Hunters already were waiting when Idaho Fish and Game started selling wolf tags at 10 a.m. Monday, August 24.

The first ticket at the Fish and Game headquarters was sold to John Dennis of Kuna. But the very first ticket, Monday morning, was sold to Adrienne Peterson at Jim’s Pawn Shop in Middleton.

A hunter may buy only one tag at a cost of $11.50 for residents and $186 for nonresidents. A tag is good for one wolf, which may be taken in any one of the 12 wolf hunt zones in Idaho.

Fish and Game had sold 1,825 wolf tags in the first hour. By mid-afternoon Monday, about 4,000 tags had been sold.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission earlier in August set a statewide wolf hunt limit of 220 wolves. When that number, spread over 12 wolf zones, is reached the hunt will end. There is no limit on the total number of tags sold.

Hunters can buy those tags at any Fish and Game office, license vendor, by telephone at 800-554-8685, or online at https://id.outdoorcentral.us/. The process is the same as buying a license or big game tag for other species, including deer, elk, black bear or mountain lion.

The hunter must have a valid 2009 Idaho hunting license to buy a tag. A printed brochure containing the 2009 wolf hunting rules and seasons is available from license vendors. The rules also are available on the Fish and Game Web site at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/wolf/.

Because of potential legal action, however, some hunters may be unable to hunt wolves for which they bought tags in Idaho. A request for an injunction has been filed with a U.S. District Court in Montana. If granted, the injunction would block the wolf hunt in Idaho.

The timing is still unknown.

If the wolf season is blocked before September 1, hunters who have bought a wolf tag would be eligible for a refund. If the season is blocked on or before October 9, hunters who can show in good faith they did not hunt may be eligible for a refund.

The hunter must submit a request for refund by December 31 on a Fish and Game form along with the original wolf tag. Requests received after December 31 would not be eligible for a refund.

This refund process applies to the 2009 wolf hunt season only.

All refunds will be for the amount paid for the tag. Refunds can be in the form of a check or an Idaho Fish and Game gift certificate. Requests must be submitted to: Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Wolf Tag Refund Request; P. O. Box 25; Boise, Idaho 83707.

The refund policy and refund request forms are available from Fish and Game and on the Fish and Game Web site at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/wolf/.

Fraught with uncertainty, Idaho’s first regulated wolf hunt will get under way as planned, opening in the Lolo and Sawtooth wolf zones Tuesday, September 1.

Late Monday, August 31, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court in Missoula had issued no decision on a preliminary injunction that would have returned the wolf to federal endangered species protection.

Following a three-hour hearing, Molloy took the issue under advisement. He said he would rule soon.

“By taking the issue under advisement, Judge Malloy today gives Idaho an opportunity to further demonstrate that we are and will continue to successfully manage the species,” Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter said Monday. “We have a sound, data-driven management plan in place, and we keep our promises. As the Idaho Department of Fish and Game implements that plan, which includes a hunting season, I am confident the judge will recognize that our sportsmen, ranchers, farmers – and indeed, all Idahoans – are responsible stewards of Idaho’s wildlife, including wolves.”

If the judge issues a ruling that affects Idaho wolf hunts, Idaho Fish and Game will notify hunters. Hunters are asked to check the Fish and Game Web site at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov, or call the toll-free wolf hunt information number 1-877-872-3190 before their hunt.

The injunction was sought by parties to a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the endangered species list earlier this year.

If legal action closes the season before October 9, Idaho Fish and Game would issue refunds to hunters who bought tags and can show they didn’t hunt. The wolf tag refund policy and request form are available from Fish and Game and the agency’s Web site at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/wolf/.

My huntin’ buddy Kirk Edgerton is pretty well known for going into some remote country with a backpack and killing some magnum blacktails and black bears in the Northern California mountains. You have seen him here with some nice hogs and he has witnessed me missing a nice black bear on a late season bear hunt.

On the opening weekend of the 2009 season Kirk was fortunate enough to team up with Brent Miller, for a backpack hunt in a game rich area. Watch as the duo spot blacktails and bears from a high vantage point and try to stalk into bow range.

This is Western Hunting at it’s best. Keep an Eye out for more from the Relentless365 team in the future.

I lifted this from the Web and thought I would get the rumor mill a good shove…

The “alien dreadlocks buck” is a B zone Kalifornicated buck. He was killed approx 30 miles west of Interstate 5, well within the B&C boundaries. The buck is NOT a cactus buck, but possibly a hermaphordite. It had normal size kahunas and two great looking racks. One on top of its head and the other on the belly side. We have a shed from last year that scores approx 91 inches and has I believe, 11 or 12 points. He had double drop tines to kill for (one massive 9″ tine dove down his face and forked off and the other side had a skinny 13″ drop tine curve back under his chin. Last year he had a tad over 6 inch bases and this year he has bases over 12 inches!! The buck weighed approx 140″s live weight. My brother made some jerky out of him and the meat was excellent. This buck is not your normal rack buck. He is basically a 3×3 frame (about 16 inches tall) and his bases grow on top or under each other. Our plan is to score him SCI with the velvet on, and then strip the velvet and see if it can be scored B&C. This buck is so crazy that It will be difficult to score. One side frame looks like a big 3 point pitch fork and the other has an additional 17″+ split mainbeam. OR maybe its the real mainbeam.

Several people vouch for having seen the buck, so I’m sure it is real.  I’m sure pictures will surface soon…

Trevon connected with this beautifully coated black bear in Ontario, Canada. I’m sure we will see this hunt on a future episode of Outback Outdoors.

Trevon writes:

Over bait, but not 55 gallon drum, they use onion sacks hung in a tree. I really like that and the video isn’t as cluttered as when shooting a bear coming to a trash can looking barrel.

Passed on numerous bears, actually one bigger than the one I killed (but it was the first night and they had a ton of trail cam pics of HUGE 350-400lb bears). My camera man and buddy Durk Stark (from Kicking Bears camps) actually killed a bear I passed on the first night and he ended up being a bigger than mine by about 20lbs. Mine has a beautiful white V on the chest (they call it a blaze).

While in Nevada, I was having trouble spotting deer while Cal and Jerome were picking out the tan patches before me regularly. When I expressed my frustration, Jerome asked me what power optics I was using. I replied “8×42’s”.

Just then Cal handed me his 10x 42’s and the deer I couldn’t find was clear as a bell. After I had determined that it was a buck (3×4) and that he had eyeguards, I examined the binos in more detail. The glasses were a dark green roof prism style that screamed “European Glass” . But I was surprised that there was not a silver hawk on the body of the binocular anywhere. Instead the words “VORTEX RAZOR” greeted me.

I was sold instantly. When I returned to civilization, one of the first things I did was log on to http://www.elknut.com and follow the links to Paul Medel’s Web store , and order my own pair. They arrived today, and I have to say they are a pleasure to look through.

The price tag was not as painful as European brands and the VIP warranty never expires, and Vortex will repair or replace the binoculars regardless of the owner, or age.  (Of course deliberate damage, loss, theft and other things aren’t covered under warranty.) Pretty much everything  you get with a European optic, plus a better warranty. 

PLUS, on purchases until October 31st, 2009 you can get up to $150 rebate on your Vortex Razors.  All of a sudden top quality glass, just became a little more affordable!

RAMAH, Colo. – Youngsters interested in the sports of archery and shotgun shooting are invited to attend a free one-day event at the Ramah State Wildlife Area Archery Range, Sat., Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Activities include a shotgun target & fun shoot, a laser gun computerized shooting station, a 3-D archery shoot, and instruction.

“This is a great opportunity for youngsters to learn about shooting sports and try their hand at using a bow and learning about firearms safety,” said Steve Lucero, an education coordinator with the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Instructors from the DOW and trained volunteers will help youngsters learn the finer points of shooting shotguns and bows.

The DOW will furnish the equipment.

The Ramah Archery Range is located four miles west of the town of Ramah at the Ramah State Wildlife Area along U.S. Hwy 24 in northeastern El Paso County.

All ages are welcome. Boys and girls under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Activities will run continuously throughout the event.

For more information, call 719-227-5207.

Seems like the Fall goes by too quickly and before long we are yearning for the next one. One way to extend the “hunting season” is to really focus on your pre-season physical prep. It is easier to improve your cardio and endurance for Western hunts over a 6 month period than in just 6 weeks before the season.
That has been the reason I have joined the trail running group at Fleet Feet Sports.  I can run in rugged terrain, further strengthening my hips, thighs and core muscles.  In my Nevada Deer hunt, I was amazed that I felt no soreness at all, despite climbing over 1000 vertical feet each day.  My trail running and 4X a week schedule ensured that I recovered with a short night’s rest. 

Trevon Stoltzfus and his pals Adam, Ryan, Mike and Dan share their preseason preparation in this weeks Outback Outdoors webisode.

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission, Monday, August 17, set harvest limits for Idaho’s first public wolf hunting season this fall.

Fish and Game models indicate Idaho now has at least 1,000 wolves. The population increases at a rate of about 20 percent a year, without hunting.

The commissioners adopted a strategy that would help meet the state’s wolf population objective, as outlined in the 2008 Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan.

Hunters will be allowed to take up to 220 wolves this fall and winter. Wolf tags go on sale at 10 a.m. August 24, at all license vendors. A resident tag costs $11.75, and a nonresident tag costs $186.

One of the commission’s top considerations is retaining state management of Idaho’s growing wolf population. Idaho has an approved wolf management plan, developed with public involvement. The plan was approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and found acceptable by a federal judge.

The commissioners’ decision is consistent with the population goals set out in the plan.

In 1995 and 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introduced 35 wolves to central Idaho. Since then they have increased in numbers and expanded their distribution.

Fish and Game has a responsibility to manage those wolves in balance with their prey and their habitat – just as the agency manages other fish and wildlife species. As with other species, hunting seasons on wolves would be part of managing the population.

A wolf hunting season gives Idaho Fish and Game an opportunity to learn how public hunting fits into managing wolves. As Fish and Game learns how effective regulated hunting is, seasons can be adjusted in areas where wolves are causing unacceptable problems for big game herds or domestic livestock.

Wolf managers will use the harvest limits the same way already used effectively with other species that Fish and Game manages. When limits are reached, the season ends.

The commissioners set harvest limits for each of the state’s 12 wolf management zones. When the limit is reached in a zone, the season would close in that zone.

Commissioners want to manage the wolf population toward the 2005 level of 520 wolves through regulated hunting (five-times higher than the federal recovery goal). The 2005 wolf population figure was used as a target number because wolf conflicts both with wildlife and livestock increased significantly that year.

Wolves in Idaho and Montana were removed from the endangered species list in May and have been managed under state law since then. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rule delisting wolves, however, faces challenges in federal court. The outcome of those challenges could affect Idaho wolf hunting season.

For 2009 wolf seasons and rules go to the Fish and Game Web site: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/wolf/wolfrules.pdf. A printed brochure will be available at license vendors when tags go on sale August 24

Once again, my buddy Nate Treadwell has scored on a nice pronghorn.  He sent me the picture and story of this nice Colorado buck.

I hunted antelope in Southern CO over the weekend. It was awesome! We got lucky and timed the weather just perfectly. I managed to kill a nice one. I saw more P&Y goats here than I ever have anywhere in my life. The number of mature bucks was jaw dropping. A couple other hunters even killed 2 bucks over 80” gross. It was awesome. On opening morning, after 4 smaller bucks had attempted to approach my waterhole only to get about 50 yards and then turn away, this guy was about to do the same. I wasn’t going to let this one walk without attempting a shot. He should score in the 74” range.