it is home to one of the Gem State’s crown jewels: the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Craig Mountain totals 140,000 acres open to public recreation; the Idaho Department of Lands manages
Inside: The latest map of regional fires, Page 5 Money$aver • The Shopper • IDAHO COUNTY FREE PRESS
78,000 accessed by the roads to Soldiers Meadow Reservoir and Lake Waha. August saw a record fire season strike the region, and area closures in Units 10, 12, 14, 15 and 20 may disrupt hunting. • We left Mick Jagger on a boat farther to the south, in Snake River country above the Salmon River confluence. Unit 13 is a mostly-private riddle of canyons southwest of Cottonwood and due west of White Bird. The Forest Service manages land on both sides of the Unit 18 boundary at Pittsburg Landing; farther south, the ground is mostly public and includes nearly 58,000 acres of wilderness. The archery hunter who draws a Unit 18 elk tag has a chance to tag one v e r y large bull. It’s a different story in the Lolo Zone (Units 10 and 12) and the Selway Zone (Units 16A, 17, 19 and 20). Last year, hunters b o u g h t fewer than 900 general season deer tags and fewer than 700 general season elk tags for the two Lolo Zone units, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced plans to boost elk numbers there through wolf control and habitat work.
2
NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Unit 8A, Unit 10A
Two top units poised for productive seasons Dent Bridge — pictured at right — marks a point about halfway up Dworshak Reservoir, and also marks one boundary between Unit 8A and Unit 10A. Beyond sharing the reservoir, the two units have a lot in common: much public land, but also much Potlatch Corporation land. (Potlatch sells permits for recreational use including hunting. See: RECREATION.POTLATCHCORP.COM/ID.) These two units also both see some of the highest hunter counts in the state, as the Idaho Department of Fish and Game last year sold almost 13,000 deer tags and 6,100 elk tags in them. As was seen statewide, 2014’s mild winter bodes well for whitetail deer in 8A and 10A this season. The onset of drought this fall and the potential for a harsh winter mean the fall of 2016 may not be as good, but IDFG’s official deer prospectus noted the possibility that statewide deer harvest could break the all-time record set in 1996. That’s in no small part due to mule fawn survival of more than 80 percent — the highest portion to survive the winter IDFG has seen during the 15 years it has tracked the rate with intensive surveying. That optimism is balanced by the devastation that struck the southeastern part of 10A late in the summer. Most of the fires that hit especially hard in mid-August — those near
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Orofino, Kamiah, Kooskia, Weippe and Pierce — are under control and not under any closure orders. Grass is quick to grow back, but before mid-September’s rains came through, moderate drought had set in across all of Latah, Nez Perce, Lewis and Clearwater counties, as well as northern Idaho County. The mid-September rain quelled fires on the eastern edge of Unit 10A — near its triple point with Unit 10 and Unit 12 at the junction of Smith Creek Road and the Lolo Motorway southeast of Pierce — but also hampered the effort to keep roads and trails clear of hazard trees. Fire information At last check, the Motorway Com-
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plex incident command team was still advising the public to use “extreme caution when travelling in or through areas affected by wildfire” — the kind of advice that applies equally in all recently-burned areas. Many roads and trails east of Pierce and northeast of Syringa have been closed since fires broke out. In the Syringa vicinity, Smith Creek Road (101) and the western part of the Lolo Motorway (500) remained closed as of Sept. 17. From the Pierce side, Lolo Weitas (103) and Snowy Summit (104) remained closed, as are the Hemlock (535), Hemlock Ridge (547) and Lean-To Ridge (555) roads. A current, detailed map is available online at the Nez Perce-Clearwater
National Forests’ fire information page: HTTP://1.USA.GOV/1LV3RWA. Fire information is also being posted on bulletin boards in the Kooskia and Kamiah communities, at the following locations: Kamiah: City Hall, Cloninger's Harvest Foods, Emergency Service/Fire Station, Idaho Dept. of Lands, Indian Health Services, Kiwanis Bulletin Board, Nez Perce Community Center, the U.S. Forest Service Supervisor's Office and the Welcome Center and Chamber of Commerce. Kooskia: Kooskia Rest Area at the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and State Highway 13, Tom Cat Sporting Goods, and the U.S. Forest Service Kooskia Ranger Station.
By the numbers: 8A 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43.17 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,857 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,250 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,633 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 8.0
By the numbers: 10A 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.82 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,831 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,131 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,445 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 4.4
3
NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Unit 8, Unit 11, Unit 11A
Farmland fosters numerous whitetail The Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s deer outlook report opens with a remarkable line: deer hunters “could see the best hunting in more than 20 years and potentially a record harvest for white-tailed deer.” Deer tag sales are on an uptick dating back to 2011, and since 2012, the number of hunters interested in three units — 8, 11, and 11A — has grown by 18 percent. That translates to about 900 more deer being legally harvested in 2014 than were tagged in 2012 — but the surge has been more than matched by the burgeoning whitetail population. In the prospectus, which can be read in full online at HTTP://BIT.LY/1QKX8WI, IDFG biologists noted that when does are healthy, they “typically produce twin fawns that quickly grow herds when conditions are favorable.” While the onset of drought may drive deer to higher elevations in other zones, the prevalence of whitetail deer in these well-traveled agricultural zones contributes to one long-standing statistic many Idahoans have run into before: drivers are most likely to hit a deer in November, September and October, in that order, according a Sept. 16 report by the Spokesman Review. Apart from McCroskey State Park north of Potlatch, Units 8 and 11A feature little state or federal land, but those in the know — or who know how to ask — find great opportunities on private land year after year. Unit 11 features the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area, where interior roads are reserved for non-motorized uses, such as horseback riding and mountain biking.
Fire Information Of the three, only Unit 11A was struck hard by fire this fall. The Fisher Fire in Big Canyon east of Reubens was contained at 18,889 acres late last month after being struck by lightning on Aug. 12. At the same time, fires burned west of Kamiah in Lawyer Canyon, and were brought to a halt late last month. Areas with little forage and little cover were seen near Kamiah in early September, but significant rain has fallen since then. A current, detailed map is available online at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ fire information page: HTTP://WWW.FS.USDA.GOV/DETAIL/NEZPERCECLEARWATER/HOME/?CID=F SM91_055753. Information is also being posted on bulletin boards in the Kooskia and Kamiah communities, at the following locations: Kamiah: City Hall, Cloninger's Harvest Foods, Emergency Service/Fire Station, Idaho Dept. of Lands, Indian Health Services, Kiwanis Bulletin Board, Nez Perce Community Center, the U.S. Forest Service Supervisor's Office and the Welcome Center and Chamber of Commerce. Kooskia: Kooskia Rest Area at the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and State Highway 13, Tom Cat Sporting Goods, and the U.S. Forest Service Kooskia Ranger Station.
By the numbers: 11 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484,000 Percent public* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.13 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,315 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,058 Elk hunters** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722 Elk harvest** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 3.1 * 5.2 percent Indian Reservation. ** No general. Controlled hunts only.
By the numbers: 11A 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530,000 Percent public* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.16 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,047 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,494 Elk hunters** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 Elk harvest** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 4.4 * 9.7 percent Indian Reservation. ** Includes controlled hunters (131) and harvest (27).
IDAHO FISH AND GAME
Own a piece of Idaho! Find it...
Hunters had the third-highest harvest of white-tailed deer in 2014, and with better hunting in the forecast, the all-time record could be broken this year.
The Fall 2015 North Central Idaho
Real Estate
Guide
We’re Online, too! www.idahocountyfreepress.com
By the numbers: 8 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.88 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,733 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,760 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,013 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 4.9
HOW TO:
Ask to hunt on private property Sportsmen must take some responsibility for policing their ranks to eliminate incidents that damage the landowner-sportsman relationship. Approach a landowner weeks ahead of time to ask permission to hunt there. Even if the land is posted, it doesn’t hurt to ask — but banging on a door for permission at 4 a.m. will not increase your chances of being welcomed. If the landowner agrees, detail the dates and times you’ll be there and make sure you understand where you will be allowed to hunt. Leave the land as you found it. In other words: pack it in, pack it out. It also doesn’t hurt to pick up litter others may have left. Know the lay of the land. Steer clear of houses, barns and livestock. Be careful of crops and take it easy on fences. If you see one down, notify the landowner. Never haggle with a landowner who seems firm on prohibiting hunting on his land. Sportsmen can increase their chances by offering a courtesy card. Idaho Landowner/Sportsmen cards, available free at license vendors or Fish and Game offices, provide landowners with identification and other important information. Persons convicted of trespass on posted private property will receive a mandatory one-year revocation of hunting and fishing licenses.
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3
NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Unit 8, Unit 11, Unit 11A
Farmland fosters numerous whitetail The Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s deer outlook report opens with a remarkable line: deer hunters “could see the best hunting in more than 20 years and potentially a record harvest for white-tailed deer.” Deer tag sales are on an uptick dating back to 2011, and since 2012, the number of hunters interested in three units — 8, 11, and 11A — has grown by 18 percent. That translates to about 900 more deer being legally harvested in 2014 than were tagged in 2012 — but the surge has been more than matched by the burgeoning whitetail population. In the prospectus, which can be read in full online at HTTP://BIT.LY/1QKX8WI, IDFG biologists noted that when does are healthy, they “typically produce twin fawns that quickly grow herds when conditions are favorable.” While the onset of drought may drive deer to higher elevations in other zones, the prevalence of whitetail deer in these well-traveled agricultural zones contributes to one long-standing statistic many Idahoans have run into before: drivers are most likely to hit a deer in November, September and October, in that order, according a Sept. 16 report by the Spokesman Review. Apart from McCroskey State Park north of Potlatch, Units 8 and 11A feature little state or federal land, but those in the know — or who know how to ask — find great opportunities on private land year after year. Unit 11 features the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area, where interior roads are reserved for non-motorized uses, such as horseback riding and mountain biking.
Fire Information Of the three, only Unit 11A was struck hard by fire this fall. The Fisher Fire in Big Canyon east of Reubens was contained at 18,889 acres late last month after being struck by lightning on Aug. 12. At the same time, fires burned west of Kamiah in Lawyer Canyon, and were brought to a halt late last month. Areas with little forage and little cover were seen near Kamiah in early September, but significant rain has fallen since then. A current, detailed map is available online at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ fire information page: HTTP://WWW.FS.USDA.GOV/DETAIL/NEZPERCECLEARWATER/HOME/?CID=F SM91_055753. Information is also being posted on bulletin boards in the Kooskia and Kamiah communities, at the following locations: Kamiah: City Hall, Cloninger's Harvest Foods, Emergency Service/Fire Station, Idaho Dept. of Lands, Indian Health Services, Kiwanis Bulletin Board, Nez Perce Community Center, the U.S. Forest Service Supervisor's Office and the Welcome Center and Chamber of Commerce. Kooskia: Kooskia Rest Area at the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and State Highway 13, Tom Cat Sporting Goods, and the U.S. Forest Service Kooskia Ranger Station.
By the numbers: 11 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484,000 Percent public* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.13 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,315 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,058 Elk hunters** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722 Elk harvest** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 3.1 * 5.2 percent Indian Reservation. ** No general. Controlled hunts only.
By the numbers: 11A 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530,000 Percent public* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.16 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,047 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,494 Elk hunters** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462 Elk harvest** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 4.4 * 9.7 percent Indian Reservation. ** Includes controlled hunters (131) and harvest (27).
IDAHO FISH AND GAME
Own a piece of Idaho! Find it...
Hunters had the third-highest harvest of white-tailed deer in 2014, and with better hunting in the forecast, the all-time record could be broken this year.
The Fall 2015 North Central Idaho
Real Estate
Guide
We’re Online, too! www.idahocountyfreepress.com
By the numbers: 8 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.88 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,733 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,760 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,013 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 4.9
HOW TO:
Ask to hunt on private property Sportsmen must take some responsibility for policing their ranks to eliminate incidents that damage the landowner-sportsman relationship. Approach a landowner weeks ahead of time to ask permission to hunt there. Even if the land is posted, it doesn’t hurt to ask — but banging on a door for permission at 4 a.m. will not increase your chances of being welcomed. If the landowner agrees, detail the dates and times you’ll be there and make sure you understand where you will be allowed to hunt. Leave the land as you found it. In other words: pack it in, pack it out. It also doesn’t hurt to pick up litter others may have left. Know the lay of the land. Steer clear of houses, barns and livestock. Be careful of crops and take it easy on fences. If you see one down, notify the landowner. Never haggle with a landowner who seems firm on prohibiting hunting on his land. Sportsmen can increase their chances by offering a courtesy card. Idaho Landowner/Sportsmen cards, available free at license vendors or Fish and Game offices, provide landowners with identification and other important information. Persons convicted of trespass on posted private property will receive a mandatory one-year revocation of hunting and fishing licenses.
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4
NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Unit 10, Unit 12
Lolo Zone elk hunts continue to dwindle Units 10 and 12 are roughly equal in size, and are separated by the Lolo Motorway — a remote, rough, narrow road constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s along a route that roughly parallels the track Lewis and Clark took from the continental divide to the Weippe Prairie in 1805. Unit 12 encompasses the Lochsa River drainage above its confluence with the Selway River at Lowell, while Unit 10 encircles the headwaters of the North Fork Clearwater River, including the north shore of Dworshak Reservoir below Smith Butte at the border of Shoshone and Clearwater counties. Backcountry elk hunters and outfitters have long complained that the establishment of permanent wolf packs has ruined one of Idaho’s premier attractions, but the two Lolo Zone units have also not shown signs of the sustained surge in deer hunting interest that are visible in much of the rest of the state. Idaho wolves were delisted from Endangered Species Act protection in 2011, and deer hunting interest in Unit 10 and Unit 12 both saw a pop in 2012 — and little growth since. The number of elk tags being bought in the area is within five percent of the 2011 count, and 80 to 100 wapiti have been legally harvested each year during the same timeframe. In June 2014, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game published an elk management plan that noted elk hunter participation had dwindled from an annual average of 1,400 or more during the mid-2000s. The 2014 elk management plan prescribes “liberal predator harvest through hunting and trapping seasons, and control actions in addition to improvements in elk habitat at a land-
scape level” in the Lolo Zone. Rejuvenating effects of August’s fires remain to be seen, but the 2014 plan described potential upsides of disruption, including logging. In practical terms, IDFG has set a goal to maintain 20-30 percent of the elk summer range in the Lolo Zone as “early successional habitat,” and to increase the amount of early successional habitat on breaklands, in order to provide more forage. The plan calls for a “combination of variable retention regeneration harvests, commercial, and precommercial thinning” and for such timber cuts to be strategically placed to allow for “landscape-level prescribed and natural fire.” It’s unclear how much August’s fires may have advanced or hindered those goals in the Lolo Zone. Beyond that, there’s the need for predator control. In April, IDFG’s annual wolf report identified 15 “documented packs” in the Lolo Zone. A total of 41 wolves were killed in the Lolo Zone, of which 23 were taken through government control action and 18 were tagged by wolf hunters last year. Fire information Details on road closures related to the Motorway Complex fires east of Pierce, east of Weippe and north of Syringa also pertain to the southwestern part of Unit 10 and the western tip of Unit 12. (See Page 2.) At last check, fire managers were still advising the public to use “extreme caution when travelling in or through areas affected by wild-
fire” — the kind of advice that applies equally in all recently-burned areas. Two fire closure areas were still in effect in the eastern parts of Unit 12 as of Sept. 17: in the area around Jay Point, near Powell, and in the area west of the Lolo Pass Visitor Center at the Montana state line. Also in Unit 12, several trails in the SelwayBitterroot Wilderness were still closed by the Army Mule and Roll Creek fires, both of which are part of the Lochsa South Complex. In Unit 10, trail closures were still in effect near Scurvy Mountain and near Five Lakes Butte on the North Fork Ranger District. Approximately two dozen named fires were still burning between the Lochsa and Selway rivers, but many of these are in neighboring Units 16 and 17.
By the numbers: 10 2014 General/All Weapons Acres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 755,000 Percent public. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99.6 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Elk hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 Elk harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Deer hunters per square mile. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.6
By the numbers: 12 2014 General/All Weapons Acres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753,000 Percent public. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95.6 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Elk hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Elk harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Deer hunters per square mile. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.2
Have questions?
Call the office Contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Clearwater Region Office in Lewiston at 799-5010. Contact the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Supervisor's Office in Kamiah at 935-2513. Contact the Grangeville Office at 9831950. Contact the Salmon River Ranger District at the Slate Creek Ranger Station at 8392211. Contact the Red River Ranger District at the Elk City Ranger Station at 842-2245. Contact the Lochsa/Powell Ranger District in Kooskia at 926-4274. Contact the Moose Creek Ranger District at Fenn Ranger Station at 926-4258. Contact the Lolo Pass Visitor Center at 942-3113. Contact the North Fork Ranger District in Orofino at 476-4541. Contact the Palouse Ranger District in Potlatch at 875-1131. Contact the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area office in Riggins at 6283916. Contact the Bureau of Land Management’s Cottonwood Field Office at 962-3245. Contact the Idaho Department of Lands’ Maggie Creek Office in Kamiah at 935-2141.
5
NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
AREAS CLOSED DUE TO FIRE
12
10
10
10A
17
15
12 14
PORTIONS OF NEZ PERCE-CLEARWATER NATIONAL FORESTS FIRE CLOSURE MAP, SEPT. 17
Parts of units 10, 10A, 12, 14, 15 and 17 were still closed at last check.
Late-breaking news:
Salmon River Road east of Riggins reopened Friday Conditions have changed significantly since the Tepee Springs Fire raged into the Riggins area in August; effective at 6 a.m. (MT) Sept. 18, the Idaho County Sheriff’s Office lifted the closure for the Salmon River Road. In addition, all emergency area closures on BLM lands and Payette National Forest Lands due to the Tepee
Springs Fire were lifted Sept. 19. This includes access to the Hard/Hazard Creek Road from U.S. Highway 95; all BLM parcels north of the Smokey Boulder Road; and BLM parcels east of Riggins, south of the Salmon River. Several closures remain in effect. On the Payette National Forest, the French Creek Road (246) will remain closed between the Salmon River and
Willow Creek Road (329). Additionally, the Lake Creek Road (104) will remain closed due to fire vehicle traffic, and the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest area closure order for lands north of the Salmon River Road. The Grangeville-Salmon River Road (221) remains closed south of the Slate Creek junction to the Salmon River, including Spring Bar Campground.
These closures will be lifted when • incident management at: INCIWEB.NWCG.GOV; conditions allow. To date, the Nez Perce-Clearwater • Nez Perce-Clearwater National has detected nearly 280 fires which Forests fire information at have burned across more than 1.USA.GOV/1LV3RWA; 130,000 acres. • Idaho Fire Information at Current information on area clo- IDAHOFIREINFO.BLOGSPOT.COM; sures and fire restrictions can be • Idaho Department of Fish and found online through the following Game’s fire center, FISHANDGAME . IDAHO.GOV/CONTENT/FIRE. websites:
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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Unit 13, Unit 18
Hells Canyon’s reputation for big elk protected well FILE PHOTOS
With hunting pressure limited by geography and management, Hells Canyon’s reputation for producing solid bulls is secure.
Few of Idaho’s game units have a legal description as simple as Unit 13’s: “that portion of Idaho County bounded by the Snake River on the west, the Salmon River on the east and north and the White Bird-Pittsburg Landing Road on the south.” The words belie the tough geography contained within it. The Unit 13 mule deer controlled hunt has consistently posted some of the most favorable odds of any tag drawing in the state — considering 247 hunters ap-
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Canyon elk zone, which also includes units 11 and 13. The zone is one of just two in the Clearwater Region that meets Idaho Department of Fish and Game elk management objectives; no general elk season is offered. Fire information No fires have been reported in these units this fall. A current, detailed map is available online at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ fire information page: HTTP://1.USA.GOV/1LV3RWA.
By the numbers: 13 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.84 Deer hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461 Deer harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Elk hunters* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555 Elk harvest* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 1.3 * No general. Controlled hunts only.
By the numbers: 18 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76.46 Deer hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785 Deer harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Elk hunters* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707 Elk harvest* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 2.8 * No general. Controlled hunts only.
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plied for the 200 available last year — and the reason is limited access. The unit is three-fourths private, but also features predominantly rugged canyon-lands that spill off the Joseph Plains to the Snake and Salmon rivers. Much of the public land in the unit is scattered, and the largest tract is a Forest Service in the steep bottom below Wildhorse Butte and Haystack Mountain. In 2014, 124 of the 196 who showed up for that mule deer hunt filled their tag. The controlled archery deer season in Unit 13 typically features 50 tags, and in 2014, 20 of the 36 who reported hunting there reported success, of whom 88 percent reported a buck four points or bigger. The topographic map of Unit 18 is vaguely similar, but from most distances the distinctive features physically can’t be overlooked. The Seven Devils tower over the unit in a way unlike any of Unit 13’s features, and make the public land west of Riggins some of the steepest anywhere. Apart from the ruggedness, nearly three-fourths of Unit 18 is managed by the Forest Service, making it by far the most public unit of the Hells
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When the chance to take a wolf, legally, came along in 2009, more than 30,000 hunters bought wolf tags. But during recent years, wolf tags have sold far more slowly than those for the customary big game predators: bears and mountain lions. Idaho County has long dominated the record books for mountain lions in this state. In the years since 1961, when Gene Alford scored the state’s Boone and Crockett record cat at 15 11/16 somewhere in the Selway drainage, a big cat from no other county has topped the list. Hunters have exceeded that mark three times within the county proper, most recently when Rod Bradley took
one at 15 14/16 in 2007. By then, however, it had been 19 years since Alford reclaimed the record from Matthew Motil. Motil made it 15 12/16 in 1987, but the next year, Alford put an enormous 16 3/16 —the only sixteener on Idaho’s books — to his name. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game does not list wolves among its state records, but does list black bears — and both of the state’s biggest black bears came out of the Clearwater Region. In 1991, Tim Bartlett tagged a Unit 11 bear that measured 22 2/16. Previously, Harold Boyack had the record with a 21 13/16 bear in the Kooskia area.
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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Ethical hunting
It’s not just the right way; it’s the law Every year, the same headlines ripple across Idaho: “reward offered,” “charges filed,” “man arrested,” “pleads guilty” ... and on and on, because no matter how many times the wildlife authorities say it, some people refuse to listen. For those who may not be aware, the “sportsman’s code of ethics” is not a law, but is a set of guiding principles that most outdoorsmen live by: respecting private property, practicing safety and conserving game animals as valuable resources to be enjoyed by present and future generations. Poaching violates both the spirit and the letter of Idaho’s wildlife laws. Many violators are unlikely to follow the law no matter how stiff the penalties. After all, some people have convinced themselves that the state’s law does not apply to them, or just that they can get away with breaking it. But some may be simply unaware of how harshly Idaho treats those who break wildlife laws. For a wide variety of illegal hunting practices, penalties range from $300 to $1,000. But when trophy animals are taken illegally, the maximum climbs to a $10,000 fine, six months of jail time and, possibly, revocation of hunting privileges for up to 10 years. In separate incidents in 2009, two men who illegally killed deer were stripped of their hunting privileges by Idaho judges. One pled guilty to spotlighting five deer after legal hunting hours and was fined more than $12,000 on top of forfeiting his license. Another was ordered to pay $3,000 in fines after he and his wife pled guilty of taking big game with a firearm during muzzleloader season. These cases were reported nationally, including by the Los Angeles Times, because the bans these scofflaws received were enforceable in 31 states under the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. In 2014, a citizen’s anonymous tip named a Weiser man in the poaching of numerous deer and several domestic cattle. An investigation followed, unearthing 65 violations including 23 felonies and 29 misdemeanors against four men.
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Several others were granted immunity in exchange for their testimony against the four main defendants. Charges included hunting without a license, taking big game with the aid of artificial light, unlawful possession of deer parts, taking deer during closed season, waste and cattle rustling. Through plea agreements with the Washington County Prosecutor’s office, the four defendants agreed to pay $24,450 in fines and penalties. The penalties included restitution for the livestock losses; the men forfeited their hunting licenses. These license suspensions extended to 37 other Wildlife Violator Compact states. The defendants were each given 24 months of probation, during which any violation could lead to 180 days in jail for their poaching crimes. Idaho joined the Wildlife Violator Compact in 1991; the list is now 38 states long, according to the IDFG’s Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact webpage. Poaching can also be reported to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Clearwater Region office in Lewiston at (208) 799-5010 or via the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at (800) 632-5999. Callers can remain anonymous and will be eligible for a reward.
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Sportsman’s Code of Ethics • I will consider myself an invited guest of the landowner, seeking his permission, and so conducting myself that I may be welcome in the future. • I will obey the rules of safe gun handling and will courteously but firmly insist that others who hunt with me do the same. • I will obey all game laws and regulations, and will insist that my companions do likewise. • I will do my best to acquire those marksmanship and hunting skills, which insure clean, sportsmanlike kills. • I will support conservation efforts, which can assure good hunting for the future generations, and pass along the attitudes and skills essential to a true outdoor sportsman.
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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Unit 14, Unit 15, Unit 16
Hunting a lifestyle for living in wildlands The hills south and east of Grangeville have long been home not only to elk and deer, but to hardy people who know how to live off the land. If the marks made during the mining booms in Florence and Elk City have faded, the modern settle-
By the numbers: 14 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.63 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,489 Deer harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,053 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 2.6
By the numbers: 15 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92.72 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,449 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,057 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,045 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 2.7
ment of wildlands makes similar grooves. The legacy of pack horses specialized for hauling freight has given way to modern roads. These bear little resemblance to the mental picture that comes with the word “suburban,” but many are of a residential character. This is the WUI, the wildland urban interface, Units 14, 15 and 16 feature some of the state’s highest deer hunting success rates, not only because the proportion of deer to people runs in hunters’ favor, but because these units are home to many accomplished hunters who “live in the woods” in the most literal sense that old expression can be understood in modern times. Prospects for the 2015 deer season are as strong across these units as in any across Idaho — and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s outlook projects a record year.
Fire Information The southern part of Unit 14 was hit hard when the Tepee Springs fire jumped the Salmon River on its heaviest day of burning. Much of Unit 14 south of Slate Creek remained closed at last check on Sept. 17, as did the Salmon River Road east of Riggins. Units 15 and 16 were hit by the Baldy Fire, near the Pilot Knob Lookout, where Forest Road 466 remains closed. No closures are in effect on the Selway River side of Unit 16, which was ravaged by the Wash and Slide fires. Road closures related to the Deadwood Mountain Fire are also still in effect in Unit 15 southwest of Elk City. A current, detailed map is available online at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ fire information page: HTTP://WWW.FS.USDA.GOV/DETAIL/NEZPERCECLEARWATER/HOME/?CID=F SM91_055753.
IDAHO FISH AND GAME
Four consecutive mild winters and record mule deer fawn survival in 2014-15 mean hunters should see plenty of young bucks this fall.
By the numbers: 16 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.63 Deer hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,489 Deer harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,053 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 2.6
Biologist debuts ‘Untamed’ film Idaho Fish and Game’s Clay Hayes of Kendrick grew up in rural Florida and moved to Idaho in 2007 to work as a wildlife biologist. He started Twisted Stave Media in 2012 with the goal of preserving and promoting traditional woodsmanship skills and lending a voice to the wildlands he enjoys. He recently released his first film, “Untamed,” and it can be seen at IDFG.IDAHO.GOV/UNTAMED. Hayes began filming his outdoor adventures with an old VHS recorder in Florida while he was still in high school. Since then, the country has gotten steeper, the equipment more expensive, and the adventures more remote. Hayes participated in a questionand-answer session with Idaho Fish and Game’s public information specialist Roger Phillips about his filmmaking, hunting and more. Views expressed in this Q&A and the video are his own. Q: You went hunting with archery equipment you made yourself, then decided to film the hunts solo and produce a movie. Did you wear roller skates to make it a little more challenging? A: Ha, no, but that’s an interesting concept for the next project. Not sure how well they’d roll in the mountains though. I’d say I captured about 95 percent of the footage, though I did have a little help. Jake Way did a little of the filming, as did Tiege Ulschmid, and my wife, Liz. You’re spot on about the challenge. Hunting with primitive gear is one thing, but making a film about it is quite another. You have to do everything multiple times to be able to cut it properly. And sometimes you just have to get lucky. Q: What part of “Untamed” are you most proud to have captured on film? A: That’s a difficult one to answer ..., I’d have to say either the barred owl that snuck up on me while I was taking a nap, or the stalk on the black bear. ... I ended up getting within about eight yards of that bear. He was a nice one, but five miles in on the fifth day of a 10-day elk hunt isn’t a time or place I wanted to deal with a dead bear. [The full interview is also available at HTTPS://IDFG.IDAHO.GOV/UNTAMED.]
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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Unit 16A, Unit 17, Unit 19, Unit 20
Playing solitaire A total of 1,126 deer hunters worked the four southeastern units of the Clearwater Region, which are perhaps better known by the group name of their elk management area: the Selway Zone. Sportsmen most often hear that name alongside that of the Lolo Zone, because these elk areas have a bit of history in common, as described in the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s 2014 elk management plan. While the Lolo Zone peaked in the 1980s, “the Selway Zone elk population peaked in the mid-1990s and has declined precipitously since then...fueled by declining habitat conditions and predation.” One difference is the Selway’s affliction with noxious weeds, which IDFG now aims to address at a rate of 2,000 acres per year, to restore “desirable grass/forb community along the main stem of the Selway drainage. A boom year for the deer population might go nearly unnoticed in any of the Selway Zone units (16A, 17, 19 and 20), as these boast the fewest deer hunters per square mile of any place in the region.
Fire Information Unit 19 itself was mostly spared by fire, but the main access route — the Salmon River east of Riggins — was briefly closed during the height of the Tepee Springs Fire’s rage. The main overland route to the boat ramps east of Riggins — the Salmon River Road — was opened Sept. 18. In Unit 20, closures in the vicinity of the Crown and Noble fires were still in effect for roads 9550 and 9553, as well as trails 208, 503, 585 and 586. Unit 16A was hit by the Wash Fire, but no closures were still in effect at last check. Unit 17 is affected by the Army Mule and Roll Creek closures in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness south of Powell. A current, detailed map is available online at the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests’ fire information page: HTTP://WWW.FS.USDA.GOV/DETAIL/NEZPERCECLEARWATER/HOME/?CID= FSM91_055753.
IDAHO FISH AND GAME
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By the numbers: 16A 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Deer hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Deer harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 0.5
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By the numbers: 17 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99.99 Deer hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 Deer harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 0.2
By the numbers: 19 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98.67 Deer hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 Deer harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 0.7
By the numbers: 20 2014 General/All Weapons Acres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310,000 Percent public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98.58 Deer hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Deer harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Elk hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Elk harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Deer hunters per square mile . . . . 0.6
Regional fire restrictions lifted Friday LEWISTON — Due to recent widespread rain events throughout many parts of north-central Idaho, all Stage I and Stage II fire restrictions are lifted on Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) managed lands across the Clearwater Region, effective immediately. This applies to all Wildlife Management Areas, Lakes and Reservoirs, and fishing access areas owned or managed by IDFG across Latah, Clearwater, Nez Perce, Lewis and Idaho counties.
Sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse seasons open With sage and sharp-tailed grouse seasons opening soon, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game is asking hunters to help gather grouse information by providing a fully feathered wing for each bird they harvest. Sage grouse season opened Saturday, Sept. 19 in parts of Idaho, and sharp-tailed grouse hunting starts Oct. 1.
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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Brag Board Contact the Idaho County Free Press, 983-1200, to contribute your ‘Brag Board’ photo.
Pictured are: (clockwise from top left): Dillon Alder, Unit 15; Laura Fischer, Mark Milleg, Unit 14; Renee Duman, near Cottonwood; Seth and Brian Wakeling, near Grangeville.
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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015
Upland bird outlook
Pheasants, chukar, gray partridge chances trending upward Another mild winter and timely rainstorms during spring and early summer provided good rearing conditions for young upland game birds, and hunters will likely see more birds this year than last. “Reports across the state are up for a variety of species,” Idaho Department of Fish and Game upland game and migratory bird coordinator Jeff Knetter said. Out of Fish and Game’s seven regions, nearly all found stable to improving populations of upland game birds compared with last year and the 10-year trend.
result of later renesting attempts. Overall, population trends were mixed, depending on the species. Pheasants — The 115 pheasants observed in 2015 represent a 423 percent increase from the 22 birds tallied in 2014 and is 147 percent above the previous 10-year average of 47 birds. There are only six years out of the past 25 where more birds were tallied on regional routes. However, the 115 birds observed in 2015 still represents just 58 percent of the historical high count of 199 counted in 2005. The 115 pheasants observed on the 240 miles of routes surveyed in 2015 equates to 0.48 pheasants observed per mile surveyed. Thirteen broods were encountered this year. An average of 6.8 broods was tallied on these routes over the past 10 years, including a high of 32 in 2005. The average size of broods observed this year was 5.2 chicks.
tive abundance and are used to monitor annual changes and long-term trends in regional populations. Due to low detection rates, these data are imprecise and should be interpreted cautiously. During 2015, weather conditions were abnormally warm and dry during the spring and early summer nesting and brood rearing period. There was just one significant precipitation event in very early June, which likely occurred prior to the peak nesting period for most of our regional upland game bird species. The 2015 nesting season was preceded by several years of cool and/or wet springs which resulted in poor bird production. Sizes of game bird chicks observed in late August 2015 were highly variable. This variation in size would indicate some successful nesting occurred during the normal nesting period, while some of this year’s production is the
Clearwater Region Twelve 20-mile upland game brood routes are surveyed annually from mid to late August across the Clearwater Region to index game bird population trends and productivity. These data provide an index of rela-
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ceeded only twice in the past 25 years. IDFG rated gray partridge “up” compared to last year and “up” compared to the long-term trend. California quail — The number of quail counted this year was nearly identical to last year’s total. A total of 118 birds were counted in 2015 (0.49 birds per mile surveyed) compared to the 117 counted last year. This total is 38 percent lower than the previous 10-year average of 191.5 and is 69 percent lower than high count of 385 tallied in 2003. Accordingly, IDFG’s long-term outlook has California quail stable, but “down” from the 2006-2015 average. Mourning dove — A total of 451 mourning doves were counted on regional routes in 2015 (1.88 doves observed per mile surveyed). This total represents a 6 percent decrease from the 482 tallied in 2014, and is 12 percent higher than the previous 10-year average of 402.6. That’s stable against both the short- and long-term counts. Mourning dove — Forest grouse are not surveyed in the Clearwater Region. Incidental observations and reports from field staff and the public indicate that forest grouse production was above average in 2015.
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IDFG rates pheasants on the “up and up,” having seen an upward trend from 2014 and a better count than the 2006-2015 average. Chukar — Chukar helicopter trend surveys are no longer conducted by IDFG. The Clearwater Region has experimented with some ground-based survey methodologies in recent years, but to-date, have not identified a reliable trend index. Chukar productivity and populations have appeared to be trending upward in recent years. Observations and reports from field staff and the public appear to indicate very good chukar nesting success and chick survival. Several observations reported many birds, including good numbers of chicks. With a favorable rating last year, and a better count than the 10-year average, chukar also rate “up and up.” Gray partridge (hun) — The number of gray partridge observed this year was much higher than last year’s total, and above the long-term average. A total of 176 gray partridge were counted in 2015 (0.73 gray partridge per mile surveyed). This figure is higher than both the 2014 total of 61 (+189 percent) and the previous 10-year average of 94 (+87 percent). The total number of gray partridge counted this year (176) has been ex-
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Disease unlikely to dent strong prospects for region’s deer hunts Washington State University vet- in the Grangeville, Harpster, Juliaeterinary clinic staff confirmed area ta/Kendrick, Troy/Deary, White Bird deer are infected with a common dis- and other surrounding areas. ease referred to “There are as Epizootic hemstill plenty of orrhagic disease deer to hunt, but or EHD. This disoverall abunease, carried by a dance could be biting midge, affected locally,” must be carried Clearwater Rethrough the ingion wildlife sect vector to be manager, George passed on. It canPauley said. not be transmitAs its name ted directly from implies, deer one deer to anoften suffer from other. The term extensive hemor‘epizootic’ derhage. Hemornotes a disease rhage is most that is temporarioften associated ly prevalent and with the heart, widespread in an liver, spleen, kidanimal populaney, lung or intion. Since the testinal tract, al— George Pauley though no orinitial outbreak Clearwater Region Wildlife Manager gans appear to of EHD in 1955, this disease has be exempt. Exoccurred primaritensive hemorly among white-tailed deer (O. vir- rhaging is the result of interference ginianus), although occasionally in with the blood-clotting mechanism mule deer (O. hemionus) or prong- together with degeneration of blood horn antelope (Antilocapra ameri- vessel walls. cana). Present in the United States for White-tailed deer develop signs of more than 50 years, EHD has not illness about seven days after expocaused significant long-term decreas- sure to midges. Deer in the early es in deer populations. stages of hemorrhagic disease may This disease occurs in most years appear lethargic, disoriented, lame or in the Clearwater Region. “Some unresponsive to the presence of huyears it manifests itself more than mans. As the disease progresses the others. It is typical to see more of an deer may salivate excessively or foam outbreak on hot and dry years. This at the mouth; have bloody discharge has certainly been one of those from the nose; lesions or sores on the years,” Clearwater Regional supervi- mouth; and swollen tongues. Affected sor Jerome Hansen said. animals are often found lying in or There is no evidence that humans near a water source as they attempt to can contract the EHD virus either lower their core body temperature. from the midge or from handling and “We see more outbreaks occur dureating venison. Cats and dogs do not ing late summer and early fall (Aucontract EHD. Among livestock, only gust-October) as deer gather at wacattle have been documented to be tering holes where the midges also clinically affected by EHD and then tend to congregate. There is no only very rarely with a very mild clin- known way to control these outbreaks ical course that lasts a few days with other than wait for a frost to kill the lethargy, low-grade fever and some midge,” Pauley explained. loss of appetite. Within two weeks of a frost, docuNumerous reports have been made mented outbreaks often cease.
e see more outbreaks occur during late summer and early fall as deer gather at watering holes where the midges also tend to congregate. There is no known way to control these outbreaks other than wait for a frost to kill the midge.”
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NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO HUNTER’S ALMANAC | FALL 2015