Idaho Deer Population:   An estimated 466,000 deer in 2022 with 253,000 mule deer and 213,000 whitetails.  Down from 514,000 deer in 2021 including 282,000 mule deer and 232,000 whitetails.  Elk and deer populations in 2021 are about the same as in 2020.  Average to above average deer survival through the winters of 2019-20 and 2020-21.  A below average survival rate for mule deer fawns in 2019.  Emergency feeding in some areas in 2023 and 2017 because of the harsh winter.  Very low fawn survival and reduced deer populations.  


Reduced hunting for does in 2023 and 2017 to help the herd recover.  Deer populations trended up for four years into 2016 given relatively mild winters.  A recent population peak of about 571,000 deer in 2017.  About 425,000 deer in 2004 with 225,000 mule deer and 200,000 whitetails. The 2023 Forecast.  Mule Deer Management Plan 2020-2025.  


Idaho  Deer News

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 BelowIn 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

Idaho Fish and Game Acquires 5,533 Acres in Elmore County to Protect Wildlife Habitat February 28, 2024 BNN Breaking

... approximately 20 miles southeast of Boise. This strategic purchase underscores the commitment to preserving the natural habitats of mule deer and elk ...


Idaho Considers Transitioning Nonresident Hunting Tags to Draw System: House Bill 587 February 25, 2024 NewsBreak.com

... If passed, this legislation would require these tags and permits to be issued through a draw process rather than being available for over-the-counter purchase... 


Hunters help kill muzzleloader bill in Idaho Legislature February 23, 2024 Idaho, Yahoo News

...A bill that would have opened Idaho's muzzleloader-only hunting seasons to equipment that increases the range and accuracy of the primitive weapons appears to be dead...


Video below:  In the ninth episode of Fish and Game’s ‘State of Deer and Elk’ series, Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Biologist, Eric Freeman, discusses how wildlife biologists manage deer harvest for different scenarios, such as habitat protection, maximum herd numbers, or disease prevention. Check out Fish and Game's State of Deer and Elk webpage to learn more about deer and elk in Idaho.  Idaho, February 20, 2024

Idaho Fish and Game gives thumbs down to three bills February 17, 2024 Idaho, Post Register

... oppose House Bill 536 that according to an Idaho Fish and Game analysis makes several changes to state law that ultimately weaken the Department of Agriculture’s program designed to keep chronic wasting disease and other wildlife diseases from infecting the state’s elk farms or from spreading to wild deer and elk populations...


Gray wolves denied endangered species protection February 2, 2024 Idaho, KTVB

...  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) denied a petition seeking federal protection for gray wolves... In Idaho, the law allows the state to hire private contractors to kill wolves and allows hunters and trappers to kill an unlimited number of wolves ...


F&G will resume project starting Feb. 5 to reduce deer densities in the Slate Creek area and minimize CWD spread February 1, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game

... This is the second year of control actions in and around the Slate Creek area in Game Management Unit 14 north of Riggins, which is where CWD was first detected in the fall of 2021... “While one CWD case was found outside of Unit 14, we believe spread of the disease could have been worse had the management action not been done in Unit 14 last winter,” ...


Idaho Bill Would Bar Hunters from Using GPS Collar Data to Locate Deer and Elk January 30, 2024 Field & Stream

... There are thousands of big game animals wearing trackable GPS collars across the West... some hunters have taken to filing public records requests for collar information... A new bill moving through the Idaho legislature aims to stop that...


Abandoned Idaho bridge to become a wildlife crossing, fulfilling resident's longtime dream January 23, 2024  Idaho State Journal

... Carl Wilson, who passed away a week before Christmas 2022 at the age of 80, had pitched converting the abandoned overpass into a wildlife crossing for more than a decade... Leveraging the existing overpass makes the project incredibly inexpensive – compared with the $6.2 million price tag for the wildlife crossing over I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass ...


Fish and Game begins to feed elk at the Bullwhacker feed site west of Ketchum January 21, 2024 Idaho Fish and Game

...Elk are fed a specially formulate alfalfa pellet  ..The site was established with the intention of keeping elk away from the communities of Ketchum and Sun Valley. While many think that feed sites supplement food on winter range, the Bullwhacker feed site purpose is to lure elk away from local communities where conflicts can occur...


F&G biologists complete herd composition surveys in Southwest Idaho December December 29, 2023 Idaho, EIN News

...  fawn ratios were similar to the long term average in each DAU. Because of the mild winter, bucks were observed at unusually high elevations this year, near the tops of many of the subunits that were surveyed ..,


Fish and Game ready to feed big game if needed; when and why would that happen? December 17, 2023 Idaho, East Idaho News

... When extreme weather threatens massive die-offs, Fish and Game has feed stockpiled so department staff can react. But even during normal winters, some wildlife mortality is expected ... Fish and Game will sometimes use alternative food sources to lure deer and elk away from feeding on a landowner’s stored agricultural crops, such as hay ...


Idaho officials rescind approval of flawed plan to hunt wolves from helicopters December 16, 2023 Cache Valley Daily

... admitting that they had failed to make “due diligence” prior to approving a proposal on Oct. 26 to spend more than $140,000 to hire a private contractor to use aerial gunning and other methods to kill wolves on private property and federal lands across much of Idaho’s wolf range..,


OPINION: Poor wildlife management choices built on bad data December 17, 2023 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune

... Northern Idaho Whitetails Forever filed a public records request with Fish and Game  ... Our third biologist agreed with the other two biologists and at the end of his testimony stated: “I believe that Ryan has misled the commissioners with data that is not applicable to northern Idaho. This can lead to poor decisions.”..,


Wildlife is already using the Highway 21 overpass near Cervidae Peak December 10, 2023 Idaho, KIVI-TV

... pictures from trail cameras showing the deer and elk migration using the overpass as they migrate into the Boise Wildlife Management Area for the winter... this is one of the largest migrations in the state," said Roger Phillips of Idaho Fish and Game...


Video Below:  In the eighth episode of Fish and Game’s ‘State of Deer and Elk’ series, Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Habitat Biologist, Deborah Monzingo, discusses the importance of elk nutrition and the role it plays in population management. - December 8, 2023 Idaho

Abandoned Idaho bridge to become wildlife overpass December 6, 2023 FOX 28 Spokane

...  This bridge over I-90 in the Silver Valley has been abandoned for years, and now a group of locals have set out to make the bridge a wildlife overpass...


Feds expand migratory big game initiative into Idaho, Montana December 4, 2023 Idaho Capital Sun

... U.S. Department of Agriculture pilot program in Wyoming to be expanded to provide funding for voluntary conservation on ag operations and ranches ... For 2024, the program includes about $21 million ... geared toward large migratory hooved animals, such as elk, deer or pronghorn ...


If you plan to hunt next season, here's some things to consider November 30, 2023 Idaho, Local News 8

... Last winter was extremely harsh on the mule deer population across Idaho. According to Fish and Game Wildlife Manager Zach Lockyer, high percentages of mule deer perished due to lack of food.  "Along the Wyoming border down by Bear Lake was the worst hit area and we saw over 95% mortality on mule deer fawns and over 50% mortality on adults," ..,


Idaho wolf-killing proposals prompt petition for feds to ban 'barbaric' aerial hunts November 28, 2023 Hastings Tribune

... Petitioners said the proposed aerial gunning over forest lands isn’t for the benefit of wildlife or livestock, citing a healthy population of elk in Idaho and ranches’ claims that they suffered no livestock depredations from wolves in the last year...


Elk reduction program underway in Grand Teton National Park November 23, 2023 Idaho, East Idaho News

... The park’s enabling legislation of 1950 authorizes Grand Teton National Park to jointly administer an elk reduction program, with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, when necessary for the proper management and conservation of the Jackson Elk Herd.  Respective federal and state resource managers have reviewed available data and concluded that the 2023 program is necessary...


Video Below:  Watch the full recap of the November 16, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game Commission Meeting in Lewiston, Idaho.  Deer, Elk, and Moose starts at 04:14:26 

Idaho Residents Urged to Inspect Their Properties for Objects That may Entangle Wildlife November 18, 2023 Big Country News

... One of the most common entanglements was wire tomato cages around the necks of elk. Tomato cages are particularly troublesome because removal typically will not occur without human intervention... October 2022 a bull elk died after becoming entangled in a yard swing south of Ketchum...


Fish and Game wants more samples from hunters after finding CWD in new area November 17, 2023 Idaho, Boise State Public Radio

... , all cases were found in one hunting unit near Riggins.  That was until this month. A mule deer hunted near New Meadows tested positive... Fish and Game wants more samples from this area ...


Plan to EAT that deer you caught? New research suggests CWD could spread to humans more easily than thought November 16, 2023 Idaho, KIVI-TV

... mashed up brain from a CWD infected deer that was injected directly into the brains of those mice." ...  the humanized mice eventually -- over years -- became infected with CWD and could spread it through their feces...


New CWD case discovered in Unit 32A mule deer November 8, 2023 Idaho Fish Department of Fish and Wildlife News

... Idaho Fish and Game recently received test results confirming a positive case of chronic wasting disease in a mule deer buck harvested roughly 7 miles south of New Meadows in Game Management Unit 32A. This is the first known case of CWD outside of Unit 14 north of Riggins, where the disease was first detected in Idaho in the fall of 2021..,


Idaho Fish and Game urges caution for drivers as deer, elk begin winter migration 

November 3, 2023 KBOI

... As the weather changes deer and elk are heading to their winter range in the Boise Foothills and other parts of Southwest Idaho and will be crossing some of Idaho's roadways...


Poachers beware: Public plays vital role in fighting wildlife crime November 2, 2023 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... he brought the deer fawn from his home in North Dakota to use as bait for his wolf traps...The trapper was issued a citation for the importation of deer into Idaho from a chronic wasting disease-confirmed state...


Landowners in CWD project area authorized to harvest additional deer October 6, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... To monitor for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and lower the potential for it to spread outside of the CWD positive area, Idaho Fish and Game is offering landowners within and adjacent to the Slate Creek “Hot Spot” area an authorization to harvest additional deer on their private lands or lands that they lease...


McCall ordinance will impose fines for anyone caught feeding deer inside city limits October 3, 2023 Idaho, KIVI-TV

... The McCall City Council has unanimously passed an ordinance making it illegal for anyone to feed deer within the city limits... A first-time violation of the ordinance would cost the recipient $100...


Fish & Game warns canines attacking big game can be euthanized by law enforcement September 21, 2023, Idaho County Free Press

... A dog found actively tracking, pursuing, harassing, attacking or killing big game animals can be euthanized by law enforcement personnel...


F&G seeks public comment on proposed emergency closures on antler hunting/gathering September 14, 2023 Idaho, Fish and Game News

...Partially due to the severe winter of 2022-23 in eastern Idaho, the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill 1143 that gives the Idaho Fish and Game Commission authority to seasonally restrict the possession, transportation, and collection (including searching for, locating, and gathering) of naturally shed antlers and horns and antlers and horns from animals that have died from natural causes...The deadline to comment is Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. MDT...


Cow moose dies after attempt to relocate out of Twin Falls September 14, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Fish and Game staff assembled in preparation of darting the moose for relocation... Unfortunately, while under the influence of the anesthetizing drugs, the moose ran off the walking path and over the rocky cliff onto the Canyon Springs Road where she died...


Whitetail management requires tough choices September 8, 2023 Yahoo News

... Unlike elk and mule deer that often occupy open country during the snowy months, whitetail deer are difficult to count during aerial surveys ... They like forests and brushy canyons where cover is ample... the agency relies on hunter harvest reports as a surrogate to population counts.  They track things like hunter participation, how many bucks are harvested...


Idaho Chronic Wasting Disease Awareness Week is Monday through September 8, 2023 Idaho State Journal

... So far, 49 total animals have tested positive for CWD in Idaho, all within game-management unit 14...Studies have shown that CWD prions can remain in the environment for 16 years or more, so other animals can contract CWD even after an infected animal is no longer present..,


The State of Deer and Elk: EHD vs. CWD August 31, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Epizootic hemorrhagic ... is spread by gnats, and the severity of the disease is largely dependent on the level of herd immunity and animal density... CWD is caused by a misfolded, infectious protein accumulating within the nervous system of deer, which ultimately causes death. [See Video Below]

Idaho 2023 Deer & Elk Hunting Outlook August, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Deer and elk hunting in Idaho will be similar to last year, but hunters in eastern Idaho will likely see firsthand the effects of a brutal winter that hit mule deer hard. Elk herds remain stable to increasing in most of the state. White-tailed deer in the Clearwater area could see a modest bump as herds start to recover from the deadly 2021 outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease ...


White-tailed deer harvests are down, but history shows they're likely to rebound August 24, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Statewide whitetail harvest peaked in 2015 with a state-record harvest of over 30,000 deer, and annual harvests have fluctuated between about 20,000 and 30,000 for most of the last decade. But there was a significant die-off of whitetails in portions of the Clearwater from epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in late summer 2021... the 2022 harvest was the lowest in more than a decade ..,


More than 120,000 acres set aside in Idaho as conservation area August 23, 2023 Idaho, Boise State Public Radio

... It’s home to upland game bird species and serves as winter habitat for elk and mule deer.  “If anybody goes up there in the winter, you can see herds of mule deer, hundreds and hundreds of them,” said Executive Director Brian Brooks of the Idaho Wildlife Federation, which pushed for the designation. “It's pretty spectacular.” ...


Idaho's first wildlife overpass under construction August 16, 2023 ktvb.com

... The state's first wildlife overpass [state description] ... "We have a migrating herd of deer and elk that winter back and forth between their winter range and their summer range, and they have to cross State Highway 21," Rudel said... well-placed infrastructure can reduce wildlife collisions by 80-90%...


F&G seeks public comment on proposed draft mountain lion management plan August 3, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game Idaho.gov

... People are encouraged to review the draft plan at idfg.idaho.gov/form/mountain-lion-management-plan and submit comments by Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. MDT...


Idaho Fish and Game provides update on Chronic Wasting Disease management July 11, 2023 Big Country News

...  Idaho Fish and Game with the help of Wildlife Services remove and tested 555 animals, which consisted of 203 mule deer, 343 white-tailed deer, and 9 elk. Of the animals removed and tested, we detected a 5% overall positivity rate from a total of 27 animals positive for chronic wasting disease. This included 3 positive mule deer and 24 positive white-tailed deer...


Boise city just banned this landscaping plant. Here's why, and what to do with yours June 27, 2023 Idaho, Yahoo News

... bans Japanese, Chinese, European and hybrid varieties of yew, an ornamental shrub with dense green needles and small red berries... In the last several years, hundreds of elk, deer and pronghorn across Southern Idaho have died after nibbling on the plants...


“Fuzzy deer math” | Letters To The Editor May 17, 2023 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... Harvest has been in a general decline for the last seven years with a high of 30,342 (2015) and last year’s low of 19,182 (2022). A difference of 11, 162 deer harvested or a whopping 37% DECLINE!! The article states: “…largely on track for the ten-year average ..."


Idaho F&G Commission reduces controlled hunt tags in response to severe winter May 15, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Fish and Game has been mindful of extreme snow depths in eastern Idaho since January, which by then had become clear that winter was going to be hard on the regions’ deer and elk.  “We recognized the sensitivity of antlerless mule deer hunts, and ultimately didn’t feel comfortable offering antlerless opportunities in the eastern part of the state,” said Toby Boudreau, Fish and Game’s Deer and Elk Coordinator..,


F&G Commission approves wolf management plan May 15, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... it will shape Idaho’s wolf management over the next six years by outlining goals and strategies to manage Idaho’s wolf population to fluctuate around 500 animals.  The plan calls for managing wolves in balance with other big game, particularly elk, and minimizing conflicts with livestock..,


Idaho Fish and Game proposed a plan to kill majority of wolves. Officials just OK’d it May 11, 2023, AOL

 a wolf management plan that will slash the state’s wolf population by nearly two-thirds over the next several years ... lays out goals of reducing wolf predation on other wildlife, like elk and deer, where those wildlife populations aren’t meeting Fish and Game goals ...


Wildlife overpass project to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on Highway 21 May 10, 2023 Idaho, KTVB

... the goal is to reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions while maintaining habitat connectivity for big game... a wildlife underpass on SH-21 cameras monitoring that underpass showed extensive use by mule deer, elk and other wildlife ...


BLM Proposes Near-Final Plan for Key Idaho Winter Ranges May 8, 2023 Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

... the BLM issued a Notice of Significant Change to the Record of Decision with modifications to the proposed plan, which include increased conservation measures for elk and mule deer winter range along the Boise Front and the Bennett Hills. The BLM has reopened the draft to one final round of public comment for 30 days and is expected to issue a record of decision later this year...


Fish and Game concludes winter feeding in southeast Idaho April 21, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Feeding first began in the region on Feb. 3 as winter conditions were becoming more severe, especially in Caribou, Bear Lake, and Franklin counties.  In the hardest hit areas, a total of 23 sites were established to feed deer, and several more were set-up for elk...


Two Men Have Hunting Licenses Revoked for Three Years After Poaching Mule Deer Buck in Custer County April 18, 2023 Idaho, Big Country News

...  Two men have been sentenced after illegally poaching a mule deer buck in Custer County, ID last year. A call from a witness to Idaho’s poaching hotline helped officers detect and solve the crime...


F&G proactively eliminates antlerless hunts and takes other measures to help eastern Idaho big game April 14, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Wildlife managers reacted to the severe winter conditions and eliminated many of the proposed antlerless hunt opportunities prior to 2023-2024 big game season setting ..,


IDFG officer shoots dog for chasing, killing deer April 11, 2023 Idaho, KTVB-TV Boise

... According to IDFG, officers are authorized to shoot dogs harassing, chasing or killing big game animals in Idaho, per state code. It is unlawful for a dog owner to allow their animal to harass, chase or kill those animals, such as deer in this instance...


Mule deer near Homedale tests positive for bluetongue virus April 10, 2023 Idaho, EIN News

... Idaho Fish and Game received a positive detection for bluetongue — a virus transmitted by gnats that is similar to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) — in a yearling, male mule deer collected west of Homedale along the Snake River. The carcass was collected March 12 after a landowner reported seeing three dead deer..,


Idaho Fish and Game officials killed 442 deer and found chronic wasting disease in 6.4% that have been tested so far April 7, 2023 Idaho, The Spokesman-Review

... Chronic wasting disease was found in the area during the fall of 2021 when two hunter-killed mule deer tested positive...  the current infection rate is believed to be about 6.4%. That will likely change slightly when the remaining tests are completed...,


Fish and Game wraps up containment April 6, 2023 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... A large-scale effort was initiated in the Slate Creek area that reduced deer densities in and around lower Slate Creek, the area of where positive detections have been concentrated. The goal is to reduce the potential of the disease to spread further into the population and across the landscape...


Hunter harvest stats show slight increase in elk in 2022, drop in mule deer and white-tailed deer April 3, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... A total of 79,516 mule deer hunters headed out in 2022, with 23,588 of those successfully packing out a mule deer, accounting for a 29% success rate ... As for white-tailed deer, an estimated 47,286 white-tailed deer hunters harvested 19,182 whitetails in 2022 — still on par with a 38% percent success rate...


Winter feeding update for the Southeast Region March 31, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Approximately, 30 tons of deer feed is currently being distributed to 23 authorized feed sites per week.  In addition, several authorized feed sites for elk are currently on-going.  Between 1 and 2 tons of hay is being distributed at each elk feed site each day.  Winter conditions persist throughout much of the region, especially in the southeast corner of the state..,


Fish and Game responds to criticism that enough is not being done to save starving deer March 31, 2023 Idaho State Journal

... “Yes, we have had an abnormal winter this year, but I believe the proper precautions weren’t taken months ago when it was needed to try and help these deer out,” Hough said. “The deer out here are starving...


Fish and Game traps and euthanizes female lion and pulls remaining traps from Hailey March 28, 2021 Idaho Fish and Game

... The decision to trap and remove the mountain lions was a result of lion behavior that progressed from sightings to the adult female hissing and baring its teeth at a Hailey resident, and indications that the lions had become very comfortable living next to homes... officers have also been extremely busy removing numerous lion-killed deer and elk from neighborhood yards ...


F&G Commission set big game seasons for 2023-24 March 27, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game News

... After review of public comments, 21 proposals were dropped or modified, including five for deer, 14 for elk ... Deer hunters will see a variety of changes, including ... reductions in antlerless hunting due to winter severity.   There will also be more hunting opportunity in Unit 14 in response to chronic wasting disease..,


Mule deer doe shot and left to waste in Franklin County March 25, 2023 Idaho, East Idaho News

... On Friday March 17, while on a fishing patrol along the southern portion of Oneida Narrows Road in Franklin County, Senior Conservation Officer Kolby White came across a dead mule deer doe lying 20 yards from the road in an open meadow...


Idaho Fish and Game Working to Slow Chronic Wasting in Deer March 20, 2023 News Radio 1310 KLIX

... The Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced the latest numbers as of March 16, show that out of the 375 deer and eight elk removed from the Slate Creek drainage, 21 test samples have come back positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) ... 


Dog kills one deer, mortally mauls another in south Pocatello March 19, 2023 Idaho State Journal

... Saturday’s deer deaths were not the first big game fatalities caused by dogs this winter season. Last month near Chubbuck two dogs mortally mauled two elk calves. An Idaho Fish and Game officer euthanized the dogs and elk calves in that incident...


Potlatch man: Deer paid price for 'people's cruelty' March 17, 2023 Idaho, Yahoo News

... A Potlatch man is hoping to raise awareness about trapping and snaring, an activity he sees as cruel, after finding a whitetail deer in his yard with a broken snare around its neck.  The injured animal was shot by conservation officers from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game ...


Wood River Dog Attacks and Kills Deer March 14, 2023 Idaho, News Radio 1310

... -An off-leash dog ran down a mule deer buck and killed it in late February near Hailey ... Dogs can be Killed by Law Enforcement for Harassing Big Game in Idaho ...


F&G monitoring of mule deer fawn and elk calf survival through February is tracking lower than in recent years March 13, 2023 idaho, EIN News

... Through the end of February this year, 72% of the collared fawns and 92% of the collared calves were still alive, and here's how that compares with recent years:  84% and 92% in 2021-22.  83% and 92% in 2020-21.  84% and 92% in 2019-20.  78% and 93% in 2018-19.  88% and 91% in 2017-18 ..,


Shed hunting: Is it time for rules? March 10, 2023 Idaho, YAHOO!News

... A bill that authorizes the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to regulate shed hunting was introduced recently in the Idaho Senate... the commission would be able to set seasons for the collection of antlers shed by deer, elk, moose and pronghorn...


Idaho's wolf population finally declined in 2022 March 8, 2023 Post Register

... Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials estimate the state’s wolf population reached 1,543 in 2021 but declined to 1,337 in 2022.  Idaho in 2019 became the first state to begin using remote cameras to estimate a statewide population..,


McCall, Idaho Fish and Game Biologists Count Over 250 Deer in McCall During Town Deer Survey March 8, 2023 Idaho, Big Country News

... Staff divided McCall into four separate survey areas, all of which were patrolled three times (once in late 2022 & twice in 2023) by a pair of observers counting the number of deer ...


Winter Feeding Update for the Idaho Southeast Region March 3, 2023, Idaho Fish and Game

... Using winter-feeding criteria and input from WFAC members, Fish and Game will focus efforts on high-priority locations where feeding will address concerns with struggling animals, conflicts with animals in haystacks and feedlines, and public safety concerns with animals on highways and roads..,


*Updated* Number of Positive CWD Cases Discovered in Slate Creek Area Now at 19 as IDFG Continues Deer Removal Project March 3, 2023 Idaho, Big Country News

...  Of the 163 test results that have returned as of March 1, 19 white-tailed deer tested positive for CWD, according to the IDFG... approximately 12% of the deer in the area are infected with the fatal disease, which was detected for the first time in Idaho in the Slate Creek area in 2021..,


Cull showing 15% of deer positive for CWD March 1, 2023 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune

... Preliminary results from a deer culling operation at Slate Creek in Idaho County show about 15% of the animals there are infected with chronic wasting disease ... about 250 animals have been killed ...


Slate Creek deer removal project underway to reduce spread of Chronic Wasting Disease

February 21, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game News

... A project to reduce deer density in the Slate Creek area in Unit 14 north of Riggins to minimize the spread of chronic wasting disease removed more than 150 deer from the area during the first week ...


F&G Conservation Officer kills two dogs attacking elk in Southeast Idaho February 18, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... Idaho Fish and Game received a report of dogs harassing and attacking elk in the Chubbuck area. A Conservation Officer arrived to find two dogs had killed a calf elk and were attacking a second calf elk, which later died from the injuries...


Fish and Game feeding deer and elk at additional locations February 13, 2023 Idaho, Idaho Fish and Game News

... Idaho Fish and Game will not be feeding every deer and every elk in every canyon. Using winter-feeding criteria and input from WFAC members, Fish and Game will focus efforts on locations where feeding will address concerns with struggling animals, conflicts with animals in haystacks and feedlines, and public safety concerns with animals on highways and roads...


Video Below:  Idaho Fish and Game biologists look at a variety of things when considering what potential big game seasons might be. These include the number of animals harvested in the previous seasons, success rates of hunters, results from winter helicopter surveys, survival rates of radio-collared animals and weather, including both summer and winter conditions. These help set the range of seasons that Fish and Game might offer.  In this video, Fish and Game's State Wildlife Manager Rick Ward discusses how the season setting process works and why thoughtful input from hunters is an important step in the process.  February 13, 2023 Idaho

F&G detects 15 deer with chronic wasting disease in 2022 February 7, 2023 Idaho, Local News 8

...  With nearly all results back from 2022 chronic wasting disease testing, Fish and Game found 15 positive cases out of 3,171 tests statewide. All CWD cases from 2022 were detected in a six mile radius within the Slate Creek drainage north of Riggins and east of U.S. 95 where the disease was first detected in fall of 2021..,


Idaho Fish and Game Southeast Region initiates winterfeeding action in Bear Lake County February 4, 2023 Idaho, EIN News

... Winter conditions in the southeast corner of the region, specifically areas of Bear Lake, Caribou, and Franklin Counties, have been particularly severe in recent weeks.  With the most recent storm and significant drop in temperatures, the criteria Idaho Fish and Game uses to make decisions on winter feeding of big game has been met or exceeded in certain areas in those counties...


Three moose relocated from Wood River Valley communities January 27, 2023 Idaho Fish and Game

... a cow moose was moved from the Sun Valley Village after several instances of people approaching too closely ... a cow moose directly underneath the Challenger ski lift on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain...  a moose in a neighborhood on the north end of Hailey. Local residents were concerned that the moose, that had charged a dog in a backyard, might be a public safety risk...


Mule deer on winter range: Give them a break January 27, 2023 Idaho, Post Register

...  the mountains east of Blackfoot presently have a snowpack that is over 160% of normal. ... UDNR further reports that growth of Utah’s deer populations is limited by the amount of food available on winter range. If a winter range loses its sagebrush and other browse, deer populations will decline..,


Idaho Fish and Game wants to reduce the wolf population by 60% January 27, 2023 Boise State Public Radio

... On average, there have been about 1,270 wolves in Idaho in 2019, 2020 and 2021, though the population fluctuates over the course of the year. The Department wants that number closer to 500 within six years..,


Moose dies north of Ketchum after eating toxic yew plant January 24 2023  Idaho Fish and Game

... Despite a 2016 Blaine County ordinance restricting the planting of noxious plants, including exotic yew, a bull moose was found dead in the backyard of a residence on Tuesday January 17, 2023, after eating the toxic plan ...


Keep your dog on a leash to save deer in the Boise Foothills January 19, 2023 Idaho, Boise State Public Radio

... Every winter up to 10,000 elk and mule deer migrate to an area of the Boise Foothills ... They don’t have any energy to spare and running away from a loose, unleashed dog ...


Keep the Birdfeed and Snicker Bars Away from Deer January 2, 2023 Idaho, Eye On Sun Valley

... Fish and Game often hears “but deer live in corn fields all over the U.S. You can’t tell me that corn is bad for them.” The difference is that deer in corn fields are also consuming other plant matter rather than just the starchy seeds. This helps maintain a balanced gut health...


All of Idaho's Chronic Wasting Disease cases found in the Slate Creek drainage so far in 2022 December 22, 2022 Idaho, KHQ.com

... As of Dec. 22, 12 animals have tested positive for the disease statewide this year, all of which have been in hunting Unit 14, between Riggins and Grangeville in the Slate Creek drainage..,


Video Below:  Idaho Fish and Game biologists have spent decades counting and monitoring deer and elk populations, and in recent years, GPS collars have allowed them to pinpoint where and how animals die. It’s a critical part of understanding all facets of wildlife management, and a common question is often, “What kills the most deer and elk?”  December 15, 2022

Fish and Game Begin Feeding Elk in Wood River Valley December 14, 2022 Idaho, News Radio 1310 KLIX

... The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has started feeding elk in the Wood River Valley to prevent the animals from migrating into nearby towns... On average 125 elk are fed at the site during the winter..,


Fish and Game conducting helicopter surveys of deer population near Salmon and Challis December 10, 2022 Idaho, East Idaho News

... The purpose of the flights is to gather abundance and herd composition information that help game managers understand population numbers and trends.  “People may see and hear low-flying helicopters near Salmon and Challis ...


Out of state hunters swamp Idaho's elk and deer tag sales December 4, 2022 Idaho, Marietta Daily Journal

... the demand for nonresident big game tags was so huge it crashed the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's sales system, delaying in-person, online, and telephone sales for several hours. In all, 67,000 people had been vying for 27,000 available tags...


Idaho Fish and Game personnel rescue mule deer that fell into abandoned water tank December 4, 2022 Idaho State Journal

... It is unknown how long the deer had been trapped after falling into the deep concrete storage tank. The tank is thought to have been the water storage tank for the old Hawatha Hotel in Hailey that was built in the late 1800s...


Big game can handle Idaho winters, but Fish and Game steps in if emergencies arise December 2, 2022 Idaho.gov

... In some situations, emergency feeding is required ... Fish and Game will sometimes use alternative food sources to dissuade deer and elk from feeding on a landowner’s stored agricultural crops ..,


It’s time to winterize your home to protect Idaho’s wildlife November 29, 2022 IDFG News

... Wildlife can easily become entangled in home decorations and patio equipment which can lead to injuries or death of the animal..,


Additional $1,000 reward being offered in southeast Idaho mule deer case November 14, 2022  Idaho Fish and Game News

... An anonymous donor has stepped up to add $1,000 to the existing Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) reward for an unsolved wildlife case in southeast Idaho.  Last month, a dead mule deer buck was discovered in a private cultivated field approximately 100 yards from Garden Creek Road just west of Arimo ...


Tips from the public lead to conviction for wildlife crimes in Madison County October 27, 2022 Idaho, Freeaccess

... multiple wildlife crimes including one felony count of unlawfully killing, possessing or wasting wildlife and one misdemeanor count for hunting with a revoked license... also convicted of a felony burglary charge that occurred in Madison County...


Another case of chronic wasting disease found in Unit 14 October 21, 2022 Idaho Fish and Game News

... Idaho Fish and Game received notice on Oct. 20 that a white-tailed deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The young doe was found dead along Slate Creek Road in Hunting Unit 14 in Idaho County, the same general area where chronic wasting disease was first detected in November 2021.  A Fish and Game employee found the deer dead on the side of the road....


State of deer and elk: movements and migrations help define wildlife populations around the state October 19, 2022 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... As satellite-based, global positioning system (GPS) collar technology replaced VHF collars, biologists could accurately see when and where animals traveled across several seasons, and even multiple years, to get a much fuller picture of deer and elk seasonal movements and how individuals interact as a larger population.  “In the last seven years, we’ve exponentially grown our understanding of mule deer and elk movements.” ...


Elk hunters should find plenty of elk in most of the.. state October 18, 2022 Idaho, Local News 8

... Elk populations are stable-to-increasing... Last winter’s 78% survival is at the upper end of that range and indicates a growing elk herd. (By comparison, survival rates ranged from a low of about 52% to a high of 84% in 2014-15.) ..,


Video below:  Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Research Manager Shane Roberts shows how Fish and Game uses GPS collars to better understand deer and elk movements and migrations, and how biologists use that data to determine which herds make up a local population.  More information.

Deer hunters have reason for optimism, caution October 13, 2022 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... Mule deer herds continue to trend in the right direction after a tough winter in 2016-17 that led to a 30 percent decline in harvest in 2017, then another tough winter in 2018-19.  The drastic harvest decline in 2017 was partly intentional as Fish and Game biologists slashed antlerless mule deer tags in an effort to preserve does and rebuild herds..,


Idaho wolf population steady despite lawmakers expanding wolf hunting laws October 7, 2022 Fox News

... the state's wolf population from 2019 to 2021 fluctuating with a high of more than 1,600 in May when wolf pups are born down to a low of about 800 ...  fluctuating around 1,250 ...


Mule deer hunters should see similar or more deer than last year, but whitetail harvest could drop October 6, 2022 Idaho, LocalNews8.com

... mild winters mean higher fawn survival and larger herds. About 70 percent of radio-collared mule deer fawns survived their critical first winter this year. The long-term average is about 57 percent.  Fawn survival was also slightly higher than last year ..,


Deer With A Bad Broken Neck Has Been Living Fine In Idaho For Over 4 Years October 5, 2022 Whiskey Riff

... her neck bent in two and her head basically sitting on her shoulder... a broken neck that healed crooked and is still grazing along like nothing has happened to her...


Despite fears of Chronic Wasting Disease, Fish and Game Officials say Mule Deer population is strong October 5, 2022 Idaho, KMVT News 

... After a few hard winters on the Idaho deer population, officials are seeing strong numbers this year.  The 2016 – 2017 Winter saw a massive mortality rate amongst the Mule Deer population and since that winter, those numbers have slowly started to bounce back..,


Idaho Fish and Game Continue Efforts to Keep Game Away from Farms August 25, 2022 News Radio 1310

... The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said conservation officers have been working through the summer on depredation operations in Elmore, Jerome, Blaine and Lincoln counties to keep animals like elk and deer from damaging crops...


Big game hunters should see good hunting in 2022 with a few exceptions August 19, 2022 Idaho, IDFG News

... mostly healthy, stable elk herds and potential growth in mule deer herds and harvest, but white-tailed deer hunting in portions of Clearwater area are unlikely to have recovered from a disease die off last year, and chronic wasting disease was detected for the first time ever in Idaho last year, which will have to be managed..,


McCall deer causes 'flurry of calls' after getting head stuck in a garbage can lid Idaho, July 14, 2022 Idaho, KTVB

... Using a dart gun, the deer was sedated and staff were able to successfully remove the lid ... IDFG Office said they regularly get calls about deer tangled in a number of different things ...


Federal Wildlife Services to limit predator killing methods in Idaho July 5, 2022 Idaho Mountain Express

...  prohibitions contained in the settlement should give Wildlife Services time to evaluate the results of killing restriction  ... The agreements also preclude Wildlife Services from killing predators to bolster deer and elk populations...


Biden administration approves $9M for sagebrush projects in Idaho, across the West June 28, 2022 Idaho Capital Sun

... Sagebrush habitat is home to more than 350 species of animals, including the sage grouse, pronghorn, pygmy owls, elk, mule deer, songbirds and blackfooted ferrets ...


New ‘game ranch’ development causing concerns among some in Madison County June 28, 2022 Idaho, East Idaho News

... According to information from the flyer, the game ranch will initially include elk, deer and bison, but may also include gray wolves and foxes... Madison County Planning and Zoning say there is no definition of ‘game ranch’ which makes him legal since there is no definition...


Wolf management efforts in Idaho focus on more targeted areas June 22, 2022 Boise State Public Radio

... Last year, Senate Bill 1211 became law in Idaho, allowing hunters and private contractors to kill up to 90% of wolves in the state. It also increased how much the Board can spend on exterminating wolves causing problems to animals like sheep, deer and elk...


143 sheep killed fleeing from wolves in southwestern Idaho June 2, 2022 The Washington Post

... Idaho lawmakers last year approved a law, backed by ranchers, greatly expanding wolf killing in what some lawmakers stated could reduce the wolf population by 90%... Backers said expanding wolf killing would reduce the wolf population and attacks on livestock while also boosting deer and elk herds...


Winter Survival Estimates for Mule Deer Fawns, Elk Calves Show Improvement from 2021 May 3, 2022 Idaho, Big Country News

... According to the IDFG, roughly 80 percent of collared elk calves and about 71 percent of collared mule deer fawns statewide survived through the end of April 2022. This was a slight increase from 2021 ...


Fences along Okanagan Connector trapping deer, making them easy prey April 5, 2022 Idaho, InfoTel

...“We haven't dived into this to see if it had a large impact but it does seem like there are certain parts of the fence where we do see more deer dying because they seem to be chased by coyotes or other predators into the fence and they do get a bit stuck and then they died,” ...


Hunter harvest stats show slight drop in elk and mule deer harvested in 2021, significant drop in white-tailed deer due to disease outbreak  April 4, 2022 Idaho, IDFG News

... A total of 79,825 mule deer hunters got after it in 2021, with 26,086 of those successfully packing out a mule deer... an estimated 54,223 white-tailed deer hunters harvested 21,418 whitetails in 2021. Although roughly 15 percent below the 10-year average ...



Disease Outbreak Leads to Significant Drop in White-tailed Deer Harvested in 2021, According to IDFG April 4, 2022 Idaho, bigcountrynewsconnection

... White-tailed deer populations in and around the Clearwater region were hit hard with an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease late in the summer. This led to a 14% decrease in the number of white-tailed deer harvested in 2021, as compared to 2020 according to the Idaho Fish & Game..,


F&G Commission approves changes to 2022 deer and elk hunting seasons March 25, 2022 Idaho, EIN News

... Antlered mule deer controlled hunt tags will be increased ... also eliminated 1,500 controlled hunt tags for antlerless white-tailed deer in response to an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease that killed an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 whitetails in the Clearwater Region..,


Students join Idaho Fish and Game in South Hills planting project March 16, 2022 KIVI-TV

... The project comes after the 2020 Badger Fire.  Restoring brush in this historic winter range is vital for the mule deer population that relies on the brush for food...


Winter survival for mule deer fawns and elk calves tracking slightly above average March 14, 2022 Idaho Department of Fish and Game

... As of March 1, 2022, 84 percent of fawns and 92 percent of [elk] calves with tracking collars have survived... here's how that compares with recent years:  83 and 92 percent in 2020-21.  84 and 92 percent in 2019-20.  78 and 93 percent in 2018-19.  88 and 91 percent in 2017-18.  55 and 80 percent in 2016-17 ..,


BLM asks recreationists to observe seasonal closures, avoid wildlife disturbances March 8, 2022 Idaho, Idaho Mountain Express

... The city of Hailey’s uphill “no-dog” zones continue to remain in effect to protect mule deer and elk concentrated on lower-elevation winter ranges ... n response to reports of dogs displacing wildlife from critical habitat ...


Idaho Fish and Game aiming to stop crop loss due to deer March 3, 2022 Twin Falls KMVT

...  will now attempt to use a drop net trap to capture and relocate the deer to more suitable locations in the Magic Valley...


Hunters can comment on proposed changes for 2022 deer and elk seasons through March 13 February 22, 2022 Idaho Fish and Game News

... Most hunt changes are prompted by CWD detection

Fish and Game officials discovered six cases of CWD in deer and elk in Unit 14, and wildlife managers are proposing hunt changes there to slow, the spread of CWD. The goal is to keep the prevalence low, which is the number of animals within herds that have the disease, and prevent, or slow, its spread into other areas...   see video below

Idaho wildlife boss: State's wolves won't be wiped out February 18, 2022 YAHOO!News

... Last month the agency announced the state had about 1,500 wolves, the third consecutive year the state's wolf numbers have hovered around that mark. The population — measured Aug. 1 shortly after the peak of annual wolf abundance — likely dips into the 800s in early spring just before pups are born..,


CWD, Thin the herd, dilute the danger  February 11, 2022 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune

... The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is proposing hunts in Game Management Unit 14 next fall that would be geared toward lowering deer densities and removing a higher number of mature animals in an effort to stem the spread of chronic wasting disease...


Idaho wolf population holding steady, wildlife officials say January 28, 2022 News Tribune

... Idaho's wolf population remained steady at about 1,500 last year, state wildlife managers said Thursday..,


Five Elk Die in the Wood River Valley After Eating Toxic Yew Plants January 20, 2022 Idaho, Lewis-Clark Valley News

... Despite a 2016 Blaine County ordinance restricting the planting of noxious plants, including exotic yew, three elk, two cows, and one calf, were found dead on Tuesday, January 18, after eating the toxic plant north of Hailey ...


Elk crashing into homes highlights need for window well protections January 14, 2022  KMVT

... In one two-day stretch, Fish and Game biologists reported four incidents of elk trapped in window wells. Biologists say these events are easily avoidable. With proper window guards, your house can be safe from damage or uninvited guests...


Officials identify two more CWD cases in area  January 13, 2022 Idaho, YAHOO!News

... A cow elk harvested near White Bird tested positive for chronic wasting disease, marking the first time in Idaho the illness has been found in a cervid species other than deer ... brings the total number of CWD detections in the state to six..,


Elk move down to urban Idaho areas during winter January 12, 2021 Idaho, KIVI-TV

... “We are seeing an increase in residential areas being built in what was prime and historic winter range so that’s causing either a habitat loss, either directly through that building of residential areas, or an indirect loss through avoidance from increased human presence there,” ...


'It was ready to lay down and die' January 2, 2022 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

...  a deer that had fallen through fresh, thin ice ... Bauer retrieved a summer float pad ...  paddled to the deer ... they slowly reeled the deer in ... put towels around it ... an hour later it stumbled up and walked away ...


Two more CWD cases detected  December 31, 2021 Idaho, YAHOO!News

...  testing has detected two additional cases of chronic wasting disease in deer near Lucile in the Slate Creek drainage... two whitetail bucks, mark the third and fourth known cases ..,


Two white-tailed deer test positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in same area as previous CWD cases  December 30, 2021 Idaho, KMVT

… These are the third and fourth deer that have tested positive for CWD in the area …As of Dec. 29, Fish and Game has taken 448 samples in the CWD surveillance zone that tested negative. Four have tested positive – all of which were within the Slate Creek drainage…,


Idaho Fish and Game open winter feeding site for elk west of Ketchum December 27, 2021 KTVB

... typically feeds more than 125 elk every year... has been in use since the 1980's and is intended to keep elk away from local communities in Ketchum and Sun Valley...


Fish and Game conducts big game surveys across the Magic Valley December 21, 2021 Idaho,  KMVT

... residents may see the survey helicopter flying low over the landscape ... In late December and early January helicopter operations will also be used to place radio collars on mule deer and elk using a net gun to capture the animals. This information is used to estimate winter survival and document seasonal movements...


Bureau of Land Management announces new seasonal restrictions December 18, 2021 Idaho, KMVT

... new off-highway vehicle and conditional seasonal restrictions in the Wood River Valley... to minimize any potential impact on wintering deer and elk...


CWD, One month after fatal disease was found in Idaho deer, data and funding could be on the way December 16, 2021 Idaho Statesman 

... local wildlife advocates and Idaho's congressional delegation have worked to secure funding to research the little-understood disease ...  identified in two Idaho animals — mule deer bucks killed by hunters ... near Riggins...


CWD surveillance hunts are to gather more information about the disease, not manage it in the long term December 8, 2021 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... a series of Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance hunts ... to gather more information and determine if more deer are infected, and if the disease is located beyond the immediate area of the initial detections..,


Multiple Groups File Lawsuit Against Idaho Law That Could Kill 90 Percent of State's Wolves December 6, 2021 Idaho, Newsweek

... a dozen environmental groups say could lead to the killing of up to 90 percent of the state's 1,500 wolves through expansions to trapping and snaring regulations..,


Idaho Fish and Game takes first steps to call an emergency hunt November 23, 2021 Boise State Public Radio

... wildlife managers are planning an emergency hunt to understand how widespread chronic wasting disease is in Idaho’s deer population... a thousand new tags will soon be issued ... The goal is to get samples taken from the lymph nodes or head of the harvested animals..,


Chronic Wasting Disease detected in two Idaho mule deer November 17, 2021 Idaho Fish and Game News

     Two mule deer bucks killed in Idaho County last month have been confirmed to carry a fatal, contagious illness called chronic wasting disease that affects deer, elk and moose, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. It's the first time chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in Idaho..,


Advisory committee to meet on winter feeding of elk, deer  November 16, 2021 Idaho,  postregister.com

... feeding has occurred in recent years to feed elk on the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area after a large fire consumed most of the winter feed. Feeding has also been used to bait elk or deer away from highways to keep people and animals safe.  Fish and Game often sets up panels or fencing to keep deer and elk away from haystacks during the winter...


Chronic Wasting Disease, Idaho Fish and Game works to keep deadly deer disease out of state November 13, 2021 KXLY

... Every year, Idaho Fish and Game samples 150 to 300 deer to make sure it’s not infecting the animals in the state. They test them by cutting out the lymph nodes in the deer...


Idaho reaches deal to reimburse hunters who kill wolves October 11, 2021 MSN.com

... up to $200,000 to be divided into payments for hunters and trappers who kill wolves ... wolves that are blamed for attacking livestock and reducing deer ...


Clearwater herds are mostly treading water  October 8, 2021 Yahoo News

... In general, Idaho big game hunters can expect populations of elk and deer to be little changed from a year ago...  from a statewide basis, the state's elk and whitetail deer herds are doing well while mule deer numbers ...have seen better days...


Deer season will begin Oct. 10 for most in Idaho October 4, 2021 KMVT

... The severe winter of 2016-17 “reset the clock” for mule deer, according to Fish and Game’s Deer/Elk coordinator Rick Ward. Mule deer herds in most areas of the state are heading in the right direction, but still haven’t completely bounced back.“Fawn survival the last two winters has been above average, which should translate to more deer,” ..,


Most antlerless hunting opportunities in Southeast Idaho eliminated to help mule deer population September 27, 2021 Idaho State Journal

... Though last winter was mild overall, the Southeast Region has experienced some average to severe winters beginning in 2016 that reduced mule deer abundance. As a result, mule deer hunter harvest, success rates, and general hunter satisfaction in this region have dropped below levels experienced prior to these winter events...


EHD, Deer disease that killed hundreds of North Idaho animals confirmed in the Boise area September 22, 2021 Idaho, Idaho Statesman

... two dead mule deer near Boise... tested positive for epizootic hemorrhagic disease ... Five dead white-tailed deer were found near Garden Valley, and one of those animals tested positive for the disease a few days later...


Deer die-off ongoing near Kamiah September 10, 2021 Idaho, Yahoo! Sports

... hemorrhagic disease... The department estimates the number of dead whitetail deer to be between 1,800 to 2,100... An outbreak in 2003 killed an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 whitetail deer in the Clearwater Region...


Idaho Fish and Game confirm cause of death for as many as 300 deer in Kamiah area September 2, 2021 KHQ

... confirmed positive cases of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) virus in samples taken from dead white-tail deer in the Clearwater area...


Big game hunters should have success this year, but there are disease concerns August 29, 2021 Idaho, East Idaho News

... a relatively mild winter and healthy herds in most parts of the state .... Last year also marked the third time in the last 10 years the state’s whitetail harvest exceeded the mule deer harvest.  “If you think back a few decades, that would have been unimaginable,” ...


Expect more of the same for elk and deer August 28, 2021 Idaho, Post Register

... “There’s been no dramatic changes to the statewide populations for elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer up or down, and the statewide harvests for 2021 should also be similar to 2020,” ..,


2021 Hunting Outlook for Deer & Elk  August 23, 2021 Idaho, IDFG News

Thanks in part to a relatively mild winter and healthy herds in most parts of the state, Fish and Game Deer/Elk Coordinator Rick Ward expects 2021 harvests will meet, or possibly exceed, last year’s harvest  ..,


Local man faces felony charge in alleged poaching case August 24, 2021 Idaho, East Idaho News

... The hunter, who had been featured in multiple hunting magazines over the years, had already lost his hunting and trapping license in 2020 after pleading guilty to more than a decade of hunting violations...


Quigley deer migration area to receive wildlife-friendly fencing August 19, 2021 Idaho, Idaho Mountain Express and Guide

...modified barbed wire overlaid with strands of smooth wire... placed at certain heights to allow deer and elk to jump over the fence and pronghorn and other wildlife to pass underneath ...


IDFG: 300 white-tailed deer reported dead from hemorrhagic disease August 18, 2021 Idaho, KIVI Boise

... Department officials say additional tests are being done to determine the specific type of hemorrhagic disease killed the deer ... 


Call goes out to hunters to help combat chronic wasting disease August 17, 2021 Idaho, Post Register

... Last year Fish and Game sampled 1,113 mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose testing for the disease, and found no positive cases...  but has been detected along the borders with our neighboring states of Montana, Wyoming and Utah  ...


Biologists Investigating 150 Deer Deaths August 16, 2021 Idaho, Patch

...  tests have come back negative for both Bluetongue and Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). Tests were also negative for Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease ....


Deer Found Dead in Kamiah Area Being Tested For Diseases By Idaho Fish & Game August 5, 2021 Idaho, bigcountrynewsconnection.com

...  Idaho Fish and Game officials estimate between 50 to 100 whitetails have died near the Kamiah area due to unknown circumstances ...  tests have come back negative for both Bluetongue and Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD)...


McCall nixes proposed deer feeding ban August 1, 2021 Idaho County Free Press

... The defeat of the feeding ban means the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will not trap and relocate an estimated 150 to 200 town deer ...


Chronic Wasting Disease, CWD, Idaho's deer in danger July 26, 2021 Coeur d'Alene Press

... Idaho Fish & Game has been monitoring CWD since 1998.  While there have been no confirmed cases in the Gem State, outbreaks in Montana, close to Idaho borders, have made the Panhandle a hot zone..,


Groups to Sue Idaho Over Wolf Kill – State Laws Violate Endangered Species Act July 24, 2021 The Sierra Nevada Ally

... It is estimated that roughly 1,500 gray wolves live in Idaho, and in May of this year, Idaho lawmakers passed S1211, a bill that enables the year-around trapping of wolves on private property... a coalition of ten environmental groups filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the state over S1211 ..,


Yearling moose relocated out of a Twin Falls residential neighborhood July 19, 2021 Idaho, DNR News

... The Twin Falls Police Department started receiving phone calls and reports of pictures of moose on doorbell cameras on Sunday morning ... Conservation officers and biologists from Fish and Game were called to handle the capture and relocation of the moose.  The moose was safely anesthetized and released north of Carey....


Hot, dry weather poses nasty consequences for fish, birds, ungulates July 11, 2021 Idaho, Twin Falls Times-News

...  a prolonged drought will affect the number of deer and elk in the backcountry over the long term... It will push them into higher areas where temperatures are lower or into more creek bottoms and drainages in search of forage and water ...


Volunteers remove barbed wire fence in Island Park to prevent wildlife deaths July 10, 2021 Idaho, East Idaho New

... he doesn’t want to see any more deer die after becoming entangled in barbed wire fence...  obsolete fences are significant barriers to migrating pronghorn, deer, elk and bighorn sheep ...


Cow and calf moose relocated out of Hailey neighborhood to Silver Creek July 9, 2021 Idaho, Fish and Game News

... With permission of a homeowner, the team was able to quickly dart and anesthetize the cow in their backyard. The young calf stayed close to the cow and was easily captured... Both the cow and calf were loaded into a horse trailer and transported to the Silver Creek area where they were safely released along a creek..,


Mule Deer Foundation volunteers remove miles of old fence June 17, 2021 Idaho, Ravalli Republic

... game trails were worn deep where migrating mule deer and elk paced along the wire looking for a place to squeeze through... Mule Deer Foundation volunteers and staff from three states removed close to five miles of the rust-covered fence ...


North Idaho white-tailed deer fawn captures and camera efforts currently underway June 9, 2021 IDGF News

... Of 96 female deer collared, 83 of them were pregnant does implanted with a telemetry device, known as a VIT. The device is paired with the doe’s collar and is expelled when the doe gives birth to a fawn. It also sends out a signal, allowing researchers to locate the birth site and ultimately locate the newborn fawns.  Currently, teams of biologists are in the field locating newborn fawns and outfitting them with their own collars, which are wirelessly connected to the doe’s collar..,


McCall looks to ban feeding deer within the city June 3, 2021 Idaho, KTVB

...“They’re getting food [in McCall] so there’s no need to [migrate],” ... If the ordinance goes through, Fish and Game plans to trap and relocate the healthy deer population. This is to acclimate the deer to a natural migration pattern...


  Oh, deer! Mule deer rescued from mud pit by Fish and Game officer and helpful teen June 3, 2021 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... A mule deer doe got herself stuck in a mud pit in a field near McCammon.  She was rescued by Senior Conservation Officer Nick Noll and teen Cole Gunter both of McCammon...


Ungulate crossing May 28, 2021 Idaho, Lewiston Morning Tribune

... Biologists have learned that ungulates’ ability to move between seasonal ranges is critical for many species... Detailed mapping of migration corridors has already paid dividends. Kauffman said as migration maps were overlaid on top of planned oil and gas leases in southern Wyoming, officials decided to defer 22,000 acres of leases ...


Dalton, It's not too late to right Dalton ship May 23, 2021 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... The elected body that has made unfortunate national headlines by considering bow hunting in city limits to reduce the deer population stands on the verge of far greater turmoil and outright disservice to the community....


Eastern Idaho deer, elk winter survival above average May 18, 2021 Post Register

...Eastern Idaho is following the trends from across the state with above-average winter survival of mule deer fawns and elk calves.  A mild winter and slightly lower snowpack contributed to a 61% survival rate of fawns ..,


Winter survival rates for Idaho mule deer, elk above average May 18, 2021 Idaho, KTVB-TV Boise

... Overall, 64 percent of fawns collared by IDFG and 77 percent of collared elk calves were still alive as of May 1 ... two straight years of above-average survival rates..,


What does SB 1211 mean for Idaho's grey wolf population? May 17, 2021 Idaho, KTVB.com

... Since reintroduction in 1995, Idaho's wolf population has grown to 1,500 ... Wolves prey on elk and deer ... Nine out of 10 of their hunts are unsuccessful ... SB 1211 also allows ... citizen hunters to purchase an unlimited number of tags...


Number of general-season permits for 2021 deer hunt decreased April 30, 2021 Idaho, KJZZ

... The wildlife board approved a total of 74,025 general-season deer hunting permits for the year, a drop of 5,650 from the 2020 season..,


Dalton Gardens target deer issues in public workshop April 29, 2021 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... considering a plan to allow trained bow hunters to kill deer ... many residents confronted that idea with questions Wednesday night. What happens if an arrow goes astray? What happens if the animal is wounded but doesn’t die? ... Questions of indemnification, liability, property values and trespassing ..,


Antler hunters urged to avoid stressed elk, deer April 13, 2021 Idaho, Post Register

... pleading with antler hunters and backcountry visitors to stay away from deer and elk herd wintering areas in early spring to avoid stressing animals during this critical time...


Wolf population gets reprieve March 26, 2021 Idaho, Bonner County Daily Bee

... Phillips concurred that adjusting the number of wolves to see a positive reflection in other populations like deer, moose, or elk is one method the state has used from a wildlife management standpoint...


Fish and Game Commission sets big game rules March 23, 2021 Idaho, Local News 8

... Mule deer hunters will see reduced antlerless harvest in the Upper Snake and Southeast regions... in an effort to help mule deer populations rebound... increase in mule-deer hunts will be allowed in southwest ..,


Winter went well for South Hills mule deer in wake of Badger Fire March 22, 2021 Idaho, March 22, 2021, Twin Falls Times-News

... September’s devastating Badger Fire destroyed tens of thousands of acres of mule deer winter range ... If the weather had been harsh, lots of deer probably would have starved. It hasn’t been a harsh winter though ..,


This winters fawn and calf survival above average, "things could definitely change" March 17, 2021 Idaho, 6 On Your Side

... At the end of February, Idaho Fish and Game says 83 percent of fawns and 92 percent of calves with collars survived through winter so far... For them to be in the clear the fawns and calves will need to survive through May..,


Winter Survival For Mule Deer Fawns and Elk Calves Being Tracked By IDFG Slightly Above Average March 16, 2021 Idaho, bigcountrynewsconnection

... Statewide winter survival for mule deer fawns and elk calves fitted with tracking collars was average to slightly above average through the end of February..,


Idaho Hunter harvest was up for elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer in 2020 seasons March 8, 2021 Idaho.gov

... ... the statewide mule deer harvest was about 11 percent lower than the 10-year average ...  the statewide harvest benefited from what was an overall mild winter 2019-20. Higher-than-average winter fawn survival carried over into the 2020 ..,


Deer, elk harvests dropped last year  March 6, 2021 Idaho, Idaho Statesman 

...  a drop in fawn survival, reduced tag availability and fewer hunters ... “The last three-year stretch wasn’t the kindest to our herds, particularly in eastern Idaho and in the Weiser/McCall areas.” Fawn survival rates dipped in the harsh 2016-17 winter and again in the 2018-19 winter when record snow fell in February..,


Local houndsmen say Fish and Game has declared war on mountain lions with plan to eliminate quotas statewide February 26, 2021 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... A group of Southeast Idaho houndsmen are upset with a proposal from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to remove all statewide mountain lion harvest quotas, saying the plan amounts to the agency declaring war on the species....


F&G looks to significantly reduce deer, elk tags hunting tags near Palisades February 16, 2021 Idaho, East Idaho News

... The Upper Snake River Regional Wildlife Manager Curtis Hendricks said the proposals in hunting zones 64, 65 and 67 for female elk and deer have been drafted to “quickly increase” the herd populations that have been impacted by waning winter ranges, livestock impacts and development growth, particularly in the Swan Valley area...


Proposals for 2021-22 big game season now available for public comment February 15, 2021 Idaho, Herald Journal

... Virtual open houses will be held Feb. 16–25 for each region  Fish and Game will be setting new seasons for upcoming deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear, mountain lion, and wolf hunts in March, and hunters can now see proposed season and changes and provide comments. The comment period deadline is Feb. 25...

 

Public can comment on 2021-22 big game season proposals February 4, 2021 Idaho, Twin Falls Times-News

... The easiest way for hunters to review proposals and weigh in will be visiting the big game proposals webpage at idfg.idaho.gov/big-game...


Recent mule deer survey shows encouraging fawn count January 28, 2021 Idaho, Post Register

... aerial survey in eastern Idaho ... “Our fawn production across the region was pretty incredible,” says wildlife manager Curtis Hendricks. “I think that we have only had fawn ratios rivaling these numbers on the east side of the interstate on one other occasion.” ...

Wolves lost endangered species protection this year. Idaho may offer a glimpse of what’s ahead for them nationwide January 10, 2021 Idaho Mountain Express

... the commission opened up year-round wolf hunting in most of Idaho’s game units via conference call on Feb. 20.  “Wolf predation on livestock and other domestic animals remains chronic in certain areas and … continues to have a negative effect on elk populations,” the commission stated in February...


Moose in a warming climate January 8, 2021 Idaho State Journal

... The cause of moose mortality is complex and likely due to a combination of stresses, but winter ticks are a common factor in areas with declining moose numbers...


GPS collars allow biologists to monitor big game animals 24/7 and better understand what drives larger populations January 6, 2021 Idaho, EIN News

... Through GPS collar data, biologists have confirmed that mule deer are pretty consistent.   “About 99 percent of them will go to the same winter range, and then go back to the same summer area,” ...


What’s killing Idaho moose? In many cases, infestations of ticks and other parasites December 29, 2020 Idaho, Idaho Statesman

... Across the country, moose populations have been declining since the 1990s ... performed necropsies on the animals that died and found that more than half had died of parasites or disease. The majority of those deaths were due to emaciation from winter ticks ... with warmer winters, we don't see tick die-off that we used to see ...


Lawsuit seeks to stop Idaho forest project near Yellowstone December 17, 2020 Idaho, Twin Falls Times-News

... The project involves logging, prescribed burning and riparian improvements on about 66 square miles of forest in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest ... important and productive deer fawning and elk calving habitat ...


Proposed Lucky Peak trail denied by Army Corps of Engineers December 9, 2020 Idaho, Idaho Press-Tribune

... denied by the Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday, leaving one of the largest mule deer wintering habitats in Idaho alone...  up to 8,000 migrating mule deer and 1,400 elk ...

BLM announces winter closures of Stinking Springs, Egin-Hamer areas December 8, 2020 Idaho, Post Register

... “Increasing human activity in the Stinking Springs area creates additional stress on the fragile mule deer that winter there, requiring them to use up their supply of stored winter fat more quickly,” ...


Several E. Idaho hunters caught transporting deer across state lines December 1, 2020 Idaho, Post Register

... Idaho Fish and Game has tracked down several eastern Idaho hunters in recent weeks who have violated state law regarding the transport of deer carcasses into the state from places known to have chronic wasting disease...


Limits to nonresident participation in general season hunts go into effect for 2021 season November 25, 2020 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... “Hunter crowding is a growing concern among many deer and elk hunters in Idaho. Prior to broader conversations related to the future of deer and elk hunting in Idaho, the Commission thought it important to first ensure that nonresident participation levels were addressed,” Idaho Fish and Game Director ...


Idaho Fish and Game commission to meet in Lewiston November 13, 2020 Lewiston Morning Tribune

... On Friday, the commission will consider limiting the number of nonresidents who can participate in general season deer and elk hunts. The commission has the authority to limit nonresident participation to 10 percent of the average number of hunters ...


Deer and Elk Statistics in Southeast Idaho November 10, 2020 KPVI

... Idaho Fish and Game's aerial surveys also revealed that the amount of deer were down, but it's still to be determined why this happened, which could have been due to weather, habitat, or predators...


Fish and Game uses specially trained K-9s to investigate wildlife crimes November 1, 2020 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... “One time he found a single drop of blood at a scene, and it was genetically matched to a deer illegally taken by a poacher.” ... the two headed to Indiana where they underwent 400 hours of training offered by the state’s Department of Natural Resources over a 9-week period. During that time, Dexter was trained on waterfowl, turkeys, and white-tailed deer...


Mule deer harvests down based on early check station reports, but more data needed October 30, 2020 Idaho, Argus Observer

... Most of the prime mule deer country in southern Idaho had a fairly mild winter and average to above-average fawn survival, but many herds are still recovering from brutal 2016-17 winter, and rebuilding mule deer herds could take several years..,


Late fall is primetime for Idaho white-tailed deer hunting October 28, 2020 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... White-tailed deer hunting is synonymous with North and Central Idaho...  Despite encompassing a relatively small area of the state, the Panhandle and Clearwater regions account for nearly half of Idaho’s annual deer harvest ...


Idaho Fish and Game traps and relocates elk in Elmore County October 22, 2020,  6 On Your Side

... The Idaho Fish & Game moved 16 elk out of Elmore County because the herd is too large, and the elk are damaging agriculture in the region... The goal was to remove 70 elk ...


District BLM, Mule Deer foundation team up to replant Dog Creek Fire burn area October 10, 2020 Idaho, KMVT

... to restore the Dog Creek Fire burn area.  Officials say The Mule Deer Foundation is planting 100,000 sagebrush and bitterbrush seedlings in order restore the big game habitat and help the fire area recover. The seedlings will cover around 3,300 acres...


Idaho hunters beware, shooting that moose could cost you a $1000 October 6, 2020 Idaho News

... illegally targeting elk, deer, and moose from the road could cost you $1,000.  Idaho Fish and Game says it uses decoy animals in areas where there is a history of illegal hunting...


F&G asks deer hunters to provide harvested animals for chronic wasting disease testing September 28, 2020 Idaho, Teton Valley News

... The disease has never been detected in Idaho, but animals with CWD have been found within miles of Idaho’s border... Hunters are being asked to provide deer heads or lymph nodes ...


Average deer numbers, above average elk numbers seen in eastern Idaho September 27, 2020 Idaho, Post Register

... The average survival rate for mule deer fawns and below average rate for elk calves do not indicate a growing population trend for the southeast region... an aerial survey of the Diamond Creek elk zone in 2018 indicated an estimated elk population of 4,251. This represented an 84 percent increase from the 2013 population estimate of 2,300...


Officials offer up a hopeful forecast for deer, elk seasons September 25, 2020 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune

... the agency predicts the possibility of the start of a mulie rebound. That is based on an uptick in fawn survival last winter, following three harsh winters with low survival... In the Clearwater Region of north central Idaho, the agency reports deer benefited from a relatively mild winter ..,

Radio collar and aerial survey data helps with hunt forecasting September 3, 2020 Idaho, IDFG News

... This past winter (2019-2020), 69 GPS-collared mule deer does and 59 GPS-collared mule deer fawns were monitored in the Southeast Region. Survival of these marked deer were 93% and 61%, respectively.  The Southeast Region also monitored 40 cow and 25 calf elk with GPS collars in the Diamond Creek elk zone (Game Management Units 66A and 76). Cow survival was 90% while calf survival was 44%..,


Hunting outlook for Southeast Idaho: what to expect and why September 3, 2020 Idaho, EIN News

...  winter ... severe conditions (2016-2017 and 2018-2019), average (2017-2018, 2019-2020), and mild (2015-2016)... Herd composition surveys show an increase from just over 50 fawns per 100 does in December 2017 to nearly 70 fawns per 100 does in December 2019 in most populations... Mule deer in southeast Idaho have not rebounded from the extremely severe 2016-2017 winter ..,


Experts discuss numbers and outlook for eastern Idaho August 29, 2020 Idaho, Post Register

... elk numbers are above average and mule deer numbers, hovering slightly below the 10-year average, are on the rebound after a few harsh fawn-killing winters... Mule deer, less resistant to harsh winters on the other hand, have been struggling ...  three winters of poor fawn survival as the culprit... “The winters of 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 were all pretty harsh,” ..,


2020 big game hunting outlook August 25, 2020 Idaho, Idaho Department of Fish and Game

... The three-year stretch of winters spanning from 2016-2019 was tough on many of Idaho’s mule deer herds, largely due to poor-to-average fawn survival — including the second-lowest on record in 2016-17 ...  “Throughout southern Idaho this winter, we had above average winter fawn survival, which bodes well for the upcoming mule deer season.”  About 63% of radio collared fawns survived last winter, which is the highest number in four years and above the 20-year average of 57%..,

Idaho data:  The figure below showing the estimated Idaho deer population from 1999 to 2022 is based on mule deer population data from the Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife and a few years of whitetail population data (sources).  Hunting data was used to fill in missing whitetail population estimates.

A mild 2023-24 winter with fawn ratios similar to long term averages.  A hard 2022-23 winter with emergency feeding in some counties due to deep snow and reduced antlerless hunting for 2023-24 to support deer herds.  The 2023 Forecast.  A 2023 report from the state indicates whitetail populations have trended lower since 2015.  


The state has historically done a mule deer population estimate on the first of January, but in 2023 no survey was reported so the mule deer and whitetail population was estimated using hunting data:  a total population of 466,460 with 253,467 mule deer and 212,993 whitetails. The 2022 Forecast.


An estimate of 513,515 deer in 2021, a state estimate of 281,988 mule deer and an estimate of 231,527 whitetails based on hunting data.  Elk and deer populations in 2021 are about the same as in 2020.  Slightly higher survival rates in 2022 for mule deer fawns and elk calves.  2022 Forecast.


Mule deer numbers are for those south of the Salmon River drainage, there are widely scattered mule deer to the north, but mostly whitetails.  The state doesn't formally estimate whitetail numbers but has commented that there are around 200,000 in 2009 and 2016.  A recent population peak of about 570,000 deer in 2017.  

Good fawn survival after the 2020-21 and 2021-22 winter, a third consecutive mild winter.  For the 2021 hunt, antlerless licenses were reduced in the Upper Snake and southeast to help mule deer populations rebound and licenses were increased in the southwest.  The 2021 outlook.   Average to above average survival for deer and above average survival for elk fawns after the mild 2019-20 winter, but mule deer were still struggling with three previous winters of low fawn survival.  2020 Big Game Hunting Outlook.  A low survival rate for mule deer fawns in 2019 due to harsh February snowstorms combined with three years of harsh weather that reduced populations. 


Deer populations trended up for the four years going into 2016 given relatively mild winters.  The hard winter of 2016-17, worst in the east, resulted in about 70 percent mule deer fawn mortality, whitetails fared better. Reduced hunting for does in 2017 to held the herd recover and emergency feeding.  One 2017 survey found 30 bucks for every 100 does.  A more mild 2017-18 winter improved deer survival.  Low whitetail numbers reported in northern Idaho.  Another hard winter in 2018-19, not as bad as 2016-17.


Mule deer fawn survival in 2015 was estimated at 80 percent, the highest rate in 15 years in spite of wildfires and an outbreak of bluetongue.  A record 30,568 whitetails taken by hunters in 2015, an upward trend since 1973.  Fawn survival  of collared mule deer was nearly 80 percent in 2013.  About 25 percent survival in hard winters. About 1,000 deer died from bluetongue around Granveville. 


In 2016 mule deer populations reached some of their highest levels since the early 2000's, about 310,000, when hard winters and habitat loss brought the mule deer numbers down to about 239,000 in 2019.  Mule deer populations over their entire range have suffered declining populations over the past two decades. In 2015, 151,799 deer hunters took 68,764 deer with a 43 percent success rate.  In 2014,157,400 hunters took 61,200 deer. Hunter success in 2013 was 38 percent; 40 percent in 2014; 45 percent in 2015. An estimate of 200,000 whitetail deer in 2009 and 75,000 in 1990.


An estimate from the state's 2005 to 2015 Whitetail Management Plan (P. 12) roughly 200,000 white-tailed deer in 2004.  A state estimate of 224,700 mule deer in 2004, for a total population of about 425,000 deer.

 History  Deer were scarce in Idaho by 1900 from over hunting.  Concerned about the severe decline of the elk and deer populations in 1909, the legislature approved its first game preserve - 220,000 acres  in the Payette River drainage west of the Sawtooth Mountains.  "Idaho officials estimated that their deer population (including whitetailed deer) increased from 45,000 in 1923-24 to 315,000 in 1963."  Citizens voted to create the Fish and Game Commission in 1938. The growth of the logging industry created deer friendly habitat that acted as one factor to spur population growth, including limits on doe hunting.  By 1954, there was an effort to reduce deer populations by increased hunting pressure as evidenced in the estimated deer harvest, although there has been much skepticism about this data.  Pressure from the people of Idaho resulted in reduced hunting during the 1970's and limits on the number of does.  


From the state 2020 to 2025 White-tailed Deer Management Plan:  "White-tailed deer abundance varied from low numbers in the late 1800s to a peak in the 1960s.   Declines observed in the 1970s were likely a  consequence of heavy harvest and declining habitat quality as forest stands aged. Populations increased again during the 1980s and early 1990s in north-central and northern Idaho. The winter of 1996–97 was one of the most severe on record and white-tailed deer populations in portions of Panhandle and Clearwater regions declined substantially." (p. 7)


From the 1992 state survey:  "Whitetails were abundant in north Idaho as far back as the early 1800s.  By the early 1900s, populations were low."


A large increase in the number of tags resulted in the peak harvest of 1989, estimated at 95,200.  The winter of 1991-92 was the last very severe winter in recent history, resulting in a large die off -- sixty percent of males and 20-30 percent of females, fawn survival rate near zero.  A 2003 outbreak of bluetongue killed about 10,000 deer around Clearwater and other areas.


Population estimates:  An estimate of 125,000 deer in the 1930s.  In 1951 a state estimate of 120,000 mule deer and 20,550 whitetails, about 141,000 deer.  A 1985 state estimate for whitetails of 69,000.


Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) The first cases of CWD in late 2021 in Idaho county, two mule deer bucks.  Two whitetail bucks were later confirmed in the same area. The first elk in January, 2022In spring of 2019, 5 cases of chronic wasting were detected in Montana 25 miles from the Idaho panhandle border.  No cases found in Idaho.  Testing began in 1998As of 2021 there were 150 to 300 deer tested each year.  In 2022, there were 15 positives out of 3,171 tested, all of which have been between Riggins and Grangeville in the Slate Creek drainage.  Testing continues into 2023 with 49 positives in total.  In 2024 the state continued reducing deer density in CWD areas,


Hemorrhagic Disease  Outbreaks in the Clearwater and Boise regions in 2021 and in 2003 when 10,000 to 15,000 whitetail deer died.  A mule deer tested positive for bluetongue in April, 2023.


 Elk  An estimated 107,000 in 2014, down from a peak of about 125,000 in the 1990's. As of 2016 there has been a feeding station near Penny Lake west of Ketchum., going on since the 1930s.  About 3,600 hundred elk sing the Sand Creek winter range in 2016.  An estimate of 25,000 in the 1930s.  In 2022 populations were stable to increasing.


Moose  A rough estimate of 10,000 to 12,000 in 2019.  A declining population in Idaho and throughout the West.  Causes not clear.  A large concentration in Eastern Idaho in the Sand Creek desert area, around 400 - 500 in 2016Ticks are a significant mortality issue for moose.  An estimate of 1,000 in the 1930s.


Caribou  Only about a dozen left by 2016 in the Selkirk Mountains near Canada.


 Wolves  About 1500 wolves in 2021 and early 2022, an estimated decline from1,543 in 2021 to 1,337 in 2022.  In 2023 the state proposed reducing the wolf population by about 60 percent, but a plan to use aerial gunning was withdrawn after protests.  A detailed 2019 camera survey found 1541 wolves during the spring when populations are at their seasonal high;  More than 1,000 in 90 packs in early 2019.  A 2015 estimate of 786.  A survey count of 550 to 700, with a total estimate of about 1000.   A minimum of 770 wolves and 104 wolf packs in 2014, up from 659 in 2013.  Hunters killed 256 in 2014. About 680 wolves in 2012, down from about 900 to 1,100 before the wolf hunt.   To protect livestock, elk, and deer the state reduced its target wolf population from 518-732 down to 150 in 2016An estimate of 35 in 1996 rising to 750 in 2006.


Lions  About 3,000 mountain lions.  In 2023 a female was euthanized in Haley for public safety.  Mountain Lion Plan 2024 - 2029


Bear  An estimated 20,000 bears in 2013.


- Deer Harvest Data

- Elk Harvest Data

- Pronghorn Harvest Data

- Hunting Information Dashboard

- Highway Wildlife Collisions


Report Poaching:  contact the Idaho Fish and Game Department at 208-232-4703 ; or, the Citizens Against Poaching (CAP Facebook Page) hotline, at 1-800-632-5999. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a CAP reward.

- Idaho Department of Fish and Game News (source of white-tailed deer density graph)


Other useful links:

- Idaho Fish and Game Roadkill website

- Report a Deer or Wildlife Collision in Idaho to help with Deer Management

- Idaho Deer Alliance, Committed to the Conservation of Idaho’s Deer Herds and Wildlife Habitat for Future Generations.

- WMA view map, a map application

- Earthfire Institute, deer and wildlife rescue

- Idaho Department of Fish and Game

- Idaho Deer Alliance, Southeast Idaho Facebook page

- Chronic Wasting Disease, none found yet in Idaho

- Hydatid Disease, the immature form of a tapeworm called Echinococcus granulosus. Echinococcus granulosus is a very small (3-5 m) tapeworm


Map Below from Idaho Fish and Game

Fish and Game says elk depredation prevention efforts are working August 5, 2020 Idaho, 6 On Your Side

... non-lethal methods of preventing elk depredation are starting to pay off... hey're focusing on non-lethal methods like hazing that uses noisemakers and other methods to scare elk away from crops...


Six men sentenced for poaching three mule deer, 16 elk in Franklin County June 29, 2020 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... The individuals involved left most of the elk carcasses to waste and recovered only the antlers and choice cuts of meat from others.  “It seemed as though they just couldn’t stop killing,” ...


Winter Survival Estimates For Mule Deer and Elk in Idaho Above Average June 15, 2020 Idaho, bigcountrynewsconnection.com

...  After a relatively mild winter, statewide survival of radio-collared mule deer fawns and elk calves in Idaho was above average through the end of May, the final month of Fish and Game’s monitoring period.  Statewide, 73% of radio-collared elk calves and 63% of mule deer fawns survived through the winter..,


Fish and Game takes new approach to reduce Magic Valley elk population June 12, 2020 Idaho, 6 On Your Side

... Non-lethal hazing to deter elk from entering private property and depredating on crops... Nighttime sharp shooting of antlerless elk by department staff to change elk behavior and reduce herd size... Fall and spring trap and translocation to reduce the size of the depredating elk herd...


Road carcass study documents many wildlife collisions on US-20 June 4, 2020 Idaho, Post Register

... In terms of big-game, 246 roadkills were counted for the period of December 2017 to December 2019. There were 126 mule deer, 52 elk, 24 moose, 19 white-tailed deer, six pronghorn and 19 unidentified ... 


BLM releases final analysis of proposed Blackrock Land Exchange May 22, 2020 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... “The Chinese–Peak Blackrock Canyon area provides outstanding recreational opportunities, while protecting crucial habitat for mule deer and other native species... The final EIS is available for 60 days on the BLM ePlanning project website ...


Mule deer fawns survival rate below average after cruel winter May 19, 2020 Idaho, Rexburg Standard Journal

... The lingering snowpack during March and April took its toll on Eastern Idaho mule deer with below-average survival rates of fawns...  up to 40 and 50 percent were lost...“It will not be like the winter of 2016-17, but we will be below the long-term average,” ...


Winter Survival Rate For Radio-Collared Mule Deer Fawns & Elk Calves Above Average April 17, 2020 Idaho, bigcountrynewsconnection.com

... monitoring 193 mule deer fawns and 180 elk calves ... Through the end of March, 73% of the collared fawns and 84% of the collared calves were still alive. That compares with 58 and 84% surviving through March in 2018-19, 69 and 82% in 2017-18, and 41 and 67% in 2016-17 ...


Game bridge on Highway 21 planned in order to help elk, mule deer survive March 28, 2020 Idaho Press-Tribune

... On state Highway 21 ... In 2016, 77 deer and elk were hit by cars ...  the Idaho Transportation Department is proposing a wildlife overpass that would be 150-feet long and 54- to 66-feet wide ... estimated to cost somewhere around $2.5 million ...


Idaho Fish and Game Commission to meet March 19-20 March 12, 2020 Twin Falls Times-News

... Read the full agenda, includes Deer and elk status update ...


Idaho visitors will see big hike in hunting, fishing fees March 5, 2020 Wichita Eagle

... Legislation significantly increasing what it will cost nonresidents to hunt deer and elk  ... hunters asked for so there will be less overcrowding in the field.  Fish and Game is doing that by capping how many nonresidents can hunt deer and elk. But that will result in reducing Fish and Game revenue ...


Camera surveys provide new statewide wolf population estimate March 4, 2020 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... staff reported there were an estimated 1,541 wolves in the state during summer 2019. The estimate represents the peak population shortly after pups were born... Recent monitoring of deer populations in Southeast Idaho using game cameras while simultaneously using traditional aerial surveys produced almost identical results ..,


Deer, elk harvests dropped last year February 26, 2020 Idaho, IdahoStatesman.com

... “Our mule deer populations are driven by survival of fawns and adults, as are our harvest numbers,” Fish and Game’s deer and elk coordinator Daryl Meints said in the release. “The last three-year stretch wasn’t the kindest to our herds, particularly in eastern Idaho and in the Weiser/McCall areas.”  Fawn survival rates dipped in the harsh 2016-17 winter and again in the 2018-19 winter when record snow fell in February..,


Harvest, hunter numbers down for deer and elk in 2019 February 24, 2020 Idaho, DNR News

... Hunters took fewer mule deer, white-tailed deer and elk in 2019 compared to 2018.  The 2019 statewide elk harvest and deer harvests were down about 8 percent and 13 percent from the prior year. The number of deer hunters in Idaho was also down by 5.5 percent from the prior year, while the number of elk hunters remained fairly consistent (down by about 1.5 percent)..,


Chronic Wasting Disease prevention and preparation underway in Idaho and Jefferson County February 19, 2020 Idaho, Post Register

... the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reached out to Jefferson County Solid Waste officials with concerns regarding disposal of deer infected with Chronic Wasting Disease ... the county would need to designate specific equipment to the disposal of bodies to avoid transferring the disease ...


As hunter numbers plummet across the U.S., Idaho sets records — for now  February 20, 2020 Idaho Statesman

... Idaho hit a record-high number of paid hunting license holders in 2019: 295,281... Idaho slid to 20 hunters per 100 people in 2000. And last year, there were 16 hunters per 100 ...


Out-of-state hunting fee hike clears Idaho House February 4, 2020 Idaho, Idaho Press-Tribune

... The Idaho House on Tuesday voted 55-15 in favor of legislation proposed by Idaho Fish & Game to limit the number of out-of-state big game hunting tags ... out-of-state hunters, who pay higher fees than residents, provide about 50% of the budget for the Department of Fish & Game...


Lawsuit about forest thinning in SE Idaho canyon tests Idaho Roadless Rule January 31, 2020 Idaho State Journal

... The Forest Service contends the planned treatments — which entail cutting and masticating junipers, maple groves and woody shrubs and burning limb piles — would improve the landscape as elk, deer, ruffed grouse and sharp-tailed grouse habitat. Leaders with three conservation groups, however, see the project as part of a larger ruse, planned at the cattle industry's behest to boost the forage capacity of public lands...


Idaho officials trying to lure 70 elk away from highways near Sugar City January 24, 2020, Idaho News 

... The herd of about 70 elk ventured out of the Teton Canyon ... IDFG is working with landowners to implement a baiting operation to try and lure the elk away from the highway and back toward the canyon...


Game cameras took 11 million photos of wolves in Idaho for new population estimate January 24, 2020 Idaho, Idaho News 

... there were an estimated 1,541 wolves in the state during summer 2019. The estimate represents the peak population shortly after pups were born... Idaho Fish and Game staff deployed 569 cameras specifically for estimating wolf abundance, which took about 11 million photos over the course of a few months...


Idaho Mule Deer Management Plan 2020-2025 Idaho Department of FIsh and Game, Prepared December 2019

... A significant component of the Plan introduces concepts for addressing hunter congestion, which has been an ongoing concern for Idaho’s mule deer hunters... The Plan also provides in-depth information regarding collection of mule deer demographic and survival data, how those data are utilized to assess population abundance and trends, and how that information is ultimately used to manage harvest..,

'It's not normal.' Spate of mountain lion attacks, sightings in Idaho sparks concern January 20, 2020 Idaho, Idaho Statesman

... What is unusual ... is the frequency at which residents have seen the big cats in recent months, a figure amplified by a spate of recent attacks on pets in the area...


The latest mule deer count in eastern Idaho and what it means for the wildlife population January 18, 2020 Idaho, East Idaho News

... In this year’s comp count, the Pioneer DAU (Unit 50) had the lowest fawn numbers with 57:100:27 (fawn/doe/buck), while the Mountain Valley DAU (Units 59A and 58) had the highest fawn ratio at 77:100:21.  “As a general rule, entering winter with fawn ratios of the upper 50s to low 60s means the population, given an average winter, will likely hold even,” ... The buck numbers are seriously low in several DAU’s. In the Caribou area (units 66 and 69), the count totals were 13 bucks per 100 does, and in the Island Park DAU there was only 18 per 100 adult females...


Idaho Works to Make Travel Safer—for Drivers and Big Game January 17, 2020 Pew Charitable Trusts

... More than 100 mule deer die each year from vehicle collisions along a short section of U.S. Highway 30 ... Idaho Fish and Game and the state Transportation Department are working together to design a solution to help wildlife safely cross this segment of Highway 30 ...


Fish and Game aerial surveys start this month Department using all its tools to gather data of Panhandle Big Game January 16, 2020, Coeur d'Alene Press

...  game cameras will be used to track and sex animals to help biologists generate more reliable estimates of sex ratios for mule deer in Southern Idaho.  In the past aerial surveys were used to generate sex ratio estimates, but because of ground cover that hides animals, only a small portion of a winter range could be sampled from the air. The use of cameras will expand the study over the entire range...


'We have a very healthy elk population': Idaho Fish & Game responds to concerns about elk slaughter in Magic Valley January 13, 2020, Idaho, KTVB

... the elk were killed [206 elk] as part of a research project with a graduate student from the University of Idaho... The research was looking at ways to help keep elk off private property and prevent them from damaging crops. The research identified four different methods to see which was most effective. One of those methods was sharpshooting ...


State white-tailed deer management plan calls for research, hunter opportunities January 9, 2020 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls Press

... Some hunters, according to the latest survey, were dissatisfied with hunter congestion in some areas, caused primarily by out-of-state deer and elk hunters, and with the low percentage of large — more than 5-point — whitetails... The sport adds around $30 million annually to the state’s economy, according to IDFG ...


'Deer 139': Regional mule deer study spawns adventure film shown at Banff Film Fest  January 2, 2019 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... a film about three women following a scrawny, pregnant mule deer on its spring migration from its wintering grounds near LaBarge, Wyo., over the Wyoming Range, to an alpine cirque in the Salt River Range — about 85 miles...


When wildlife safety turns into fierce political debate December 30, 2019 Idaho, High Country News

... More than a million large animals, and around 200 drivers, die annually from collisions nationwide. Over the last two decades, researchers have converged on a solution palatable to politicians on both sides of the aisle: wildlife crossings, tunnels and bridges that funnel creatures under and over highways...


Condition of mule deer during winter: stress and spatial overlap with North American elk

MP Atwood, JG Kie, JJ Millspaugh, MD Matocq… - Mammal Research 2019, Idaho

... We assessed body condition, diet quality (indexed by fecal nitrogen), and stress levels (using fecal glucocorticoid metabolites) in mule deer Odocoileus hemionus in southeastern Idaho, USA, during a mild (2007) and a harsh winter (2008) to evaluate spatial overlap and potential competition with North American elk ...  A reduction in elk populations may not improve diet quality, physiological stress levels, or body condition of mule deer on winter range, especially during severe winters. Consequently, management and conservation of winter habitat are more likely to benefit mule deer than would altering density of elk...


Easements may lead to wildlife crossing project near Montpelier December 23, 2019 Idaho, LocalNews8.com

... Fish and Game roadkill data indicates over 100 mule deer are struck and killed annually on a 20-mile stretch of Highway 30... Fish and Game and the Idaho Transportation Department are working on a joint project to establish wildlife crossing in the area...


Annual land closure to begin in east Idaho to protect deer, elk and moose herds December 17, 2019 Idaho, Idaho News

... BLM closes the Egin-Hamer Area (in eastern Idaho) every year for the protection of wintering deer, elk and moose herds. The area's temporary annual closure's been in place for more than 20 years.  It designates nearly 500 square miles of land off-limits to human entry ...


'Sad,' 'gruesome,' 'heartless': Idaho hunters face hate for posting their harvests December 16, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Statesman

... The 39-year-old teacher is one of many Idaho hunters who say they’re often hit with blowback when they post hunting photos online. To avoid the onslaught of vitriol, some of them are changing the way they hunt and share their stories on social media...


Idaho begins aerial wildlife surveys December 13, 2019 The Spokesman-Review

... will use low-flying helicopters to count deer and elk populations ... Care is taken to minimize disturbance to the animals ...


Grant money rehabbing Idaho aspen stands with an eye toward elk November 29, 2019 Idaho, Sports and Weather Right Now

... Officials on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest are leveraging grants to help rejuvenate isolated aspen stands important to biological diversity, with a particular emphasis on improving elk habitat...


Unusual wildlife migration patterns a result of late snowfall, and it's causing problems for drivers November 23, 2019 Idaho, East Idaho News

... The lack of snow has allowed the deer, moose and the elk, to remain in the high country,... In the Mackay area, both white-tails and mule deer have moved into the town and the hay fields south of town and a large herd of elk have set up homes north of Mackay Reservoir...


Idaho Man Struck In Neck By Stray Bullet In Home Survives November 18, 2019 kezj.com

... The bullet is thought to have come from a hunter's riffle... [he] is recovering ...


Car-deer collisions peak with colder weather, time change, hunting November 11, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Press-Tribune

... The primary driver of increased deer-vehicle collisions is the fact that deer are heading into mating season – known as the rut. This sends sex-focused male deer dashing across highways and roads... Also, hunters push deer toward a more nocturnal schedule ...


Eastern Idaho mule deer hunt shows slight drop in success November 8, 2019 Casper Star-Tribune

... mule deer hunting success was slightly down. Fish and Game pointed to harsh winters reducing the number of fawns the past two years. With fewer overall numbers, one youth doe hunt was cut to one week and eliminated in the Tex Creek area..,


MDF Completes Fourth Year of Post-Fire Habitat Restoration in Idaho Mule Deer Winter Range October 24, 2019 Mule Deer Foundation

... the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) planted 70,000 Wyoming sagebrush and bitterbrush plants on approximately 1,000 acres near Gooding Idaho that was the site of the 2017 Dog Creek Fire. This planting operation represents the fourth year of a five-year $500,000 assistance agreement that MDF coordinated ..,


Idaho's too friendly elk is heading to the Lone Star state October 17, 2019 Idaho News (press release)

... A bull elk that was illegally removed from the Idaho woods in early 2018 and grew to show no fear of humans has found a new home.  Texas A&M University...


Idaho Fish and Game wants new hunters. So it created a video game to help them learn October 17, 2019 Idaho Statesman

... it asked Leman and his fellow students at Boise State University’s Games, Interactive Media, and Mobile Technology program to design a virtual reality field dressing...


New Idaho management plan focuses on collecting better information about whitetail deer numbers, population dynamics September 30, 2019 The Spokesman-Review

... The plan that runs through 2025 calls for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to develop ways to monitor whitetail deer population numbers and various dynamics within the population, such as doe-to-fawn and buck-to-doe ratios as well as the ratio of mature bucks...


Ungulate threat creeps toward Idaho September 26, 2019 Idaho, Lewiston Morning Tribune

... with the recent detection of chronic wasting disease in deer near Libby, Mont. — 25 miles from the Idaho Panhandle — and the disease found in deer in Wyoming’s Star Valley — less than 2 miles from the Idaho border — Boudreau said he thinks it’s only a matter of time before “zombie deer” show up in Idaho.,.


IF&G trains its sights on whitetail data September 21, 2019 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune

... develop ways to monitor whitetail deer population numbers and various dynamics within the population, such as doe-to-fawn and buck-to-doe ratios as well as the ratio of mature bucks... using game cameras placed throughout whitetail territory to try to come up with survey techniques that are statistically viable ...


North Idaho's 2019 prospects September 16, 2019 The Spokesman-Review

... Statewide, hunters harvested 26,977 mule deer in 2018, for an overall hunter success rate of 31.1%. Meanwhile, hunters took 25,134 whitetail deer with an average success rate of 41.5%... the harsher, later winter didn’t seem to impact deer populations too much..,


Deer and Elk Hunting Season Preview September 13, 2019 Idaho, KPVI

... around the same amount of total deer as they did last year, but with less two point deer due to last year's extended winter where it stayed cooler for longer.  Three points may also be less due to the 2016-2017 winter which took a toll on fawns ..,


Comment sought on proposed new Idaho hunting rules September 7, 2019 Idaho, Post Register

... Limit nonresident participation on general season big game hunts without reducing resident opportunity... Reduce tag buyer congestion for highly competitive general season capped tags... [Comment until September 25]


F&G mulls limits to nonresident hunting September 6, 2019 Idaho, Lewiston Morning Tribune

... To compensate for revenue reductions related to future limits on out-of-state hunters, the department has proposed legislation to Idaho Gov. Brad Little that would increase nonresident fees for the first time since 2009...


Hundreds of trail cameras and custom AI software will help estimate Idaho wolf numbers September 1, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Statesman

... more than 800 game cameras  ... Because researchers know all cameras are firing at the same time, any wolves captured on camera are clearly individual wolves...  builds off time-to-event analysis, which is used in medicine ... it hadn’t been used in wildlife science ...


2019 Idaho Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Hunting Forecast August 26, 2019 Northwest Sportsman

... A difficult winter for mule deer fawns took its toll on herds for the second time in three years ... prior to 2016, Idaho had five consecutive mild winters, which helped build mule deer throughout the state, mostly in the south and central areas where mule deer dominate. Then the 2016-17 winter hit, which took a large segment of that year’s fawn crop..,


Big game hunters face variable prospects August 25, 2019 Idaho, Local News 8

...In Southeast Idaho (Pocatello region ... Winter fawn survival was average or slightly below average... in the Upper Snake Region ...  Because of harsh winter conditions, big game on fawn mortality in these areas was over 70 percent ... the west side of the region fared better than those on the east side ..,


Idaho roadkill study begins along wildlife migration route August 12, 2019 Idaho News

...  The project started earlier this summer and uses volunteers to identify dead animals on U.S. Highway 20 and State Highway 87...The list of roadkills includes White-tailed Deer Elk ...Mule Deer ...


Getting ready for the fall hunting season August 6, 2019 Idaho, KMVT

... the late winter and late spring was not good for the fawns. A lot of young deer didn't make it through the winter.  Mature deer numbers are the same as last year, but the numbers of elk are up..,


Study: In Idaho, cougars kill slightly more elk than wolves August 3, 2019 The Spokesman-Review

... 15 years of data collected on Idaho’s wolf and elk population... found that wolves accounted for 32% of identified mortalities for female elk while mountain lions accounted for 35%. That disparity grew when looking at elk calf survival with wolves accounting for 28% of known-fate deaths and lions accounting for 45%...


With five cases of CWD confirmed just miles from Idaho border, state officials shore up the defenses August 1, 2019 Idaho, Sports and Weather Right Now... 

This spring, Montana wildlife officials confirmed five cases of a deadly neurological disease less than 25 miles from the Idaho Panhandle ... will likely trigger year-round monitoring efforts ... no confirmed cases of CWD in Idaho ..,


Idaho Wildlife Officials Propose Animal Import Ban To Fight Disease July 29, 2019 Boise State Public Radio... Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is on Idaho’s doorstep, affecting animals in Wyoming, Montana and Utah... 


Idaho elk habitat gets $233,000 upgrade July 24, 2019 The Herald Journal

...  The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided $233,726 in grants to fund 22 habitat stewardship and hunting heritage projects in Idaho.   “There are many places in Idaho’s backcountry where overly thick forests and noxious weeds are taking a toll on forage and habitat,” ...


New survey methods will help produce the first estimate of total wolf numbers since 2015 July 24, 2019 Idaho, Idaho County Free Press

... Fish and Game staff have deployed over 800 game cameras in a high-density grid throughout the state, which will take millions of pictures. When Fish and Game staff collect the cameras at the end of September, researchers will download and analyze the photos and apply statistical modeling to estimate the population...


One stretch of the South Fork is now federally protected July 21, 2019 Idaho, East Idaho News

... the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) specifically recognizes the property’s value for wintering mule deer and provided financial support for the project through their Mule Deer Initiative program...


Linking forest management to moose population trends: The role of the nutritional landscape TV Schrempp, JL Rachlow, TR Johnson, LA Shipley… - PLOS ONE, 2019

... The quantity of forage shrubs was estimated to have declined over the past 30 years in about half of the population management units, with the greatest declines predicted for high-energy forage species. The population trend index was correlated with the percent change in availability of moderate-energy forage shrubs, indicating that availability of forage shrubs and change in availability over time might be affecting population dynamics for moose in northern Idaho...


Moose population declines in Idaho July 18, 2019 The Bulletin

... Biologists have no clear answers but say the decline is happening across the West ... does not know moose population numbers, but estimates there are 10,000 to 12,000 moose ...


Fish and Game giving ungulates, burn areas a boost July 16, 2019 Idaho, Twin Falls Times-News

... They’re collecting the seeds of a plant that can be an integral part of ungulate diets... help state and federal agencies jumpstart the recovery process in areas decimated by fire... Mule deer and pronghorn love bitterbrush...


Environmental lawsuit: Stop improving wildlife habitat July 15, 2019 Idaho, Capital Press

... The project aims to improve habitat for elk and deer, as well as ruffed and sharp-tailed grouse species by removing up to 85% of juniper trees — which behave like an invasive species — across nearly 1,700 acres in the forest...


Idaho Super Hunts June 26, 2019  Coeur d'Alene Press

... Of the 66,116 entries in the first drawing, 24,548 were for the eight available deer tags ... 


Idaho proposes changes to hunting rules June 14, 2019 Lewiston Morning Tribune

...The rule would give the commission authority to limit the number of nonresident deer and elk tags issued in general season hunts to no less than 10 percent of the number of resident tags without necessarily limiting tags available to resident hunters...


Fish and Game releases winter survival rates for elk, deer June 11, 2019 Idaho, KTVB

... just 42 percent of radio-collared mule deer fawns made it through the winter, well below the average survival rate of 58 percent. Fish and Game officers say February's significant snowstorms, followed by a cool and wet spring, contributed to the number of deaths..,


Federal agency taking comments on predator killing in Idaho June 10, 2019 Idaho, Washington Times

... A plan to kill wolves and other predators that attack livestock, deer and elk in Idaho is the subject of an environmental study that will include public comment ...


Mule deer, white-tailed deer plans available for review May 31, 2019 Idaho, IDFG News

... [until June 21] ... review Fish and Game’s draft management plans for mule deer and white-tailed deer and provide feedback to the department on the overall concepts of the plans and whether topics are missing that might improve them... the Mule Deer Plan ... the White-tailed Deer Plan ..,


Idaho farmer's elk damage claim exceeds $1 million May 28, 2019 Post Register

... A single claim by an Elmore County organic farmer exhausted an Idaho Department of Fish and Game account to compensate Idaho farmers for wildlife depredation, leading the Legislature to impose a payment cap...


Don’t become an inadvertent fawn napper May 28, 2019 Idaho, Bonner County Daily Bee

... Mother deer will leave their fawn for hours while they go off to feed nearby. The mother does this so predators will not see a vulnerable fawn when they see her. She can be gone many hours ... If a fawn is seen lying upright, eyes wide open, but flattened to the ground, do not touch it. This is a fawn’s camouflage position ...


Fawn survival is below average May 22, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Mountain Express Newspaper

... Through the end of April, mule deer fawn survival was below the 20-year average of 58 percent, which is tracked annually through the end of May. Some additional mortality is expected during May ... it appears that elk calf survival is doing just fine ..,


IDFG panel gets earful in Grangeville May 17, 2019 Idaho, Lewiston Morning Tribune

... Those who addressed the commissioners said deer and elk numbers have slid over the past decade or more, and changes are needed to hunting seasons to bring them back. They also said the Idaho Department of Fish and Game needs to collect more data on deer herd sizes and composition...


Mule deer fawns survival rate below average after cruel winter May 11, 2019 Idaho, Post Register

... lingering snowpack during March and April took its toll on eastern Idaho mule deer ... In some places, up to 40 and 50 percent were lost. .. “It will not be like the winter of 2016-17, but we will be below the long-term average,” ..,


Watching the whitetail, research project April 11, 2019 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... “Whitetail populations drive a lot of the predator populations because there are more whitetail than anything else ... We are trying to figure out how predators use whitetail deer and how that impacts other ungulate like elk.” ...


Idaho Fish and Game takes steps to improve moose population April 2, 2019 KREM

... "Across the state, we've been seeing [moose] numbers go down," ...Across Idaho, available tags for antlered moose dropped from 669 in the 2017-2018 season to 560 later this year. For antlerless moose, the tag amounts dropped from 136 to 74...


F&G Commission shortens whitetail deer season in additional units March 27, 2019 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... Commissioner Daniel Blanco ... hopes to enhance whitetail populations in units 10, 12, 16A, 17, 19 and 20, all on the eastern side of the region, by eliminating the use of second tags hunters can purchase at nonresident prices and shortening seasons in some of those units...


Wildlife biologists turn to solar-powered ear tags March 26, 2019 Idaho, LocalNews8.com-18 hours ago

...  solar-powered ear tags ... expected to last four to five years... tags will record and save the locations of tagged bucks every 30 minutes, then transmit the data the next time the device is near cellular service ...


Seven wolves taken in control actions in the Lolo Elk Zone March 21, 2019 Idaho, Cherokee Tribune Ledger News

... The operation is consistent with Fish and Game's Elk Management Plan and Lolo Predation Management Plan... hunters and trappers have reported 18 wolves taken in the Lolo zone during the 2018-19 season...


Most radio-collared fawns and elk calves survived unusually snowy February March 19, 2019 Idaho, LocalNews8.com

... Through the end of February, 78 percent of the collared fawns and 94 percent of the calves were still alive.  That compares with 88 percent of the fawns and 97 percent of the calves surviving through February in 2017-18, and 55 and 80 percent in 2016-17...


Fish and Game's final big game season-setting proposals for 2019-2020 March 14, 2019 Idaho, LocalNews8.com

... the elk population is doing well in southeast Idaho... Data also indicates that southeast Idaho has an abundance of young mountain lions ...


Time to feed the elk  March 13, 2019 Idaho Mountain Express Newspaper ·

... With our weather pattern predicted to remain cold, it is unlikely that early spring will provide any bare ground for deer and elk to feed in the north portion of our county... For every elk tag sold, $1.50 goes into a fund for feed...


Elk hanging in despite snowy February March 8, 2019 Idaho, Bonner County Daily Bee

... The latest mortality numbers are lower than in previous big snow years, possibly because this season’s snow came later. That allowed elk to feed across their range until February, when the snow hit ...


Do more cougar confrontations mean there are more of the big cats in East Idaho? March 9, 2019, Idaho State Journal

... “In Southeast Idaho between 2012 and 2016 the mule deer population was doing really well so it would make sense that the mountain lion population was doing really well as a result of that,” Lockyer said. “Then we had that really bad winter two years ago, we lost a lot of mule deer and we’ve been getting more lion calls ever since.” ...


Blanco seeks to ease the pressure on Clearwater Region deer, elk March 7, 2019 Idaho, Lewiston Tribune Online

... Blanco would like to boost whitetail populations by shortening seasons in units 10, 12, 16A, 17 and 19, all on the eastern side of the region, and eliminating the use of second tags hunters can purchase at nonresident prices...


As winter lingers, responsible shed hunting is critical for big game March 2, 2019 Idaho, East Idaho News

... “Wintering big game animals are very susceptible to any kind of disturbance whether it is from passing motorists, domestic dogs, predators or shed hunters in late winter and early spring,” ...


What extinction in Idaho looks like: Last caribou captured, ending conservation program March 1, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Statesman

... The British Columbia Ministry of Forests’s capture ended more than 35 years of conservation ... lone female ... Forests were cut and burned. Deer that thrive in the brush that was left over moved in, carrying a parasite known as a brainworm. That all but wiped out the caribou...


Trying to find the middle ground on wolves March 1, 2019 Idaho, Lewiston Morning Tribune

... Even though Idaho opened wolf seasons for both hunting and trapping in 2011, wolf numbers have continued to increase to roughly 1,000 in more than 90 packs ... In seven years, through 2018, F4WM has paid trappers about $250,000 of privately raised money for harvesting more than 470 wolves..,


Weather prompts depredation-related calls in E. Idaho February 26, 2019, Capital Press

... Corn, which offers easy access to food, water and security cover, “is basically perfect habitat for elk,” ... IDFG expects claims, which in late February totaled about $443,000 plus $114,000 in continuing-use agreements, to be well above last year’s roughly $700,000 ...


Deer and Elk Statistics Across Idaho February 25, 2019 KPVI News 6

... The amount of mule deer was slightly lower than the 10 year average by 3.5%, but was not too bad considering the terrible winter of 2016-2017, where 100% of fawns were lost in some areas including some of the adult population which hurt hunting the following year.  A milder winter in 2017-2018 allowed for a slight improvement, but still yielded a lower harvest as expected...,


Caribou County bait site prevents interaction with livestock February 25, 2019 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... The Idaho Department of Fish and Game with input from the Southeast Idaho Winter Feeding Advisory Committee (WFAC) has authorized a feed site on the west side of the Ninety Percent Range in Caribou County to bait approximately 200 elk from a landowner’s property...


Targhee Elk Herd an enigma February 20, 2019 Idaho, Jackson Hole News&Guide 

... “Everything we now know about their migration is so important for identifying priority areas to conserve,” Courtemanch said. “That could be through trying to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions on the roads or trying to determine where conservation easements should go...


Idaho Fish and Game adding big game proposals February 18, 2019 LocalNews8.com

... Winter surveys are also showing that mule deer populations in 66 and 69 are 38 percent lower in 2019 than they were when last surveyed in 2013... wildlife managers are recommending elimination of either-sex hunts in units ...

Wolf trapping is a tool Idaho wildlife managers want to keep, but at what price? February 17, 2019 Idaho, The Spokesman-Review

... “One incident in Bonner County which did result in a prosecution involved around a dozen deer and elk that were incidentally caught in snares and killed by one trapper. The trapper’s only crime was that he did not report the catches...


2018 deer, elk harvests similar to 2017; above 10-year averages except mule deer February 15, 2019 Idaho, IDFG News

... Hunters took more mule deer and fewer white-tailed deer in 2018 compared to 2017, while the elk harvest was similar between the two years -- dropping by less than 2 percent from 2017 to 2018..,


Despite storms, Idaho winter is normal and emergency feeding is unneeded  February 14, 2019  Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press 

... in mid February, Idaho’s snowpack was ranging from 81 percent to 112 percent of average with the majority of drainages running between 85 and 95 percent.  Fish and Game has winter feeding advisory committees in each region of the state except the Panhandle ...


Idaho markets hunting as tradition fails to be passed down February 13, 2019 Billings Gazette

...  the bulk of its funding comes from licenses, tags and permits. Fish and Game gets additional revenue from taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, but the state's share of those funds is determined by the number of license holders in the state...


Game cameras provide new methods for counting and managing wildlife February 11, 2019 Idaho, Idaho State Journal

... During November, biologists deployed a network of trail cameras on winter range of mule deer in Eastern Idaho ... An innovative approach using trail cameras to capture wildlife will allow Idaho Fish and Game biologists to estimate deer and elk populations in a safer, less invasive and less expensive way ...


Herd of elk raising concern near Rexburg/Sugar City February 7, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Fish and Game

... On Feb. 4 a herd of about 100 elk wandered into a rural area between Sugar City and Rexburg ... “They are in a tough spot to move given their proximity to Highway 20, Highway 33 and the high density of fences in the area,” ...


Idaho’s declining moose numbers prompt reduction in hunting opportunities February 3, 2019 Idaho Statesman 

... Climate change, reduced forage and predation are blamed for the large ungulates’ decline, Idaho Department of Fish and Game regional wildlife biologist Kara Campbell said...


31 Elk Dear in Rare Collision with Freight Train in Southeast Idaho February 2, 2019 Idaho State Journal

... a herd of elk standing on railroad tracks was hit by a Union Pacific freight train traveling between Montpelier and Soda Springs... wild animals often walk on train tracks in the winter in Idaho because the tracks are usually not covered by snow ...


Wildlife Assessment for US 20 Junction of State HIghway 87 to Montana State Line February, 2019

... In order to discourage animals from crossing US 20 on its road surface, to reduce WVCs and to maintain landscape permeability for animals crossing the highway, IDFG recommends three wildlife crossing overpasses with wildlife fencing between the crossing structures for the length of the project area ...


Idaho farmers could be compensated for wildlife-damaged irrigation January 31, 2019 Idaho, KTVB 

... Legislation to compensate Idaho farmers and ranchers for damage caused by elk, deer, antelope and moose to irrigation equipment and ground planted with seeds in the fall will get a hearing before lawmakers...


Idaho's declining moose numbers prompt reduction in hunting opportunities January 31 2019 The Spokesman-Review

... Climate change, reduced forage and predation are blamed for the large ungulates’ decline ... Fire suppression and reduced logging has also limited the summer forage for moose ... moose populations rebounded in Idaho and Montana roughly 50 years after the massive 1910 wildfires...


One strange day for a mule deer provides months of data for F&G biologists January 28, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Fish and Game

... Biologists use a model based on statistical sampling, which allows them to estimate the total population without having to count every animal.  When they survey a grid of land for animals in a helicopter, they also correct for the animals they don’t see – known as “visibility bias.” ... usually between 5 percent and 20 percent ... biologists only need to conduct comprehensive surveys every five years ...


Idaho wolf control board seeks $200,000 to kill wolves January 16, 2019 KIVI-TV

... contracts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services and Idaho Department of Fish and Game to kill wolves that attack cattle, sheep, deer and elk...


Poisonous yew plants have killed elk in Southern Idaho again — this time north of Boise January 10, 2019 Idaho, Idaho Statesman

... Yew, the toxic landscaping plant, has killed about a half-dozen elk in the Horseshoe Bend and Garden Valley areas this month ... 


Mugging the deer: Fish and Game surveys eastern Idaho fawns January 3, 2019 Idaho State Journal

... People who helped with grabbing and holding the deer are called “muggers.” ... Seeing how many fawns don’t make it through the winter, that helps us with our population to know our success rate of how many were recruited into the population for the upcoming year.”...


Landowner donates Idaho land once planned for subdivision January 2, 2019 The Olympian 

... An anonymous landowner donated 0.26 square miles (0.67 square kilometers) of mule deer winter range in Pocatello to a local land trust...


NIWF prepares for further discussion in Boise regarding the management of whitetail deer December 26, 2018 Idaho, Clearwater Tribune

... Northern Idaho Whitetails Forever (NIWF) ... our current whitetail deer herds of northern Idaho have declined ... group has managed to see some changes made, and were successful in shortening the 2018 season by 11 days and eliminated the used of second deer tags... A dense forest makes it too hard to collect biological data...


Fawn dies near Rexburg after eating toxic plant December 21, 2018 Idaho, East Idaho News

... he young fawn had ingested a large amount of Japanese yew and died of yew toxicity.  Japanese yew is a non-native plant that is often used as an ornamental shrub for landscaping...


Meeting to discuss whitetail numbers set December 14, 2018 Idaho, Lewiston Morning Tribune

 ...   ....successfully lobbied the Idaho Department of Fish and Game ... to shorten the whitetail season in Unit 10A ... members believe whitetail populations ... have declined because of their vulnerability to hunting during the rut when whitetails mate...


'High probability' that Chronic Wasting Disease will spread to Idaho, according to officials December 10, 2018 East Idaho News

... Twenty-two deer have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in Montana, and cases were also found in Teton County, Wyoming... 


Stnking Springs area closed for winter to protect wildlife December 4, 2018 Idaho, LocalNews8.com

... “Increasing human activity in the Stinking Springs area creates additional stress on the fragile mule deer that winter there, requiring them to use up their supply of stored winter fat more quickly,” ..


Deadly CWD knocking at the doors for Idaho deer populations November 28, 2018 Idaho State Journal

... Chronic wasting disease has been found in Montana, Wyoming and Utah. Last week, for the first time, a roadkill deer was found to have chronic wasting disease in Grand Teton National Park. Cases of the disease also have been found in Star Valley, Wyoming...


Idaho Fish and Game offering savings on hunting license November 23, 2018 Rexburg Standard Journal

... “Each year, 34 winners are drawn for elk, deer, moose, pronghorn or the ultimate super hunt – a combo of all four species ... Entries are $6 for specific species and $20 for combo entries... also guaranteeing sportsmen’s ability to hunt Idaho big game with a lifetime license...


CWD detection prompting mandatory sampling of all refuge elk for remainder of 2018  November 23, 2018 Idaho, National Elk Refuge

...  Effective on Sunday, November 25, the National Elk Refuge will require a mandatory sample of all elk harvested on the refuge for the remainder of the 2018 hunt season. Refuge Manager Brian Glaspell is implementing this mandatory sampling effort due to the recent detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a mule deer recovered in Grand Teton National Park..,


Hunters like Idaho whitetail management, want to see fewer non-residents allowed November 1, 2018 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... Sixty percent of hunters wanted IDFG to spend more resources developing access to private land, because, according to the survey, “whitetail deer are often tied to private agricultural land and cause depredations.” ...


Idaho eyes new deer management plans November 2, 2018 Lewiston Tribune Online

...  a sizable and vocal contingent of whitetail hunters in the Clearwater Region is concerned by the lack of information available on the size of the whitetail herd and the age class distribution of bucks... More detailed information on the whitetail deer survey [PDF] ... Information on the mule deer survey [PDF] ...


Deer Season Wraps Up October 31, 2018 Idaho, kpvi 

... [southeast Idaho] There were more two-point bucks due to more fawns surviving last year's winter, but there were fewer adult and bigger bucks..,


Overpasses: a better deal for taxpayers, cost less than detection system October 27, 2018 Idaho, Rexburg Standard Journal

... studies have shown that the detection systems are far more expensive than building overpasses and some fencing. Why? Because the detection systems last 10 years at best and require a lot of maintenance, while overpasses and underpasses last for 75 years or more, according to research by Marcel Huijser and others ...


Tubbs Hill deer hunt infuriates residents October 27, 2018 Idaho, Coeur d'Alene Press

... The deer gut pile found Wednesday in the popular city park raised the concerns of Coeur d’Alene residents who fear getting shot by hunters within city limits.  They wonder why town deer are being illegally targeted...


Studying wildlife ecology through road-killed animals October 19, 2018 Idaho. Rexburg Standard Journal

... I-84 became an impediment to migration...  many were killed ... many deer remained on the east side of the freeway and spent winters near Snowville, Utah. That winter range had insufficient forage for deer, and during the following winters, an estimated 40 percent of the herd died of malnutrition... the deer herd is currently less than half of what it was in the 1960s ...


Fish and Game sets check stations to interact with hunters and look for Chronic Wasting Disease October 15, 2018 Idaho, KMVT

... Chronic Wasting Disease has been reported in nearby states ... Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.  On opening weekend IDFG had several check stations to take biological samples of game to test for the disease...


Inmates help restore habitat through sagebrush planting program October 14, 2018 Idaho, Idaho Press-Tribune

... Since 2015, offenders at the two correctional centers have grown over 233,000 sagebrush and bitterbrush seedlings ... will benefit species that depend on them such as antelope, elk and mule deer...


Survey finds mule deer hunters satisfied, but management could improve October 10, 2018 Idaho, Idaho County Free Press ·

... Unsurprisingly, the type of mule deer most desirable to harvest was a large buck, and an antlerless mule deer was the least desirable... read the survey


Pocatello resident starting petition against proposed 'feeding of wildlife' ordinance October 3, 2018 Idaho, East Idaho News

... He’s hoping to convince the city council to meet half way with concerned citizens who at least want to be allowed to feed the animals in the winter when food and shelter is scarce...


Fish and Game: Idaho outdoorsmen to have some of the best elk hunting conditions of all time September 17, 2018 Idaho Statesman ·

... In 2017, hunters took 22,751 elk ... The 10-year average from 2008-17 is 18,865 ... historic high harvests in Idaho that topped out at 28,000 in 1994... mule deer  ...a tough winter in 2016-17 and cutbacks in antlerless tags to protect breeding age does dropped the harvest by nearly a third from 37,070 in 2016 to 25,496 last year ..,


Wildlife crossings make sense September 5, 2018 Idaho, Post Register

... The best solution is for voters in Fremont County to step up and tell the world that safe travel and safe wildlife passage are important to them; important enough to vote YES to wildlife crossings on the November 6 advisory vote...What ITD is looking at to keep drivers safe on Highway 20 is simple – some crossings and fencing...