Wildfires can affect big game for decades, negatively and positively, and here's why January 9, 2025 Idaho Fish and Game
... Within a couple years, grasses and forbs re-establish. Over the next 10 to 30 years ... shrubs will grow ... Grasses make up the majority of their [elk] diet ... Mule deer are known as “browsers” and require shrubs as a main food source year-round..,
Idaho Fish and Game’s Citizen-based Southeast Idaho Mule Deer Advisory Committee developed proposals for consideration by hunters and the Idaho Fish and Game Commission January 8, 2025 IDFG News
... While severe winters (southeast Idaho experienced 3 in a 7-year period) and subsequent mortality have recently occupied much of the conversation about mule deer management, there are many other important factors that are affecting mule deer. Increased human development continues to reduce the amount of available habitat for deer, while invasive plants, conifer encroachment, and changes to fire regimes continue to decrease habitat quality. Additionally, roadkill is a pervasive and growing problem ...
ITD receives funding to build three wildlife underpasses in eastern Idaho January 5, 2026 Idaho, East Idaho News on MSN
... $20.8 million in grant funding to build three wildlife underpasses near Montpelier. These improvements will increase drivers’ safety on U.S. Highway 30 ... the FHWA Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program ... covers about 98% of the construction costs for the trio of underpasses. An additional $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund a portion of the fencing ...
Second domestic elk in Idaho tests positive for chronic wasting disease, officials say January 4, 2025 Idaho, KREM
... The adult cow elk died at a captive facility that was already under enhanced surveillance protocols, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture reported on Friday. The case is not connected to the first captive elk case detected in Madison County last month...
Fish and Game begins to feed elk at the Bullwhacker feed site west of Ketchum January 2, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... . Feeding at Bullwhacker has occurred on an annual basis since the 1980s, with periodic feeding beginning in the 1950s. Depending on winter conditions, feeding typically begins in late December or early January. The site was established with the intention of keeping elk away from the communities of Ketchum and Sun Valley...
BLM issues closures to protect deer, elk December 25, 2024 Idaho Mountain Express
... During the winter, deer and elk essentially enter a season-long state of starvation, said John Kurtz, outdoor recreation planner for the BLM’s Shoshone Field Office... it becomes critical for the animals to minimize their energy expenditure ...
First Chronic Wasting Disease case detected in Idaho domestic elk December 20, 2024 Idaho, KREM on MSN
... The Idaho State Department of Agriculture confirmed that one domestic bull elk has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in Madison County, according to a release sent out by the agency, marking the first case of CWD identified in a captive elk facility in Idaho.., [The elk was imported from Canada: Youtube Video]
Company offers hunters another testing option for chronic wasting disease December 15, 2024 Idaho, Moscow-Pullman Daily News
... The company Priogen now offers hunters an option with quicker results. Hunters can obtain a home testing kit they use to submit samples to the company for testing. According to the Priogen websites, customers get results within two weeks....
Winter feeding for deer and elk is reserved for emergencies, and F&G is watching for them December 5, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
.... Mule deer have evolved to survive on low-nutrient plants, and their digestive systems are adapted to it. When sparse, low-nutrient food is replaced by nutrient-rich forage, such as alfalfa or commercial feed, it can shock their system and can lead to deadly digestive ailments. Many wintering deer in Idaho have died with a stomach full of food, but the wrong food...
Upper Snake Region check station report November 15, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... 2024 check station data from the Upper Snake Region shows that deer hunter success this October was approximately 20% as compared to 15% in 2023. General season harvest rates are a good indicator of deer population trends and this year’s harvest indicates that deer populations are improving...
Idaho's first wildlife overpass wins national highway award November 4, 2024 KTVB
... The $7.5M project constructed a 150-foot-long wildlife overpass and more than a mile of big-game fencing parallel to the highway to guide animals to the overpass, significantly reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions on the busy highway section...
Clearwater Wildlife Blog – Hunting season strategies October 30, 2024 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune
... Roughly 49,000 white-tailed deer hunters took to the woods in Idaho last fall. In total, those hunters spent more than 360,000 days hunting and harvested just shy of 20,000 white-tailed deer..,
Summary of results from chronic wasting disease surveillance hunt in Unit 1 September 27, 2024 Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife
Two additional white-tailed deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease in the Bonners Ferry area from the recent surveillance hunt ..,
WSU pathologists find plague in blind Idaho deer September 18, 2024 Idaho, KREM
... pathologists say plague occurs naturally in the western United States and is found among wild rodents and other animals. ... there have been five previous documented cases of plague in deer, but none in Idaho ...
Idaho Fish and Game considers providing emergency winter feeding for wildlife after summer fires September 4, 2024 KTVB
... in Southwest Idaho ... public’s concern about whether the big game will have enough food for the coming winter season...The agency is primarily relying on the Winter-Feeding Advisory Committee to assess overall forage damages ..,
Hunting/Technology working group gets 767 applicants, and now the selections begin September 4, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... The working group will develop recommendations to the Fish and Game Commission for consideration on what technology might be allowed, and what equipment could be restricted or regulated in future hunting seasons...
Idaho 2024 Deer & Elk Hunting Outlook August 30, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... Elk, the stalwarts of the mountains generally speaking, have stayed relatively healthy and stable. Statewide, mule deer numbers also appear to be improving, while eastern Idaho’s muleys—after suffering from one of the worst winters on record in 2023—are starting to gradually grow thanks to a much-needed mild winter...
White-tailed deer in north Idaho’s Boundary County tests positive for chronic wasting disease August 14, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game News
... an adult female white-tailed deer roughly 3 miles outside of Bonners Ferry in hunting Unit 1. The deer was reported to Fish and Game by a landowner who found the dead deer in early July. The positive test result marks the first known case of CWD in north Idaho..,
Local Partnership Saves Drivers, Wildlife in Eastern Idaho August 8, 2024 Idaho, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
... update several of the bridges that cross the Lemhi River ... IDT built three miles of funnel fence on each side of the highway, ushering animals to cross the highway under the bridges and not on the asphalt.... Fish and Game and the Mule Deer Foundation created one-way gates that wildlife could push through to escape the highway side to safety...
Fish & Game capture elk on INL as part of ongoing Unit 63 monitoring project August 1, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game News
... In late July, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) began placing collars on elk on Idaho National Laboratories (INL) lands within Unit 63. A total of 15 elk were successfully captured and fitted with GPS collars that will track their movements and give biologists a window into where they spend their time and how they utilize the landscape...
Genetics-based modeling estimates Idaho's wolf population was 1,150 in summer 2023 July 24, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game News
... Idaho Fish and Game researchers have developed a new genetics-based method of estimating the state’s wolf population. The method uses genetic and age information taken from every harvested wolf ... The estimated wolf population for summer of 2023, after the breeding season, was 1,150 wolves. That estimate is near the high-end of the annually fluctuating population because wolf litters are born in the spring ..,
Study shows deer population is long in the tooth July 21, 2024 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune
... The Idaho Fish and Game study pulled data from the teeth of 605 hunter-killed whitetail deer in hunting units 8A and 10A to determine the age structure of harvested animals. It included a doe that was 15½ years old and eight bucks that were 9½...
Southeast Idaho Mule Deer Advisory Committee efforts are underway July 19, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... Mule deer herds are challenged by hard winters, increasing human development, decreasing habitat quality, improved hunting technology, changing hunter values, and an increased demand for hunting opportunities. As an example, the 2022-2023 winter in southeastern Idaho was one of the most severe on record, resulting in significant population declines for mule deer... The committee met for the first time on July 1 and will meet monthly through the fall leading up to big game season setting this winter...
Clearwater wildlife blog series: Installment #3- White-tailed deer teeth results July 8, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... Based on the region’s 605 white-tailed deer teeth aged at the lab, the oldest deer submitted in the Clearwater was a 15 1/2-year-old doe harvested in unit 10A. In terms of bucks, there was an 8-way tie at nine and a half years of age for oldest. Three bucks harvested in 8A and five harvested in 10A each reached this benchmark... Youtube Video
Parasitic Worms Spread by Flies Identified as Potential Cause Behind Dwindling American Moose Populatin June 1, 2024 Idaho, The Western Journal on MSN
... Research published in March in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases found a parasitic worm, Elaeophora schneideri, in half of the dead adult Shiras moose studied in southeastern Idaho, although it wasn't found in any of the moose bodies investigated in the northern part of the state...
The Dworshak Elk Working Group and its members May 20, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... The Dworshak Zone has seen elk population declines and varying public opinions were provided to staff during the public comment period on how elk should be managed in this zone. Fish and Game saw this interest and are responding by organizing a working group to address the future of elk management in the Dworshak zone...
Parasitic worm likely playing role in decline of moose populations May 15, 2024 Washington State University
... in Idaho between March 2020 and July 2022. While the parasitic roundworm E. schneideri was not detected in any of the animals found in north Idaho, it was present in 10 of the 20 adult moose studied in the southeastern portion of the state...
Wildlife overpass near Boise is protecting big game migrations and motorists May 2, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... This is the first wildlife overpass built in the state ... The overpass has been well received by the public, who value Idaho’s wildlife and also want to avoid the personal injury risks and thousands of dollars of damage that occurs when a motorist hits a deer or elk.... Youtube Video
16 moose calves found dead, What caused them to die April 29, 2024 Idaho, Local News 8
...Sixteen of them have been moose calves, one was an adult moose and at least four mule deer have been found to have died from Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease (AHD)... unlike Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), AHD can be contracted at any time for these species ..,
Mild winter means deer fawn and elk calf survival looks good as we enter spring April 24, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... Statewide winter survival for mule deer fawns and elk calves fitted with tracking collars has shown to be slightly higher than average through the end of March... “Right now, in the middle of April, things are looking promising for both deer and elk,” ... 82% of fawns and 93% of calves with tracking collars have survived ..,
Fish and Game suspects Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease as culprit in Upper Snake moose mortalities April 18, 2024 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press
... Upon examination of the deceased animals, IDFG suspects Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease. So far, 16 moose calves, one adult moose and three mule deer mortalities IDFG has examined have shown symptoms of the disease ..,
Idaho F&G seeking members for a new Southeast Region Mule Deer Advisory Committee April 15, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game News
... Mule deer herds are challenged by hard winters, increasing human development, decreasing habitat quality, improved hunting technology, changing hunter values, and an increased demand for hunting opportunities. The combination of these factors necessitates thoughtful discussions and evaluations of how we hunt mule deer..,
As Idaho celebrates its first wildlife overpass, some say the state has a long way to go April 8, 2024 KUER
... Scattered across Idaho, there are a handful of tunnels carved under roads that allow wildlife to pass through and avoid collisions with cars. But this roughly $7 million bridge by Cervidae Peak is the state’s first overpass dedicated to wildlife...
Harsh winters mean harsh truths for southeast Idaho mule deer April 9, 2024 East Idaho News
... The 2022-2023 winter in southeastern Idaho, western Wyoming, northern Utah, and northwestern Colorado was one of the most severe on record... The 2016-2017 and 2018-2019 winters were similarly difficult, resulting in three challenging winters over a 6-year period and a severely depressed mule deer herd ..,
Deer cull near Slate Creek shows 10% of animals had CWD April 4, 2024 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune
... latest effort to cull deer numbers in the state’s chronic wasting disease hot spot showed 10% of the removed animals suffered from the deadly ailment... the CWD prevalence rate in Game Management Unit 14, a much larger geographic area, is estimated to be 1.4% for whitetail deer..,
Video, Explained | Management Plans, Season Setting – How they work, and how they’re different. April 3, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
Management plans, season setting. You might see these two terms pop up every couple of years, from black bears to whitetails. As the 2024-2030 Idaho Elk Management Plan goes out for public input, this video explains how a management plan manages, the factors that go into setting big game seasons, when and how YOU—the public—can make your voices heard. Provide input on the 2024-2030 Idaho Elk Management Plan here:
Last winter’s impact: Idaho Fish and Game commissioners cut hunts in the region again March 28, 2024 Idaho, Local News 8
... After more than a year, Idaho's mule deer and elk populations are struggling to recover from the harsh winter of 2022 to 2023 ... Wildlife biologists say it could take several more years for them to bounce back..,
Idaho Fish and Game, RMEF expand critical wildlife winter range March 27, 2024 Idaho Business Review
... The significant expansion underscores both organizations’ commitment to wildlife conservation and habitat management, specifically designed to support up to 5,500 elk, 3,000 mule deer and other wildlife during the critical winter months...
Hunter harvest stats show drop in elk and mule deer harvest, bump in whitetails in 2023 March 25, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game News
... Elk hunters took home 18,568 elk in 2023, roughly an 11% drop in animals harvested compared to 2022... [mule deer] a roughly 22% decline from the previous year, marking the first time mule deer harvest has, too, been below the 20,000 mark in over 12 years... the 2023 hunting season overall harvest numbers for whitetails increased from 19,182 to 19,828..,
Is grizzlies’ reintroduction in Central Idaho ‘a death sentence’ or restoring nature? March 17, 2024 Idaho, The Columbian
... Many opponents said grizzly reintroduction would turn Idaho into “a predator pit,” reduce wild deer and elk populations, threaten livestock, and pose a danger to residents and outdoor recreators...
As Idaho celebrates first wildlife overpass, some worry the state is trailing March 17, 2024 Boise State Public Radio
... Scattered across Idaho, there are a handful of tunnels carved under roads that allow wildlife to pass through and avoid collisions with cars. But this roughly $7 million bridge by Cervidae Peak is the state’s first overpass dedicated to wildlife. Some studies have shown animals like elk and moose prefer open overpasses compared with narrow underpasses...
Idaho's New Wildlife Overpass Improves Public Safety and Wildlife Migration March 15, 2024 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
... In this area around Cervidae Peak, roughly 8,000-9,000 mule deer and 1,800-2,400 elk of the Boise River herds cross the increasingly busy highway twice each year during their seasonal migrations... a newly completed Cervidae Peak Wildlife Overpass aims to improve safety for both drivers and animals...
BLM acquires central Idaho lands to protect crucial wildlife habitat March 15, 2024 Idaho, Local News 8
... The BLM says the habitat is crucial to sage-grouse, elk, mule deer, moose and other wildlife...
F&G again proposes to cut antlerless deer and antelope hunts to help herds recover in eastern Idaho March 12, 2024 Idaho, EIN News
... “Despite a much-needed mild winter this year, we still want to give east Idaho’s mule deer and pronghorn populations some more recovery time.” ..,
Idaho Fish and Game, RMEF expand vital wildlife winter range March 12, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game
... Idaho Fish and Game and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation again teamed up to expand the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) just west of Idaho Falls, used by up to 5,500 elk and 3,000 mule deer during the critical winter months. This time, their collaborative efforts conserved and added 328 acres to the nearly 36,000-acre WMA...
Video Below: In the tenth episode of Fish and Game’s ‘State of Deer and Elk’ series, Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Biologist, Miranda Reinson, discusses how and why the Department steps in to feed wintering deer and elk. March 8, 2024
