The “Poachers Club” and IWF: Pioneers of Idaho’s Conservation Movement

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game was originally established in 1903 by a few territorial laws, then as an official state agency governed by the legislature. The Department, led by the State Game Warden, was appointed by the Governor and was completely political in nature at the expense of wildlife and hunting/fishing opportunity for the everyday Idahoan.

As the conservation movement reached the West in the 1930’s, it brought new ideas – including the “commission form” of governance, civil service protections for employees over political meddling, and provisions for trained enforcement and educated wildlife professionals. A

Idaho’s first Initiative: A product of the “Poachers” and IWF.

group of hunting buddies, members of other organized clubs, met regularly to ruminate on such ideas, but hadn’t yet a name for themselves. Soon enough they’d be the founders of IWF and their own informal group would be given a name.

In the 1930’s, there were only about 30 organized sportsmen’s clubs in Idaho. After countless rebukes from the Idaho legislature to create a professional wildlife management agency, the group of men organized, banding together clubs across the state in 1936 to form the Idaho Wildlife Federation for an organized effort make changes the legislature was unwilling to make. By way of voter initiative hunters would go around elected officials.

In the summer of 1938 when the Initiative petition drive was going full throttle, the State Game Warden, W.R. McIntyre, gave a talk while on a trip to North Idaho. As a political hack, he was certain to lose his position under a new system that favored people of learning for Department positions. He was reported stating to his political cronies in regards to the group of men who organized the Federation and it’s actions, “There’s a bunch of poaching sons-of-bitches down there in Boise that are trying to do away with my job!”

William McIntire. Last State Warden of Idaho. Called the Initiative organizers “Poaching sons of bitches”.

The Warden’s words soon got back to Boise. In response, at their weekly lunch Judge Koelsch was reported to have urged the group adopt the name “Poachers,” and to always greet on another affectionately as “sons-of-bitches!” The ideas were approved, and the name and greeting are used to this day.

As a member of the newly named Poachers, and as a founder of IWF, Ted Trueblood acted as the “public relations man” to provide information to the public on the Initiative Petition. Homer Martin (Ada County Prosecuting Attorney and later a Director of the Federation for eight years) and Judge Koelsch (Idaho legislator and alter Third District Judge) led the legal and political work. Hundreds of sportsmen carried petition forms all around the state. By late summer the petition was on the ballot. In November, it was approved by the largest majority in the State’s initiative voting history.

After the initiative passed, R.G. Cole, IWF’s first president and friend of Jay “Ding” Darling – who helped form the National and Idaho Wildlife Federations – said, “The battle to conserve, protect, and preserve the natural resources never ends!”

Governor Cecil Andrus (right) at the Poachers’ Governor party. Governor Andrus was a club member, sportsman, and conservationist.

And we agree. 90 years after their mutual founding, the Poachers and IWF have renewed their partnership to fight for what is right for our fish and wildlife because the battle never ends. Sometimes that means people in power lob insults at the rabble-rousers, but like the original members of our organizations, we’ll wear them as armor for our legions of supporters.

Notable “Poachers”: Governor Cecil Andrus, Ernie Day (former IWF President), Ted Trueblood, Bruce Bowler, Jerry Conley, David Langhorst (Director of Idaho Dept. of Parks and Rec), Homer Martin (Martin Lake, Idaho), Guy Mains (Mains Ridge, Idaho), Andy Andrus (former IWF executive director), and many more individuals who value wildlife, wild places, and wild experiences.

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