Hunters and other interested members of the public have until Jan. 12 to offer their input on Fish and Game’s newly proposed Moose Management Plan for 2020-25. The Moose Management Plan is a six-year document that guides the department in protecting and managing moose populations in Idaho, as well as developing season setting recommendations.
The draft plan and a comment form are available on Fish and Game’s Moose Management Plan page. The final draft, which will factor in public comments, will be presented to the Fish and Game Commission for its consideration at its March 19-20, 2020 meeting in Boise.
Moose populations have been declining is some parts of the state, and wildlife managers are now focusing efforts on improving monitoring of population trends and identifying the causes of declines, to better prescribe appropriate management actions to turn those populations around. The updated moose plan identifies strategies for addressing these issues. The department’s statewide moose management direction in the proposed 2020-2025 plan includes:
- Increase knowledge of moose survival, recruitment, habitat use, genetics and the impacts of disease, habitat changes, predation and recreational activities.
- Improve the quality of moose population monitoring data to better evaluate population trends. Create guidelines for moose translocations in Idaho.
- Collaborate with private landowners and land management agencies to incorporate measures in land use and resource management plans that benefit moose.
- Provide harvest opportunity while maintaining stable to increasing moose populations statewide.