NEWS/REC REC JIM M Y JOE M AX
FLYING DOWN Hey, Government Trapper Man, I was hungry.
LOOK UP FOR GUNNERS The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program has pursued a pair of wolves in the Boise Foothills for almost a month now after the wolves killed at least 11 sheep grazing Upper Hulls Gulch. Wildlife Services is using a fixed-wing plane and ground shooters with wolf calls to locate and kill the wolves. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game authorized the action on May 5. “Most of the time when we confirm livestock predation, most of the time, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game gives us authorization to use lethal means,” said Wildlife Services Assistant State Director George Graves. The attacks occurred in four separate depredation incidents, the most recent of which was on May 24, Graves said. Frank Shirts, who grazes on public land in the Boise Front, owns all of the lost sheep. While Idaho Conservation League has supported delisting wolves and state management of the species, ICL Program Director Justin Hayes said that Wildlife Services has been “overzealous” in its wolf control efforts and that he is hearing lots of complaints about the agency. “Using aerial gunning to kill wolves in sight of the state capitol is a crazy and very bad idea,” Hayes said. Since Jan. 1, Wildlife Services has killed 24 wolves in authorized control actions. That’s an average of eight kills a month, the highest per month average since at least 2003, according to IDFG data. In 2008, Wildlife Services killed an average of 7.83 wolves a month, the second highest year. There have been established wolf packs in the Boise Foothills for at least a decade, though sightings so close to town are rare. Graves said the wolves are thought to be about eight air miles north of the Statehouse. The first predation in May was a few miles up the well-used Eighth Street Extension, past the winter closure gate. Graves said the service is not using leg traps or snares because of the number of people and dogs in the area. Ed Mitchell, a spokesman for Fish and Game, said each depredation incident is dealt with on a case-by-case basis. “One criteria is if there is a long history of chronic depredation in an area, or with a particular pack, then that calls for removal,” Mitchell said. Another criteria is keeping wolves out of areas that see a lot of human use, such as Hulls Gulch, he said. “With the growth in [wolf] population that we’ve had statewide we’ve gotten perhaps a bit more aggressive,” he said. —Nathaniel Hoffman
36 | JUNE 2–8, 2010 | BOISEweekly
Jumping off things in Idaho JIMMY JOE MAX Miles Daisher has dreams of falling and of flying. Then he wakes up and falls—with style—off a bridge. The 41-year-old from Twin Falls loves to jump out of planes and to jump off of high edifices and natural precipices, a sport known as BASE jumping. BASE is an acronym for buildings, antennas, spans (or bridges) and earth (or cliffs). Daisher has been jumping out of planes since 1995 and off of BASEs since 1996. I met up with Daisher at the Perrine Miles Daisher performs a gainer off the handrail of the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls Bridge in Twin Falls the first week of May and looks back for the bottom of the canyon. and watched him casually stroll to the center of the bridge, hop up on the rail and launch neath the span, it does not matter too much Daisher is also doing cutting-edge sky himself into thin air 486 feet above the Snake which direction the wind is blowing (and in work with a new sport he and a friend River. About the moment I grasped what the Twin Falls, the wind blows a lot). If it were invented called skyaking: skydiving while blazes he was doing (two or three seconds an earth jump, the wind could easily blow seated in a kayak. after his jump), Daisher opened a parayou into the cliff wall and create all sorts of This is a whole new dimension in skydivchute and gently continued his descent to a ing that Daisher and Scott Lindgren, a kayak complications. meadow alongside the river. In the afternoon, the wind picked up more designer, have pioneered. About eight years “I’m living the dream ... Falling is my ago, Lindgren asked Daisher if he would take than the trio of daredevils felt safe with, so motto for life,” he said. they called it quits. The following morning a kayak out of a plane with him. Daisher Daisher has BASE jumped 2,669 times I awoke several times dreaming that I was agreed, and set out to find someone with a and holds the world record for the number jumping off of the bridge just as casually and plane who would take him up. Apparently of jumps off that span in one day. On Sept. confidently as Daisher, sans parachute or that’s not a common request, and most 16, 2005, he jumped off the Perrine Bridge anything else to ease my own descent. I don’t pilots shy away from requests so far out of 57 times. think I’m suicidal, but I was curious about the box. Daisher eventually found someone There are no permits required to BASE having a dream like that so I called Daisher who would take them up in a plane, and the jump from the Perrine Bridge and according skayak team has been refining the equipment to ask him about it. to the BASE fatality list, there have been six Max: “Do you ever hear anyone talking needs for this new sport and promoting it fatalities related to BASE jumps here. The about taking a dive off the bridge ... or any next nearest place to BASE jump is in Moab, across the United States and Europe. BASE ... without a parachute?” The seated position in a kayak is unnatuUtah. Daisher: “Well some people have stepped ral for skydiving so it takes some getting used The bridge is under the jurisdiction of the off without a parachute and didn’t make it. I to. The skyaker can Idaho Transportation actually land on water think that was their plan. I’ve had dreams of Department. landing wing suits easily on a snowy slope. or on land. There are “The ITD has reThe Perrine Bridge stands 486 feet above I’m not gonna go out and do it but have no plans for this to be viewed its liability and the Snake River just north of Twin Falls demonstrated in Idaho thought a lot about it.” has determined that on U.S. Route 93. Completed in 1976, replacing an older span, the 1,500 foot long A wing suit, or squirrel suit, is a jump suit yet, though Daisher we are not liable or bridge over the river canyon has become worn by a skydiver that has material between did appear on the responsible for this use a Mecca for BASE jumpers. the legs and under the arms to make wings. Today show earlier [BASE jumping] of the this year to talk about When arms and legs are spread out, an airfoil bridge,” said ITD Disis created, which then allows the skydiver to the hybrid sport. trict Engineer Devin glide. This type of gliding does not afford adBack at the Perrine Bridge, Daisher Rigby. “They are not causing any problems with the primary use of the bridge. As long as landed, put the chute in a loose backpack and equate control to land safely, so a parachute is still necessary to tend the flight. this is the case, the ITD will continue to have hiked back up the side of the canyon. As he Daisher lives by another motto, too: In reached the top, two jump students, Thomas a hands-off policy.” Lanners and Shannon Jurdine, met him. They this game you need be present to win. Once a BASE jumper has performed all “This means a few things. Like you can’t came down from Alaska to get some jump four types of jumps, they can apply for a instruction with Daisher, and after a few days do it unless you are there and you need to BASE number. “I’m in the club and have jumped all four. of windy, unsafe conditions, they were finally be careful and stick around if you want to win the BASE game. Treat each jump with able to jump. When the weather was bad, Miles Daisher is BASE 779,” Daisher said. Daisher put them to work putting up drywall respect: respect for how things work in the Daisher is a professional skydiver and is world and respect for yourself while taking on the Red Bull Air Force skydiving team. He on his basement remodeling job. care of and being true to yourself,” he said. When the weather is good there can be has been married for six years to Nikki, who “Each decision you make may have a big BASE jumped once (on her birthday) and told several jumpers taking the plunge off of Perrine. According to Daisher, the Perrine Bridge outcome so train yourself to make good deciMiles he can keep it. sions every time.” is an ideal location because once you are beThey have three children, ages 1 to 5. WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M