PREDATORS -- Programs to control wolves and ravens were funded by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission on Thursday.
The commission approved animal damage control funds with $50,000 going to control wolves in elk management zones at or below objective.
The panel also designted $12,000 to a Fish and Game raven control project for specified areas as part of an overall effort to keep sage grouse off the endangerd species list. Ravens can zero in on the eggs and chicks of the prairie grouse in some cases.
Commissioners set nonresident tag quotas and outfitter nonresident set-aside quotas. They set nonresident quotas of 12,815 elk tags, 14,000 regular deer tags, 1,500 white-tailed deer tags; and nonresident deer and elk tag outfitters set-asides of 1,985 deer tags and 2,400 elk tags.
Wildlife officials presented briefings on possible sage-grouse and waterfowl seasons. Final season recommendations for both will be made to the commission in August.
A possible sage-grouse season would include a restricted season of seven days with a one-bird limit in the southern part of the Big Desert.
Eastern Owyhee and Twin Falls counties, the east Idaho uplands area, Elmore County and the west central part of the state would be closed.
The rest of the sage-grouse range in Idaho would be open under a restrictive season of seven days with a one-bird limit.
As for waterfowl, early indications suggest a liberal 107-day season with a seven-bird limit for ducks and a four-bird limit on geese.
The commissioners also heard an update on Fish and Game’s elk management plan revision progress. They were told to expect a draft of the new plan within about two weeks.
