By Pete Zimowsky, The Idaho Statesman, Boise
Feb. 23–Question: Settle and clarify this: What are the definitions of first light, daylight, sunup, legal shooting, sunrise, etc.
Some of us say first light is the very first light in the sky in the east, others say it is when you can first make out the ground where you can walk.
How do cowboys use these terms?
Fritz Dixon, Meridian
Answer: I don’t know about the cowboy way, but let me shed some light on what I think.
— First light: The best example of this for me was when I was camping on a high plateau in the Owyhees in the spring. I awoke to songbirds just starting to chirp and move out of their roosts in trees and bushes.
The eastern sky was barely a black-purple color with slightly seen silhouettes of mountains. The ground was still dark, and you couldn’t walk without tripping.
— Daylight: This is when the surroundings are lit but the sun isn’t up yet. You can walk around and see the ground.
To me, daylight is the period between the start of legal waterfowl shooting hours and sunrise. That’s one-half hour before sunrise.
— Sunup: It’s not exactly sunrise. To me sunup is when the full circle of the sun is just barely over the horizon.
If you’re sitting on a beach in the Florida Keys and watching the sun rise over the ocean, it’s pretty simple. Sunup will probably be close to the official time for sunrise.
If you’re in Idaho, watching sunup over the jagged mountains or a steep canyon, sunup probably going to be later than the official sunrise.
— Legal shooting hours: Here’s the legal scoop from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s hunting regulations on big game, upland game and waterfowl.
For waterfowl, it’s one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
The legal shooting hours for upland birds and big game is one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
— Sunrise: I’ll just go by the official sunrise that’s printed on the weather page on the back of Sports in the Idaho Statesman.
Top fishing spots
Question: I have friends in Alabama who do a lot of fishing in the Gulf of Mexico but have never fly-fished or fished in the West.
Not being a fisherman myself, I thought perhaps you could offer them some advice as to places to go and also times to go.
Rick Gale, e-mail
Answer: If they’re coming to Idaho to fly-fish, they have to hit Idaho’s premier trout fishing waters. These are the holy places, where fly anglers from around the world make pilgrimages.
I’d schedule a few days on the Henrys Fork of the Snake River in Island Park during the green drake hatch, which usually occurs sometime between June 15 and June 30. Then there’s the brown drake hatch around June 20 to July 10.
They’ve also got to hit the salmon fly hatch on the South Fork of the Snake River. That’s around the third week in June. It’s usually a high-water hatch. It lasts sometimes through July 4.
Let’s not forget the opening of trout fishing season on Silver Creek on Memorial Day weekend. There are good hatches during that time, and the rainbows and browns aren’t so wise to anglers.
There’s no fishing like cutthroat fishing on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River when the water calms down a little in July. A float trip through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is a must.
Then there’s mid- to late-summer on the Lochsa River in northern Idaho for cutthroat trout.
These are the primo places, the unforgettable places, the holy places of fly fishing.
Good fishing.
Need an elk hunt
Question: I have been exhaustively searching the Internet for a wilderness elk hunt in Idaho but have not found exactly what I am looking for.
Where can I find a wilderness elk hunt that involves a pack trip into a wilderness area to a camp with an excellent chance for harvesting a 5-point or better bull?
I am relatively young (29), relatively fit (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) and more than willing to put in the extra effort for an elk.
As a matter of fact, part of what I am looking for is a physically challenging hunt that will make the trophy that much more rewarding in the end.
Any advice or contact information you may have would be greatly appreciated. I am not interested in spending $8,000 to $9,000 to hunt on a private ranch where you can drive a pickup to the hunting area and get out and shoot your bull.
I want to earn my trophy and would be willing to pay $4,000 to $5,000 for a hunt in a good area with an excellent chance for success provided the hunter is willing to put in the effort.
Derek, e-mail
Answer: Idaho has reputable outfitters that can take you into a wilderness area for an elk hunt.
You’ve got to shop around, but you should start by going online at the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Web site at www.ioga.org.
I’m glad you want a real hunt. Idaho is seeing more canned elk hunting on ranches, which we don’t need. A canned hunt is where animals are kept in fenced areas.
If you want a true Idaho elk hunt, head out into the wilderness and relish the challenge.
Here are a few tips and things to keep in mind when you’re choosing an outfitter from the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association:
— Check to see if the outfitter is licensed in Idaho. You can do that by contacting the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association at (208) 342-1438; or getting on the association’s Web site.
The association is like the outfitters’ Better Business Bureau and can tell you if the outfitter has had any complaints.
You also can contact the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board at (208) 327-7380.
— What animal do you want to hunt or what recreational activity are you interested in? That will influence your choice for a guide.
— How much are you willing to spend? Remember to include airfare, taxidermy fees, license cost, guide fees and tip.
— How important is the type of country or terrain? Do you want the trip in wilderness, roadless areas, or general areas closer to town?
— What about accommodations? Do you want to be in the wilderness in a wall tent or a cabin, or in a hotel or motel on the edge of town and driving to the hunt each day?
— Do you want a guided hunt or a drop camp? In a drop camp, the outfitter drops you off and you do your own thing.
— How much can you afford for guided services?
Good hunting.
Ideas From Readers
Birds and windows
Hey Zimo!
We have this big picture window and, man, I had more birds smack that window (Ask Zimo, Jan. 26).
We kept finding juncos, cedar waxwings, and finally a dove. Then I got this really cool book that had an idea that worked. The book is called “Stokes Backyard Bird Book.”
It recommended cutting out a life-sized silhouette of a diving hawk and putting it on the window in a diving position.
I made it out of black construction paper and then had it laminated. I taped it on the outside of the window.
The silhouette of a diving hawk is a fear factor for little birdies.
It really helped, and I haven’t had a bird hit the window for a year and a half.
Vonnie Merlini, Nampa
Anglers, get online
Hey Zimo!
Are you familiar with BigFishTackle.com?
If you go to the discussion board and then to the “Idaho” board, there is an active discussion of eastern Idaho fishing, with Dick Schleis, guru of Henrys Lake fishing, among the regular contributors.
I am the only contributor from our side of the state. Boise area anglers need to get online and share information.
Perhaps you could mention it in the Outdoors section.
Mike K, e-mail
Dog’s feet
Hey Zimo!
I’ve worked around avalanche dogs for a number of years and I’m reading your article in the paper (Ask Zimo, Feb. 9) about getting their feet and putting booties on.
What avalanche dog handlers do is put Vaseline in the dogs feet. It tastes horrible and they don’t lick it off. It seems to prevent the snowballs from forming.
At least it is something for people to try.
Mike W., Boise
Natural ice
Hey Zimo!
On the natural-ice skating thing (Ask Zimo, Feb. 9), I was pheasant hunting on the Montour game refuge shortly after the cold first two weeks of December and walked across the ice on the two-acre pond on the east side of the road.
The pond has numerous islands, and I dreamed of skating around those islands and free-wheeling all over the place.
If I was 50 years younger, I would have gone home for my ice skates. Unfortunately, after two warm weeks following, the ice would have been dangerous. Maybe next year.
Ray Bowden, Emmett
Ideas from Readers and other articles submitted to The Idaho Statesman may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
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