-WARDOG-
FNG
READ THIS if you are hunting bear in Idaho! Please spread the word as well. If you get cited for not having a bear identification test certificate number, this will help you in court.
I wrote this letter to the head of IDFG Jim Fredericks on Jan 31, 2025.
"IDFG Wildlife -
I renewed my Resident Sportsman Package today and learned I needed to take a 'Bear Identification' test in order to hunt black bears in Idaho. I read the test requirements, and proceeded to use the link supplied on the IDFW page to access "Hunter-Ed" to fulfill that test requirement. I opened an account with my personal information (which included contact info and date of birth), completed and passed the identification test, and pushed the tab "Get your certificate". Before I could continue I had to check the box agreeing to the terms and conditions of a 19 page terms of service agreement, which listed Kalkomey Enterprises, LLC (together with its affiliates and related entities) as the provider. The terms of service included #10
10 Electronic Communications.
Did anyone at IDFW that has the power to authorize a 3rd party marketing company to have access to the personal details of thousands of hunters, actually read Kalkomey's Terms of Service?
Is a 19 page 'term of service' even necessary to review a few bear photos and answer questions?
Since I had to create an account with Kalkomey with my personal information before I could even begin the test, how do I know that my information, whether authorized for marketing use or not, has not already been gathered for marketing purposes? Kalkomey is a subsidiary of the international company Macquarie Capital, which in turn owns a vast number of businesses to include marketing companies.
So, since I passed the bear identification test as required by IDFW to hunt bears, but I refuse to authorize the use of my personal information in a 19 page user (Marketing) agreement, am I no longer allowed to hunt black bears in Idaho?
IDFW can do better than this. Considering the political climate of the great state of Idaho in that most residents don't like bureaucracy and prefer to remain private, how was this approved?
I appreciate, and expect, an answer from IDFW, which most certainly would contain alternative testing methods that are not attached to a marketing company. I expect an answer personally from IDFW via telephone or response to this e-mail no later than Feb 21, 2025.
Sincerely-
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Grangeville, Idaho"
I received this response from Jim Fredericks (IDFG Director) via e-mail on Feb 6, 2025
"Dear Mr. Xxxxx,
Thank you for your email raising concern about the Kalkomey terms of service you were required to agree with in order to receive your bear ID certification. We reviewed the Kalkomey terms, and you are correct about this requirement. I don’t know if you saw it, but there is an opt-out provision listed in item 10b.
b. Email Opt-Out. You may opt-out of receiving any electronic messages from Company as described in Section 10(a) above at any time by any reasonable means, including, without limitation and by way of example, by sending an email to [email protected] with a subject line of "Opt-Out of Electronic Communications". You acknowledge that opting out of receiving any such communications may impact your receipt, the success, and/or the performance of all or any part of the Platform and/or your ability to receive certain messages or notifications from Company.
While the Opt-out may address the issue of unwanted communications, we agree that it’s cumbersome and that Terms and Conditions do not meet the standard that IDFG has set for itself in our own privacy policy and terms of service. Unfortunately, we do not have the authority to mandate that Kalkomey update its terms of service, but we have been in contact with them to request that they do so voluntarily in this case. We also are noting this issue and will require a change in the future if IDFG elects to continue its contract with Kalkomey. If they are unwilling, we will go with another contractor.
IDFG recognizes the importance of privacy protections in the high tech environment we live in today. That is why we updated our own privacy policy and terms of service last year so that customers on our website know the parameters and can more easily opt out. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and apologize that you experienced this problem with one of IDFG’s partner organizations.
Again, we do appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
Jim Fredericks
Director"
I wrote this letter to the head of IDFG Jim Fredericks on Jan 31, 2025.
"IDFG Wildlife -
I renewed my Resident Sportsman Package today and learned I needed to take a 'Bear Identification' test in order to hunt black bears in Idaho. I read the test requirements, and proceeded to use the link supplied on the IDFW page to access "Hunter-Ed" to fulfill that test requirement. I opened an account with my personal information (which included contact info and date of birth), completed and passed the identification test, and pushed the tab "Get your certificate". Before I could continue I had to check the box agreeing to the terms and conditions of a 19 page terms of service agreement, which listed Kalkomey Enterprises, LLC (together with its affiliates and related entities) as the provider. The terms of service included #10
10 Electronic Communications.
- Express Consent. You hereby expressly consent to Company sending or otherwise communicating with you for any purpose (including, without limitation, for advertising, telemarketing, or other marketing or promotional purposes, or for sending or notifying you about special offers, updates, newsletters or other informational purposes) via any electronic means or forms as Company deems appropriate in its sole discretion, whether through the Platform, through your User Account, by personal communication, by email, by automatic telephone dialing system, by telephone, by artificial or prerecorded voice, by online social media, by text message (e.g., short message service a/k/a SMS, and multimedia messaging service a/k/a MMS) or by other electronic media means or forms. By giving such consent, you agree that no such communication shall violate the CAN-SPAM Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or any other applicable laws, rules, or regulations. Voice, message, and data fees, rates, charges, and taxes may apply to you, and you are responsible for payment of the same. You are not required to grant the foregoing consent as a condition for the purchase or license of any Company products or services
Did anyone at IDFW that has the power to authorize a 3rd party marketing company to have access to the personal details of thousands of hunters, actually read Kalkomey's Terms of Service?
Is a 19 page 'term of service' even necessary to review a few bear photos and answer questions?
Since I had to create an account with Kalkomey with my personal information before I could even begin the test, how do I know that my information, whether authorized for marketing use or not, has not already been gathered for marketing purposes? Kalkomey is a subsidiary of the international company Macquarie Capital, which in turn owns a vast number of businesses to include marketing companies.
So, since I passed the bear identification test as required by IDFW to hunt bears, but I refuse to authorize the use of my personal information in a 19 page user (Marketing) agreement, am I no longer allowed to hunt black bears in Idaho?
IDFW can do better than this. Considering the political climate of the great state of Idaho in that most residents don't like bureaucracy and prefer to remain private, how was this approved?
I appreciate, and expect, an answer from IDFW, which most certainly would contain alternative testing methods that are not attached to a marketing company. I expect an answer personally from IDFW via telephone or response to this e-mail no later than Feb 21, 2025.
Sincerely-
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Grangeville, Idaho"
I received this response from Jim Fredericks (IDFG Director) via e-mail on Feb 6, 2025
"Dear Mr. Xxxxx,
Thank you for your email raising concern about the Kalkomey terms of service you were required to agree with in order to receive your bear ID certification. We reviewed the Kalkomey terms, and you are correct about this requirement. I don’t know if you saw it, but there is an opt-out provision listed in item 10b.
b. Email Opt-Out. You may opt-out of receiving any electronic messages from Company as described in Section 10(a) above at any time by any reasonable means, including, without limitation and by way of example, by sending an email to [email protected] with a subject line of "Opt-Out of Electronic Communications". You acknowledge that opting out of receiving any such communications may impact your receipt, the success, and/or the performance of all or any part of the Platform and/or your ability to receive certain messages or notifications from Company.
While the Opt-out may address the issue of unwanted communications, we agree that it’s cumbersome and that Terms and Conditions do not meet the standard that IDFG has set for itself in our own privacy policy and terms of service. Unfortunately, we do not have the authority to mandate that Kalkomey update its terms of service, but we have been in contact with them to request that they do so voluntarily in this case. We also are noting this issue and will require a change in the future if IDFG elects to continue its contract with Kalkomey. If they are unwilling, we will go with another contractor.
IDFG recognizes the importance of privacy protections in the high tech environment we live in today. That is why we updated our own privacy policy and terms of service last year so that customers on our website know the parameters and can more easily opt out. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and apologize that you experienced this problem with one of IDFG’s partner organizations.
Again, we do appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
Jim Fredericks
Director"
