Idaho Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Check out this quick video on Idaho's Rangelands from our friends at Life on the Range.

What are Idaho Rangelands? One-minute educational video about Idaho Rangelands. Learn about the different types of Rangelands that exist in Idaho. Rangelands occupy about 55 percent of...

Check out some new drone shots of the overpass. You can see all of the animal trails down to the crossing.

The days are getting shorter and shorter…just had to share this photo from Monday afternoon. Took the pups up to run and burn off some energy.

In 2022 K9 Riley joined the team after K9 Pepper's retirement. Riley's handler, SCO Jim Stirling heads up the training for the K9 team. Riley immediately started the specialized training that allows the dogs to detect wildlife, conduct evidence searches, and tracking skills for search and rescue efforts.

Bringing the K9 training in-house has saved the Department $$$'s while allowing the handlers to gain new skills without leaving Idaho.

“The Department’s goal is to eventually have a K-9 officer in every region,” according to Stirling, “the dogs have shown themselves to be a very effective enforcement tool, which makes our jobs of detecting wildlife violations more efficient.”

To make a donation this Giving Tuesday please visit: https://ifwf.org/our-foundation/donate/

It's Giving Tuesday! Today we are highlighting the Idaho Fish & Game K9 Team. The K9 team plays an important role in gathering evidence against poachers. Our first story highlights K9 Blue and SCO Mickelson. To donate please visit: https://ifwf.org/our-foundation/donate/

K-9 Blue has been assisting officers on deployments to locate wildlife and items related to cases.

One highlighted K-9 case occurred the day before the opening of archery season in the Magic Valley Region. Senior Conservation Officer Trevor Meadows (Fairfield) requested K-9 Blue to help locate a possible wasted mule deer buck and other related evidence after an eyewitness observed an archery hunter shooting at a deer the day before the season opened.

I deployed K-9 Blue on several area searches without any alerts. On the last area search in an old burn area I was about to call it and head for home. Both K-9 Blue and I were covered in black soot from hiking in the soft dust of the burn area. K-9’s Blue’s tongue was hanging out and starting to overheat so I rested him over a water break.

After about 10 minutes of cooling down, he perked up, put his nose up in the air, and took off down the hillside. I followed him down the hill avoiding fallen trees about 100 yards down. What a sight! There stood K-9 Blue proudly above a rotting mule deer buck. In addition, a bonus to the case was the evidence we were looking for was still with the deer. As we looked closer at the buck, we noticed an expandable broad-head arrow protruding from the rear quarter of the buck. It is illegal to hunt big game in Idaho with expandable broad-heads. K-9 Blue had assisted and located valuable information in the case. I rewarded K-9 Blue with his Kong toy, lots of high voice praise, and lots of playtime. On the way home I stopped at Wendy’s and bought K-9 Blue a frosty ice cream to celebrate the case.

Officer Meadows tracked down the non-resident suspect and issued six citations to the suspect related to the case. After court proceedings in Elmore County in November, the non-resident suspect pleaded to three charges, paid $748.00 in fines, and lost his hunting privileges for three years.

Who is ready for Giving Tuesday tomorrow?

We will be highlighting our partners at Idaho Fish & Game K9 Team!

Some of the first visitors were spotted on the overpass with the new cameras.

We are getting ready for Giving Tuesday, November 28th. This year we are highlighting the Idaho Fish & Game K9 Team.

Lewiston views. ❤️

We all have the opportunity to be good stewards. Check out this video now playing at the Grand Teton Park Visitors Center. Idaho and our lands play an important role in the mule deer migration to winter range.

Thank you to the Wyoming Migration Initiative.

Animal Trails: Rediscovering Grand Teton Migrations FULL FILM: Grand Teton National Park is a magical place renowned for its scenery and abundant migratory wildlife, but the animals that call the park home onl...

Exciting update! Idaho's first overpass is now complete.

Motorists on Highway 21 and elsewhere should be cautious as deer and elk migrations approach Deer and elk are on the move as they head for winter range in Southwest Idaho, including the Boise Foothills. Although a wildlife overpass structure was recently completed along a section of Highway 21 where wildlife-vehicle collisions are known to happen, motorists should still expect to see deer a...

FYI!

F&G Commission reopens fishing, hunting and trapping along portion of Snake River starting October 19 The Idaho Fish and Game Commission met via conference call and voted to reopen fishing, hunting and trapping starting on Thursday, Oct. 19, within the highwater mark from Highway 46 Bridge upstream to and including the partial bridge structure in the Snake River at the bottom of Yingst Grade (known....

Exciting project from one of our grantees-Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust. The new signage is up at the Century Heights trailhead in Pocatello.

Congratulations to the Teton Regional Land Trust for their 100th agreement to preserve land in the Teton Valley.

This iconic piece of land at the mouth of Darby Canyon will remain in agriculture, as it has been for more than a century.

Of the 12,836 acres the Land Trust has helped conserve in Teton County, nearly 11,000 acres are farm and ranchland. This helps to preserve the agricultural heritage of the community while offering farmers and ranchers an alternative to selling the property, allowing them to retain ownership and keep the land in operation.

“It has been my goal not to see houses on this ground,” said Mr. Bowles. “For the past few years, I have been working with the Land Trust to preserve the ground to keep it in agriculture.”

Congratulations to Trent Van Leuven, Mackay School District on your recognition as the 2024 Idaho Teacher of the Year. Trent is an exceptional leader for his school and community. IFWF worked with Trent to provide funding for the Jr. Sr. High School Aquaculture program building.

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/education/mackay-teacher-2024-idaho-teacher-of-the-year/277-22adaf72-9130-4e96-ac0b-8a62f31454e8?fbclid=IwAR3I_ZWQ8olfOnGJlPBViXrpDbZZDTqGYJ5oUfCjmJxrvfwiLZtlgAemTcQ

Idaho's 2024 Teacher of the Year is in Mackay Trent Van Leuven not only received the title, but also received a plaque and a check for $10,000.

Heads up for those in the Magic Valley Region.

F&G Commission closes fishing, hunting and trapping along portion of Snake River due to recent detection of quagga mussel larvae The Idaho Fish and Game Commission met via conference call on Friday morning, Sept. 29 and voted to close fishing, hunting and trapping below the high-water mark of the Snake River around Twin Falls where quagga mussel larvae were detected. The closure will span approximately 23 miles of the Snake R...

We handed out 164 cans of bear spray at the last of the 2023 events. Thank you to the Teton Regional Land Trust for hosting us at the Crane Festival Fair. And a huge thank you to Becky and Sam Lewis for making sure these events happen in Island Park, Ashton, and Driggs; we could not do this without you.
We will post the 2024 events in the spring.

Idaho ❤️, that’s all.

Tomorrow is the day! Join the Idaho Fish & Wildlife Foundation at the Teton Regional Land Trust's Crane Festival Fair in Driggs. We will be giving out FREE cans of bear spray until supplies run out. You must provide a CURRENT hunting or fishing license, and photo ID. One can per person, 2 cans per household. The bear charging station will be available so you can practice with inert cans. 10am-3pm

In conjunction with the Teton Valley Art Market, with more than 20 local artist booths, we will also have food and drinks available for purchase from Juanita’s Tamales, SWOT homemade pizzas, and Highpoint Cider, crane-themed performances by Idaho Falls School of Ballet and Summit School of the Arts, and even a “bear charging” station and free bear spray giveaways through the 2023 Bear Spray Giveaway project funded by the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Visit the Land Trust tent to find kid’s crafts, a crane art and sculpture auction, and Sandhill Crane educational information, as well as Crane Festival merchandise.

Ways to be a Nature Geek! Check out National Wildlife Refuges.

Don't forget to join us at the 2023 Teton Regional Land Trust Crane Festival Fair on the plaza at City Center next Saturday, September 23 from 10am-3pm for the Bear Spray Giveaway.

In conjunction with the Teton Valley Art Market, with more than 20 local artist booths, we will also have food and drinks available for purchase from Juanita’s Tamales and Highpoint Cider, crane-themed performances by Idaho Falls School of Ballet, Summit School of the Arts, and Hispanic Heritage Dancers, and even a “bear charging” station and free bear spray giveaways through the 2023 Bear Spray Giveaway project funded by the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Visit the Land Trust tent to find kid’s crafts, a crane art and sculpture auction, and Sandhill Crane educational information, as well as Crane Festival merchandise.

If you are in the Teton Velley next week check out the 2023, there are a lot of events to attend. And Saturday we will be sponsoring a Bear Soray Giveaway at the Center ( you must have a valid hunting and/or fishing license).

Idaho Fish & Wildlife Foundation has once again helped bring the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival to Teton Valley through its sponsorship. Executive Director Hilarie Engle described the value she sees in partnering with the Land Trust as the leader of an organization with aligned missions. “One of our main points of our mission is to be good stewards of our land, and protecting open spaces and educating current residents and people moving to the area about why it’s important to keep these open spaces there for the future. I think that ties into our mission of keeping habitat open and not building on every single piece of property that we can.”

Hilarie pointed to the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative as an example of how strategically located land that is managed well can work for the benefit of all. “I think it’s a way that we can show how the land can be used for many different purposes. You can work with farmers and ranchers to create safe spaces for wildlife on their land while they can still do what they need to do in order to live. The conservation world is people from all different walks coming together.”

Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation will be bringing a new dimension to the Crane Festival this year. At the community fair on Saturday, visitors will be able to practice using bear spray and go home with a free can, thanks to the organization’s sponsorship. The goal is to raise awareness among the community on best practices when in proximity to wildlife and how to be prepared. “It’s about recreating responsibly and living with wildlife,” Hilarie said.

She concluded by speaking about her perspective on the festival as a whole, having seen it evolve over the years. “I think it’s such a great event because you bring together people that may be coming to look for the cranes, but if they go on a tour, they’ll learn about why that property is important, and why preserving it is important. You bring together people from different backgrounds and they get to experience the magic of being in the Teton Valley, which I just think is incredible. Hopefully they tell friends about it and bring more people, and educate more people.”

On behalf of the board and staff of Teton Regional Land Trust, we would like to thank Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation for their dedicated support of the Crane Festival!

Parents, do you have a 4th grader in the household? Sign up for the Every Kid Outdoors Pass. For more information see the post below.

Have you been to Fall Flights at The World Center for Birds of Prey? This is a chance to view the birds up close. The 2023 schedule starts on September 8th, get your tickets online.

For folks in the Pocatello area, the Edson Fichter Nature Talk series is back. Click on the story below to get more information on dates/times.

Edson Fichter Nature Talks coming to Pocatello in September - Local News 8 The popular Edson Fichter Nature Talks series is returning to Pocatello for its third year this September.

If you will be in the Teton Valley for the Teton Regional Land Trust 2023 Crane Festival, plan on joining the American Bear Foundation , Idaho Fish and Game Upper Snake , Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee , United States Forest Service and the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation for a Bear Spray Giveaway at the Festival Fair on Saturday, September 23rd.

You will also be able to test out your skills with inert spray and the charging bear.

To receive a FREE can of spray you must have a current hunting or fishing license, please bring a hard copy or be prepared to show on your device.

September 23rd, 10am-3pm.