The local Idaho Fish and Game office takes one or more calls every week about injured or distressed wildlife. Examples include an orphaned calf elk, a deer stuck in a soccer net, and a deer with an arrow sticking out of its neck. Each situation is different, and our response to each animal takes those differences into account. Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions we often get about wounded or orphaned wildlife:
Question: What will Fish and Game do if I call to report an injured animal?
Answer: That depends on the situation. We will do our best to get someone out to see if we can locate the animal. Sometimes, we are unable to come immediately due to other field work or requests for help. When we do find the animal, we will assess its injuries. Often, wild animals are able to recover without our help from injuries that seem very serious. If the injuries appear to eventually be fatal, we may decide to dispatch the animal. We sometimes capture animals in order to remove things like nets on antlers, traps on feet, or arrows that are not fatal. Occasionally, an injured animal can be transported to a rehabilitation facility, but this option works better for some animals than others. We will only transport to a rehabilitation facility if we expect the animal will be able to return to the wild.
Question: If I observe a severely injured animal, can I put it out of its misery?
Answer: No, the public is not authorized to dispatch injured wildlife. Please report injured animals to your nearest Sheriff’s office or Fish and Game.
Question: Can you move, help, or rehabilitate the animal?
Answer: Occasionally, but that is often not the best solution. Often, animals are adults or youngsters old enough to survive on their own. Animals of that age do not rehabilitate well – they either fail to recover, or become too accustomed to people and do not do well when returned to the wild. Furthermore, attempting to capture and transport animals always comes with a measure of risk – animals in poor condition may not handle drugs well, and drugged animals can become disoriented and run onto roads or other unsafe places.
Question: What about animals that have been hit on the highway?
Answer: Our response is the same as above if the animal is injured. If the animal is already dead, either Fish and Game or Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) staff will move it off the roadway enough that it is not posing a hazard to motorists. We generally do not respond to reports of dead wildlife that are well outside the highway right of way, and therefore not a hazard to drivers.
Fish and Game encourages people to report roadkill, even when it is not on the highway, because it helps the Department work with ITD to improve driver safety and maintain healthy populations of wildlife by reducing roadkill. To report any roadkill you observe, go to the Fish and Game website at https://idfg.idaho.gov/species/roadkill.
Question: What if I observe an injured animal on the weekend, or in the evening when Fish and Game offices are closed?
Answer: Your best bet is to call your county sheriff's non-emergency line. Dispatchers can pass information onto Fish and Game officers, who can help determine what response is needed.