Title 50
SECTION 32.31
32.31 Idaho.
§ 32.31 Idaho.The following refuge units are open for hunting and/or fishing as governed by applicable Federal and State regulations, and are listed in alphabetical order with additional refuge-specific regulations.
(a) Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge - (1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow boats, except air thrust boats, after September 20 within the designated refuge hunting areas, for the purposes of hunting.
(ii) You may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds of natural vegetation. Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds, decoys, boats, and other personal property from the refuge at the end of each day's hunt (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, grouse, partridge, and cottontail rabbit on designated areas of the refuge.
(3) [Reserved]
(4) Sport fishing. We allow fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following condition: We prohibit use and possession of lead weights or sinkers.
(b) Camas National Wildlife Refuge - (1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow hunters to access the refuge 1 hour before legal shooting time.
(ii) You may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds of natural vegetation. Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds, decoys, and other personal property at the end of each day's hunt (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, grouse, and partridge on designated areas of the refuge.
(3)-(4) [Reserved]
(c) Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge - (1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, coot, common snipe, and dove on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Hunters in the South Side Recreation Area may use float tubes, nonmotorized boats, or boats equipped with electric motors within 200 yards (180 meters) of the shoreline. We prohibit the use or possession of gas-powered motors.
(ii) You must remove boats, decoys, blinds, other personal property, and any materials brought onto the refuge for blind construction at the end of each day (see §§ 27.93 and 27.94 of this chapter).
(iii) Hunters may enter the refuge 1 hour before official shooting hours ( 1/2 hour before legal sunrise), and remain on the refuge until 1 hour after official shooting hours (legal sunset).
(iv) We allow the use of dogs for hunting.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, quail, and partridge on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following condition: The condition set forth at paragraph (c)(1)(iv) of this section applies.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow hunting of deer on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) You must obtain a refuge-specific hunting permit (signed brochure) to hunt deer on the Lake Lowell Unit. Hunters must sign and carry the permit in the field while hunting.
(ii) Hunters may place up to two portable deer stands in the Lake Lowell Unit. Hunters must place stands/platforms by hand. Hunters may place stands/platforms on the refuge no earlier than the beginning date of the assigned hunt permit and must remove them no later than the ending date of the hunt permit. Each stand must display the hunter's hunting license number so that it is legible from the ground.
(iii) In the Lake Lowell Unit, you may only shoot deer while hunting from an elevated tree stand/platform. We prohibit ground stalking and/or still hunting from the ground. We prohibit shooting a firearm or bow while on the ground, except to kill a downed deer.
(iv) Hunters may enter the Lake Lowell Unit no earlier than 2 hours before official shooting hours ( 1/2 hour before legal sunrise) and must leave the area within 2 hours after official shooting hours ( 1/2 hour after legal sunset). Successful hunters may extend their departure time only as long as is necessary to retrieve dead deer.
(4) Sport fishing. We allow fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) From October 1 through April 14, we allow ice fishing on the Lake Lowell Unit, unless otherwise posted by the Bureau of Reclamation.
(ii) We allow fishing from nonmotorized boats in designated areas of the Lake Lowell Unit from October 1 through April 14, from 1/2 hour before legal sunrise to 1/2 hour after legal sunset.
(iii) From February 1 through June 30, we prohibit fishing from all islands in the Snake River Islands Unit.
(d) Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge - (1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds, decoys, boats, and other personal property from the refuge at the end of each day's hunt (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
(ii) We allow only hunters and dogs to retrieve game in designated hunting areas.
(2)-(4) [Reserved]
(e) Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge - (1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of goose, duck, coot, and snipe on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow hunting only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
(ii) We allow the use of dogs when hunting.
(iii) We prohibit the discharge of firearms in posted retrieval zones and areas closed to hunting.
(iv) Hunters may access the waterfowl hunt area no earlier than 3 a.m. and must leave no later than 1 hour after legal sunset.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of forest grouse and wild turkey on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) You may possess only approved nontoxic shot shells (see § 32.2(k)) while in the field.
(ii) We allow the use of dogs when hunting forest grouse and for turkey during the fall hunt.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow hunting of deer, elk, black bear, moose, and mountain lion on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow hunting of deer at the designated accessible blind for hunters with disabilities subject to the following conditions:
(A) You must obtain a Special Use Permit (FWS Form 3-1383-G) from the refuge manager to use the accessible blind.
(B) We only allow deer hunting at the accessible blind using the following weapons: Muzzleloader, archery equipment, crossbow, shotgun, or handgun. For shotguns, you may only use slugs. For handguns, you may only use straight-walled cartridges not originally established for rifles.
(ii) You may possess only approved nontoxic ammunition for hunting (see § 32.2(k)).
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following condition: We allow bank fishing only.
(f) Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge - (1) (1) Migratory game bird hunting. We allow hunting of duck, goose, coot, snipe, dove, and crow on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
(i) We allow only hunters and dogs to retrieve game in designated hunting areas.
(ii) You may only use portable blinds or construct temporary blinds of dead natural vegetation. Blinds will be available for general use on a first-come, first-served basis. You must remove portable blinds at the end of each day's hunt (see § 27.93 of this chapter). We prohibit use of rock piles above the high-water mark for blind construction.
(iii) On West Hunting Area (Lake Walcott), we allow hunting on the uplands and over water within 100 yards (90 meters) of the shoreline. We allow use of boats only for retrieval of game.
(iv) On East Hunting Area (Tule Island), we allow boats during the waterfowl hunting season.
(2) Upland game hunting. We allow hunting of pheasant, grouse, partridge (chukar and gray partridge), cottontail rabbit, and bobcat on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following condition: The condition set forth at paragraph (f)(1)(i) of this section applies.
(3) Big game hunting. We allow hunting of deer and elk on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following condition: Deer and elk hunters may enter the hunt area from 1 1/2 hours before legal hunting time to 1 1/2 hours after legal hunting time.
(4) Sport fishing. We allow sport fishing on designated areas of the refuge.
[84 FR 47675, Sept. 10, 2019, as amended at 85 FR 54109, Aug. 31, 2020]