Many of the northern Idaho units are either below objectives or don’t have objectives tied to them like in the panhandle. Northern Idaho used to be an elk Mecca and it has the potential to produce a lot of elk. That is not the case in most of northern Idaho’s backcountry. There are places you can walk a week and not see an elk track now. What is the IDFG plan of action to get our elk back in these areas? We have been waiting almost 20 years now to see if we could find a balance with wolves in these areas, and see elk herds rebound.we aren’t seeing any improvements, and I would argue the need for reintroduction of elk into some areas. I would like to know what is being done, besides opening more wolf seasons.
Answer:
You are correct. The Clearwater Region was the only place outside of Yellowstone park that had elk in 1938 when the Department was formed. Those elk herds flourished in that area due to the large-scale burns of the early 20th century and since then those habitats have continuously grown back into conifer monocultures. The Department researched elk declines in the late 1970s in the Lochsa country. We are working to encourage forests and federal land managers to consider elk habitat when planning for future harvests and to try to get the best out of the work that does occur. Elk reintroduction is a tool but unfortunately not going to get us much gains until the habitat is improved. As for wolves, we have liberalized wolf hunting and trapping opportunities and even some targeted removal where elk populations are below objective.
Answered on:
Friday, October 14, 2022 - 2:21 PM MDT