Outdoors briefs June 13, 2013

Wildlife plates support programs

Idaho residents can put wildlife plates on their camp trailers as well as the vehicle that pulls them while they help support non-game programs and boating access.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has statutory responsibility for about 10,000 species - fish, wildlife and plants. Of these, about 550 are vertebrate animals, 80 percent of which are classified as "nongame wildlife," including songbirds, water birds, raptors, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and threatened and endangered wildlife.

Maintaining the state's species diversity is part of IDFG's legal mandate to protect and manage all of the state's fish and wildlife species, and conserving all species means all species benefit, whether hunted, fished, trapped or not.

For information, or to buy a wildlife plate contact the local county assessor: http://itd.idaho.gov/dmv/vehicleservices/assessor.htm; or the Department of Transportation Special Plates-Registration Services Section on the Internet at http://www.itd.idaho.gov/dmv/Vehicleservices/registr.htm; or by phone at (208) 334-8649.

Ask Fish and Game: Archery Fishing

Q. Do I need an archery permit to bow-fish?

A. No. Archery permits are only required for hunting in archery-only seasons. But a valid Idaho fishing license is required to fish with a bow. Fishing with a bow and arrow, crossbow, spear or mechanical device, excluding firearms, is permitted only in the taking of bullfrogs and unprotected nongame fish - such as carp and suckers - and only in those waters during the season set for the taking of game fish. See the 2013-2015 Fishing Seasons and Rules brochure - Page 50 for archery fishing and Page 52 for the definition of nongame fish.