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IDAHO — Indications that Idaho’s great fall hunting seasons are just around the corner are all around us. Bowhunters are setting up their archery targets for some pre-season practice before Aug. 30 when many Idaho archery deer hunts open. The number of hunters going to Farragut Shooting Range to sight in rifles in increasing. Most rifle big game hunts open in October, but some southern Idaho controlled rifle hunts open Aug. 15. One such hunt in the Panhandle opens Aug. 30.

Now is a good time for hunters to make contact with private landowners to ask for permission to hunt on private land during the approaching seasons. According to a survey of rural Idaho landowners, 88 percent are willing to allow hunting on their property if hunters ask permission first. Landowners who do allow hunting are more likely to grant access to their land to those who ask well in advance.

Hunters have the best results if they contact landowners at least two weeks before they want to hunt. Securing permission even earlier on prime hunting grounds is important because some owners limit the number of hunters per season. The limit makes for a higher quality hunting experience, and it helps the landowner keep track of who has permission to be on their land and when they will be there.

Sports enthusiasts may pick up free hunter courtesy cards at Fish and Game offices before asking for hunting access. These cards have spaces for the hunter’s (or angler’s) name and contact information so that owners have a record of who is hunting on their land. Landowners in turn sign a card the hunter keeps, which verifies permission to access the property. The cards do not affect the landowner’s liability in case hunters are injured on private property.

Sportspeople can improve their relations with landowners considerably by looking at things from the owner’s perspective and acting accordingly. Leaving gates the way they were and property in the same condition as it was upon arrival show respect for property owners. Hunters should not drive vehicles on soft areas where theywould leave ruts or damage crops.

One illegal practice that causes great irritation to landowners and creates safety hazards is “road hunting.” Hunters who shoot from roads or right of ways onto private property near buildings, livestock and people cause endless frustration for landowners. In addition, shooting from across a public road or from a vehicle is illegal and dangerous. Muliple people moving in and out of vehicles with loaded firearms can result in a tragic firearms accident.

A common misconception is that railroad tracks are open for public hunting. However, the land along railroad tracks is typically owned or managed by the railroad. These companies do not give hunting permission because of safety concerns and Homeland Security rules.

Hunters also often assume that powerline and gasline corridors are open for hunting. Utility companies purchase easements to run transmission lines across private property. However, ownership of the land is almost always kept by the landowner. To hunt a posted powerline corridor, people would need to obtain permission from the owner of record.

Anyone with questions about the upcoming hunting seasons or about wildlife in general can look for Idaho fish and Game at the North Idaho State Fair, Aug. 24 through 28. It is a great opportunity to see the hundreds of mounted speciments on display that are hard to find in the wild.