The Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved a 2018 grizzly bear hunting season in the eastern portion of the state with one tag offered. The random drawing will be limited to Idaho residents. The application period is June 15 through July 15. The hunt will take place September 1 through November 15.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will meet in Lander on May 23 to discuss and vote on a potential grizzly hunting season. The updated regulation changes the quota of female grizzly bears allowed to be hunted to one, reduced from two.
“This is a further effort to ensure our first grizzly bear hunt in over 40 years is conservative. Additionally, the changed proposal reflects our work to address any concerns about the hunting allocation process between the states of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana,” said Brian Nesvik, Wyoming Game and Fish Department chief game warden.
The draft quota inside the greater Yellowstone demographic monitoring area (DMA), which is the area experts deemed as suitable habitat is 11 bears with a very conservative bear female sub-quota.
Idaho, Wyoming and Montana agreed to manage the Yellowstone grizzly bear population in the DMA between 600 and 748 bears, which corresponds to the average population from 2002 to 2014. No hunting will occur if the population is below 600 bears in the DMA.
Montana will not hold a 2018 grizzly hunt.
Go here for more information about the Idaho grizzly hunt and here for the Wyoming hunt.