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Hunting Sandpoint, Idaho

Idaho contains more wilderness acreage than any other state in the lower 48. Nicknamed the Gem State, Idaho's 83,557 square miles feature peaks up to 12,662 feet (Borah Peak) with rivers providing some 3,100 miles of white water. An astounding 21,621,000 acres of the state's total acreage remains forested. It was Idaho's highly regarded former senator, Frank Church, who once said "I never knew a man who felt self-important in the morning after spending the night in the open on an Idaho mountainside."

Idaho is an outdoors kind of state, with a big game population that includes elk, moose, woodland caribou, mule and white-tailed deer, cougar, black and grizzly bear and bighorn sheep. The state's elk, moose and deer hunting reputation is world-class, and opportunities abound to hunt waterfowl and upland birds. Hunting in Sandpoint occurs often on state or national forest lands. Because big game hunting here focuses typically on remote mountains (some 2.7 million acres in North Idaho are within national forests), backcountry camping is often the key to harvest success.

Bird hunting in the Sandpoint region revolves for the most part about ruffed grouse (referred to locally as "forest" grouse), blue grouse and wild turkeys. Habitat for ruffed grouse is comprised to a large extent by dense coniferous stands of fir and pine, but hunting success rate is highest in abandoned field acreage containing stands of quaking aspen. Blue grouse are typically hunted at higher elevations, and hunting pressure on this species throughout the season is light due in great part to strenuous mountain terrain. Idaho's Fish and Game Department has been successful in establishing harvestable flocks of Merriam-strained wild turkeys throughout much of the state.

Sandpoint is located on the eastern fringe of the Pacific Flyway and waterfowl hunting in this region of Bonner County is excellent. Duck populations include both puddle ducks and divers, and quality goose hunting is available everywhere, particularly 30 miles north of Sandpoint on the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge which is a major stopover for migrating ducks and geese.

Links...

Idaho Fish & Game
Idaho Fish & Hunt
US Forest Service
IdahoSportsman.com

Bonner County Sportsmen Association

The Bonner County Sportsmen Association is the oldest conservation organization in the state of Idaho commencing way back in 1934. Its membership has continued to grow through the years and has been the driving force to represent fishing and hunting interest for all Bonner County Sportsmen.

hunting in north idaho

Meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at the Leo Hadley range located across from the Sandpoint City Hall on Pine Street. Memberships are available for only $10.00 per year on a calendar year basis. The mailing address for Bonner County Sportsmen is P.O. Box 1011, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864. Major programs and activities include the following:

Gun and Horn show at Bonner County Fairgrounds the first weekend in March.
Ongoing Hunter and Archery education classes meeting state requirements.
Adopt a Wetland Programs (Pack River Flats is our project)
Adopt a Highway participant (Highway 200 through Pack River Flats)
Working with Idaho Fish & Game on comprehensive wildlife and fishery issues.
Affiliated with Sandpoint Archers, Panhandle Free Trappers (muzzle loading club) Sandpoint Jr. Rifle Club and Sandpoint Pistol Club
They have working relationships with Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Lake Pend Oreille Club on habitat restoration issues.
Cooperate with Idaho Wildlife Council and Idaho Wildlife Federation on legislative issues.
The Sandpoint Archers host a winter league on Friday nights at 7pm at the Hadley range. Open range for archery is every Wednesday at 7pm.