Committee adopts three Fish and Game rule dockets on bear ID test, game-management zones and spearfishing

The House Resources and Conservation Committee considered three rule dockets from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and took separate actions.

Black-bear identification educational test: Deputy Director Amber Worthington presented a temporary rule (effective Jan. 1 under the Commission’s temporary action) that would make an online identification test a requirement to hunt black bear. The department said the short online module is intended to reduce mistaken identification of grizzly bears and to show that hunters are taking steps to avoid incidental take of federally protected species. Worthington said the Idaho version of the test takes under 15 minutes to review and under five minutes to complete; she said it is free and that vendors and registration…