Issue #1: 8.1.12

It’s been one of those summers that will forever be etched into my memory.  I’ve had the opportunity to travel deep into the heart of some areas of Idaho that I hadn’t tread before.  I got to interview some old-timers, and I mined their stories for all they were worth.  And they were worth their weight in gold.  All of that will leak its way out here sooner or later, but the one thing I will tell you about is [my initiation into the fly-fishing world via Silver Creek].  The point of which is not to story up that mighty 27″ Brown Trout that I caught with my 3 wt. rod on a #22 fly, but rather to not be afraid of any challenge.  The land here in Idaho is a vast playground with many opportunities; go at it.

And if you’ve been following this site for awhile, you know that we’re to the end of our series on comparing Idaho’s (follow this) general season, any-weapon, antlered-only, elk tags.  Starting with a bracket of 17 different elk zones, we’ve narrowed it down to 2 – the Salmon Elk Zone and the Elk City Elk Zone – and now it’s time to [choose a champion].  No easy task, but it’s broken down in detail that you won’t find anywhere else.

We all like the fishing stories and the hunting opportunity analysis here in Idaho, but every now and then it’s fun to ponder away a little further into the clouds about all that the state has to offer.  In this issue we look at the [Top 3 places to live in Idaho if you're an avid angler].  And of course there’s several honorable mentions.

And to round things out, our guest post in this issue is from Jared Grover, who retells his 2012 Spring Turkey hunting expedition in Idaho’s mountains.  [A chase adventure thriller] that should get you ready for Fall season if you haven’t notched your turkey tag yet.

Finally, the big news, obviously, is that IDAHOMAN.COM has gone to a paid subscription publication, and fresh, new, top-of-the line articles will be published every two weeks.  If you’re reading this and haven’t subscribed yet, you can do so [here].  Don’t miss out.  You won’t find this kind of content anywhere else.

And now for the News & Views…

IF&G will be hosting their Wildlife Summit August 24-26 in Boise.  You can participate in the Summit through various satellite locations, or online.  All the information can be found [here].  In my circles there appears to be a lot of shaky hands and red faces working there way up in regard to the agenda of the Summit.  A lot of us backwoods Idahoans are suspicious of having so many conservationists and environmentalists on the podium.  But to be fair, there needs to be some distinctions made between the “wolf people” kind of conservationists who are at one with wolf souls, and the other kind that genuinely exists to maximize sporting opportunities through smart wildlife management.  That latter kind will be represented at the Summit, and it won’t hurt to hear what they have to say, and then put in your $0.02.

Remember that some of the general season elk tags have a quota on how many can be sold.  If you haven’t made up your mind on which elk zone to hunt, you might want to keep a close eye on how many tags are available.  If you’re a resident, check [here].  For non-residents, [here].

Also, don’t forget to put in for the second chance drawing for big game.  That info will be coming up soon on the [IF&G website].  The second chance drawing consists of leftover tags from the first big game controlled hunt drawing that took place in June.  Those who successfully drew a tag but forgot or otherwise failed to purchase their tags by August 1 will have had their tags forfeited, and now you can put in for them.

~ J. Bunch