Early elk seasons open
next month
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July 19, 2011 |
Some early elk hunts open in Idaho August 1,
most of them antlerless "green-field" hunts.
The early "green-field" hunts in seven elk
management zones - Palouse, Weiser, Lemhi,
Beaverhead, Pioneer, Snake River and
Owyhee-South Hills zones - are meant to help
landowners reduce crop damage.
Early archery hunts also start August 1 in the
Snake River elk zone, and controlled green-field
hunts also open in the Dworshak and Hells Canyon
zones.
The green-field hunts are open only outside the
National Forest Boundary and within one mile of
cultivated fields. They help reduce depredation
problems and control populations causing crop
damage by harvesting or discouraging animals in
specific areas or portions of units.
August hunts, however, bring concerns about
waste. Hunters have an ethical and legal
obligation to salvage the edible portions of
their kill. But meat spoilage is an important
concern during typical hot August weather.
The key to preserving meat is starting the
cooling process quickly. Game animals should be
skinned immediately and quartered in most cases
and transported quickly to cold storage
facilities. Early season hunters may consider
using large ice chests to keep game meat cool
and clean. Removing meat from the bones also
helps speed cooling.
When cutting up an elk carcass, hunters must be
sure to preserve the evidence of sex. If the
head or antlers are removed, evidence of sex in
the form of testicles, penis, scrotum, udder or
vulva must remain naturally attached to the
carcass or parts thereof until it reaches the
final place of storage or personal consumption,
or a commercial meat processing facility.
Antlers or horns removed from the head must be
left naturally attached to the skull plate where
size, point or brow-tine restrictions apply, and
they must accompany the carcass or parts
thereof.
Hunters must have a valid 2011 Idaho hunting
license and tag in their possession, and they
are encouraged to review the 2011 Big Game Rules
for details. Or visit the Fish and Game website
at:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/rules/bg/BGelk.pdf. |
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