Comment period is open for the 2025-2030 draft Idaho Black Bear Management Plan; deadline is Dec. 3

Idaho Fish and Game is seeking comments on its draft Idaho Black Bear Management Plan for 2025-2030. The plan will provide guidance for staff to implement management actions that will aid in the protection and management of black bear populations and guide harvest recommendations.

People should review the draft plan and provide comments by December 3 at 6 p.m. MST. The final draft of the plan will be presented to the Fish and Game Commission for consideration at their January 2025 meeting.

The plan identifies issues that affect black bears and their management, guides Fish and Game in annual work plan development and program prioritization while providing direction for development of season recommendations. The plan will also provide guidance to implement programs that support black bear conservation and management.

Major sections of this plan include:

• Hunter opportunity and harvest management
• Black bear ecology
• Population monitoring
• Human-black bear conflicts
• Predation management
• Statewide management direction
• Region-level bear harvest data and priorities

How is a Management Plan different from Season Setting?

Species management plans set overall goals and objectives for managing a species, and generally are intended to guide management for 6-10 years. They include guidance for staff and the Commission to evaluate populations, hunting season structures, and overall hunter preferences.

Season setting is a process that occurs every two years. Staff use management plans to make recommendations during season setting that are consistent with management plan guidance.

The commission can evaluate those recommendations relative to the management plan, and including public input, to make decisions about potential changes to hunting season structure.

What happens next

After the public comment period closes, Fish and Game staff will consider comments,and they will revise and update the draft plan before the January Commission meeting.