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Guides seek to hunt turkey on public land 6/2/2008 IDFG, NWTF are opposed Crowded hunting for turkeys on public lands may get even more pressure from outfitters and their clients if a handful of outfitters get their way. Wild Idaho News has learned that the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board (IOGLB) has been quietly seeking “public comment” from several non-profit “user groups”, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Idaho Department of Lands, on a proposal to let outfitters and guides hunt in already established big game outfitter permitted areas. In a response to a request by an outfitter at the April meeting to be granted a permit to guide turkeys on USFS ground, the IOGLB has sent out a letters seeking comments on proposing guided turkey hunting statewide. Currently, outfitters can only guide turkey hunts on private land owned by the outfitter. Turkey hunting and outfitting – the history In 1992, the IOGLB first asked the IDFG to state a position on outfitted turkey hunting for four outfitters in the Clearwater Region. Then IDFG Director Jerry Connelly, responded “we cannot support the outfitters’ request to be licensed to hunt turkeys in Idaho.” The IDFG’s position was not in favor of licensing upland bird and waterfowl outfitting, except for chukar partridge and forest grouse incidental to other outfitting activities such as fishing. In 1999, the IOGLB again requested the IDFG for support for guided turkey hunting. During the public scoping process a “Task Force” composed of outfitters, Idaho chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), and other sportsmen approved by the IDFG Commission, collected opinions from more than 3,300 upland bird and turkey hunters and a letter was sent to the IOGLB that recommended “no outfitting for turkey hunting except licensed outfitters on their own deeded lands for an experimental period of three years.” Public sentiment at that time was that outfitters would “lock up” even more of the private lands available to hunters. The IOGLB countered with an independent scoping process and in 2002 decided to “allow up to 25 licensed outfitters to provide guided hunts on their own deeded lands for an experimental period of three years.” A Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) was initiated between the IOGLB and the appropriate federal agencies to scope new commercial opportunities on public land for guide turkey hunts. The IOGLB also put out a public statement that it must do all it can to encourage public access to private and public property. A further request for guided turkey hunting by the IOGLB in spring of 2006 led to a reaffirmation of IDFG policy opposing guided outfitting on public land. A request from IDFG to the IOGLB for follow-up data regarding participation numbers and harvest information on the existing six outfitters licensed to provide turkey hunts on private property was delayed, “due to other priorities of the IOGLB.” In a follow-up letter to IDFG, Director Jake Howard of the IOGLB stated “Nevertheless, I am certain that outfitter turkey hunts are quite limited.” He further went on in the letter to state that “based on my conversations with participating outfitters I expect this to be a blip on the radar screen compared to the general turkey hunting opportunities.” The letter explains that the participation and harvest information has “not yet been collected” but may be in the near future. To date no records have been submitted to IDFG. Director Howard told WIN that no records were ever required or requested by IDFG and no records are available. During the time frame of the 2006 turkey outfitting request by the IOGLB the IDFG heard a lot of public testimony as well as written opposition form the hunting public to the request. The Idaho Guides and Outfitters Association requested the IOGLB remove the proposal under a deluge of public opposition and vehement outcry by the Idaho NWTF. The current request and ongoing opposition. Director Howard now claims that the “IOGLB office gets calls all the time requesting guided outfitting for turkeys. When asked how many, he said he had no idea and they do not track the number of requests. Jeff Gould, IDFG Small Game Manager and point man on the turkey guiding issue, said the IDFG gets “few if any requests” for guided hunt opportunities. No outfitters are listed for guided turkey hunt on the IOGLB website and Director Howard could not provide the names of any currently guiding for turkeys. When pressed for the number of guides currently licensed for turkey hunting Howard said he wasn’t sure, “five or six.” The NWTF unanimously voted to oppose the expansion of guided turkey hunting to public land. “We opposed it then (1992, 2000, 2002, 2006) and we oppose it now.” said John Howard, Idaho NWTF spokesman (No relation to IOGLB Director Jake Howard). “We will fight this all the way.” Wild turkeys are not native to Idaho and were introduced in the 1980’s through the efforts of IDFG and several sportsman’s organizations, with NWTF leading the charge. “The NWTF and the sportsmen of Idaho built this resource and now the outfitters want to make money off our efforts,” said Mark Bell, past chapter president and current member of NWTF. “They (the guides and outfitters) have never helped nor participated in any way to the reintroduction and population build-up. This has the potential of severely limiting general public opportunity in the future.” WIN has learned that the long standing position of IDFG has not changed and will recommend against the expansion of guided turkey hunting on public land. Recognizing that the IOGLB is autonomous from IDFG, Assistant Director Virgil Moore, said, “Ultimately the decision is theirs to make. We can only offer advice and recommend the wishes of the department and our constituents.” The IOGLB has no intentions of opening the debate to the public. “We will not have a public scoping process on this,” said Director Howard. If the recommended inclusion of public land – in particular USFS land – is included in guided turkey hunting and public commenting process may take place at that level within the USFS forest plan. Regardless of what the IDFG, the NWTF, or the public have to say about the issue, the IOGLB is in the process of formulating an opinion and may be ready for a yea or nay vote in their upcoming meeting at the end of June. |
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