For those planning to trap wolves this winter, four courses are scheduled in the next two weeks.
– Nampa: Saturday, November 15, IDFG Southwest Regional Office, 3101 South Powerline Road.
– Coeur d’ Alene: Two Courses: Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22, IDFG Panhandle Regional Office at 2885 West Kathleen Avenue.
– Idaho Falls: Saturday, November 22, IDFG Upper Snake Regional Office, 4279 Commerce Circle.
All courses run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The courses includes 6.5 hours of instruction including both classroom and field experience followed by a written exam. Advance registration is required, and participants can register at the regional office or online at https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/hed/public/default.aspx. For more information, contact the respective Fish and Game office.
The registration fee is $8 per student. Those registering online by credit card will be charged an added convenience fee of $1.24. Registrants must be at least nine years of age to take the course.
Students successfully completing the Wolf Trapper Certification course receive an Idaho Wolf Trapper Certification Card that enables them to purchase wolf trapping tags. Certified wolf trappers may purchase up to five gray wolf trapping tags per trapping season.
The course is taught by experienced trappers, trained and certified to provide students with both classroom study and interactive, hands-on training. The course covers a wide variety of topics including wolf biology, wolf behavior and management, wolf trapping techniques, proper care of a hide for maximum value and harvest reporting requirements. Course instructors and assisting Fish and Game staff have expertise in furbearer management, trapping laws and ethics, responsible trapping, proper equipment and trapping techniques.
On-site demonstrations in the field include making trap sets free of human scent, rigging snares, placing diverters to avoid non-target catches, and trap site selection.
Fish and Game also offers a general furbearer trapping class that is different from the Wolf Trapper Certification class. The general furbearer trapping class does not qualify people for the purchase of wolf trapping tags. When registering, please be certain to sign up for the trapping class you actually want to take.
