Population monitoring and input from the public

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.

Fish and Game staff worked throughout winter to help big game herds and mitigate damage to private property, including: 

• Staff, temporary employees, landowners, and volunteers fed about 265 tons of deer pellets in the Southeast Region.
• Worked with local landowners where elk were getting into haystacks and feedlines to reimburse them to use their hay, equipment and labor to bait elk away from their operations and public roadways.
• Department staff, temporary employees and cooperating landowners fed about 1,350 tons of hay to bait elk away from haystacks, silage pits, feedlines, and for public safety concerns in the Upper Snake and Southeast Regions, of which:
  • 850 tons were fed in the Upper Snake Region
  • 500 tons were fed in the Southeast Region 

Monitoring mule deer survival throughout winter is an important tool for preparing for the fall hunting seasons. While mule deer survival was considered average in most parts of the state, record snows in southeast Idaho and similar weather in the Upper Snake region painted a different picture.