The portion of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area west of Highway 21 will be closed to all entry beginning on Feb. 1 and will remain closed through April 14, when deer and elk begin migrating out of the area in the spring. The closure will benefit wintering big game and support ongoing rehabilitation efforts from the 2024 Valley Fire.
This portion of the WMA was among the nearly 10,000 acres burned in the Valley Fire and serves as critical winter range for roughly 2,400 mule deer and 650 elk.
In a normal year, winter can be hard on deer and elk – especially fawns and calves. Even under normal conditions, additional stressors, such as encounters with hikers, mountain bikers, or skiers, reduce a deer or elk’s ability to maintain good body condition. With less forage on the landscape as it continues to recover from the fire, deer and elk in the burn area are even more susceptible to starvation and more vulnerable to stress from human interactions, as people are visible from greater distances and escape cover is nearly nonexistent.
The Boise Front segment features foothills trails popular with outdoor recreationists. The decision to close this portion of the WMA for the winter will require these users to find an alternative place to recreate.
“We understand that people love using this part of the Boise River WMA during the winter for a variety of purposes, and we appreciate that we have broad community support for the WMA,” said Regional Supervisor Josh Royse. “We certainly want that to continue, but closing the burn area to human entry again this winter is the best thing for the landscape and the animals.”