Fish and Game continues to make positive strides with chronic big game depredations

Consistent efforts by Fish and Game staff from the Magic Valley Region are showing successes in parts of the region to reduce chronic big game depredation on agricultural crops. While consistent prevention tactics have been shown to change wildlife behavior, there continues to be new and ongoing incidents of big game depredating on crops, primarily standing corn, throughout the Magic Valley.

Elk depredation

During the summer of 2023, most depredation actions are occurring in Elmore, Jerome, Blaine, Cassia and Lincoln counties, with elk causing the majority of crop damages. In many situations, depredations are occurring on irrigated crop lands that border public rangelands.

As in years past, the most common request for assistance from landowners involves elk moving onto their cultivated fields at night, which complicates Fish and Game’s options to reduce damages.

Over the past decade one of the most common depredation complaints Fish and Game receives is elk in standing corn. Elk typically take shelter in corn fields and are rarely available to hunters since they are using the standing corn as shelter and only leave the fields during nighttime hours, leaving an extremely challenging situation for wildlife managers. Biologists have found that efforts to drive elk out of standing corn fields are virtually impossible since elk will just move into another part of the field, often resulting in additional crop damage.

Depredation tools

Wildlife biologists with the Magic Valley Region are continuing to work with landowners and hunters as one of the first lines of defense to deter big game from moving into agricultural fields where significant crop damage can and does occur. If hazing animals is unsuccessful, depredation staff do have the ability to authorize lethal methods to reduce big game numbers in areas where active crop depredations are occurring.

Fish and Game biologists are anticipating that big game will continue to move into and use agricultural crops over the coming weeks until harvest occurs.

Increasing numbers of big game animals accessing and damaging crop lands may require the Department to initiate additional management actions, including depredation hunts and landowner kill permits for antlerless animals, as well as hazing and sharp shooting by Department personnel.

Since the start of summer 2023, Fish and Game has lethally removed two elk. When animals are lethally removed, they will be promptly field dressed and professionally processed. Once processed, the meat will be donated to Idaho Hunters Feeding the Hungry who distribute the meat to local food pantries who then provide this much needed protein to local families in need.

For more information, please call the Magic Valley Regional Office at (208) 324-4359.