BOISE -- A senate committee will take up a bill that would expanding hunting privileges on Idaho trails for all-terrain vehicle riding sportsmen.
The legislation before Idaho's Senate Resource Committee Monday would curtail the power of Idaho Department of Fish and Game to relegate ATV-mounted hunters to established roads in designated areas.
The agency's rules currently require hunters in a third of Idaho's hunting units to steer clear of off-road vehicle trails.
The House-approved bill would lift those restrictions, something ATV users say will help clarify where they can ride.
ATV-mounted hunters and their legislative allies also contend that Fish and Game is illegally using hunting rules to close otherwise open federal land to them.
Fish and Game opposes the measure, which it says could hurt the department's ability to manage game.
