Sept. 28, 2025

The Great Idaho Show — Idaho Fish & Game on Hunting Season, Tags, and CWD

The Great Idaho Show — Idaho Fish & Game on Hunting Season, Tags, and CWD
Season 2

The Great Idaho Show — Idaho Fish & Game on Hunting Season, Tags, and CWD

Fall in Idaho: crisp mornings, bugling bulls, and a thousand ways to get outside. Dylan sits down with Idaho Fish & Game pros Roger Phillips (Public Information Supervisor) and Toby Boudreau (State Deer & Elk Coordinator) to cover it all—small game to elk strategy, how tags are set, why Sawtooth B feels impossible, and what hunters should know about Chronic Wasting Disease.

Presented by Old Arms of Idaho — your firearms, Western & militaria specialists. The 24-hour gun show at oldarmsofidaho.com.

  • 0:00 — Opening: Why fall hunting hits different + show intro & sponsor

  • 1:24 — Idaho’s buffet of opportunity: from pine squirrels to moose; why hunting sharpens your senses

  • 3:28 — Pine squirrels become a regulated game animal: how and why

  • 5:22 — Forest grouse 101 (yes, the regs even allow… a rock)

  • 6:50 — Quick wins: rabbits, upland birds, and keeping hunts simple

  • 9:30 — Quail, chukar, pheasant, and a beginner’s luck moment at CJ Strike

  • 10:26 — Waterfowl magic: what you notice when you slow down

  • 11:12 — Tease: deer & elk up next

  • 12:24 — Idaho big-game 101: general opportunity across 79 of 99 units

  • 13:57 — How to get started: over-the-counter tags, hunt planner, maps, and practice

  • 16:22 — “Any-weapon” vs short-range weapon hunts: what gear is legal where

  • 17:37 — Primitive weapons = added challenge (and why archery can rival rifle success in places)

  • 18:22 — Managing the herds: surveys, objectives, depredation pressures, and changing seasons

  • 21:07 — Why 2023 elk harvest dipped (hint: moisture kept elk high)

  • 22:16 — One piece of advice for new Idaho hunters

  • 25:08 — Sawtooth B-tag fairness: why there’s no “perfect” system & the 5-day waiting rule tradeoff

  • 27:23 — How caps and controlled hunts evolve from biology + hunter demand

  • 30:28 — Over-harvest vs under-harvest: real-world course corrections (Pioneer Zone example)

  • 32:15 — Why complex regs = more overall opportunity

  • 34:14 — Controlled vs first-come: forcing real choices to reduce chaos

  • 35:19 — Idaho vs other Western states: why we prioritize annual opportunity for residents

  • 36:47 — How/when to give input: species plans, season-setting, public comment

  • 38:33 — Whitetails in Idaho: origins, adaptation, and where they’re expanding

  • 41:22 — Elk everywhere: a quick history of translocations and growth

  • 42:09 — CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease): what it is and why hunter partnership matters

  • 43:11 — Species affected; prions 101; why bucks spread it more

  • 45:31 — Where Idaho has detected CWD & how surveillance works

  • 46:36 — You can’t ID CWD by sight—get animals tested

  • 48:15 — How to help: checkpoints, regional offices, DIY sample kits & videos

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, rate it, and share with a hunting buddy. Questions for Idaho Fish & Game or topic ideas? Send them in—we’re listening.

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