History
The Southwest Region has a long history of big game winter feeding efforts. The Winter Feeding Advisory Committee, made up of several citizen volunteers, met on January 9th to review current winter conditions and evaluate the need to declare a winter feeding emergency based on factors outlined in Fish and Game rule and policy as per IC36-123. The last emergency winter feeding operation was conducted in the winter of 2007/2008, when elk and deer were fed because of severe winter weather conditions in Garden Valley and the Lowman area.
January 23, 2017 status report
The Southwest region winter feeding advisory committee met the evening of January 9 to review current conditions and evaluate whether to declare a winter feeding emergency based on the factors outlined in the rule and policy as per Idaho Code 36-123.
Fish and Game as significantly increased elk permits in the Southwest Region to lower elk numbers and haze animals away from private property. Fish and Game recently established new depredation hunts (400 permits) in the Weiser River Valley in an attempt to address increased elk depredations on private property. Staff have responded to 62 complaints about elk depredations since December 1, 2016.
- Garden Valley: Feeding began at 10 feeding sites on January 22 at various sites around the valley.
- Weiser Area: Established an elk baiting site on January 23 and will attempt to haze approximately 400 elk away from agricultural fields and onto private land in the Weiser foothills where the owner has agreed to help Fish and Game conduct winter feeding.
- Boise River Wildlife Management Area: Two feeding sites have been established but a decision has not yet been made about whether to begin feeding operations. The Boise River WMA is closed to all public access to minimize disturbance of wintering wildlife.