The special deer season (hunt number 1180) in controlled hunt area 69-1X runs Nov. 10 through Nov. 30 and is limited to that portion of unit 69 that lies east and west of the Long Valley/Bone road. It does not include any portion of units 66 or 66A.
Download this map as a printable pdf [492 KB]
"The reason for trying to carve this part of the unit out was to try and focus harvest on deer that have the highest likelihood of wintering on Tex Creek WMA and not apply harvest to those deer that would not winter in the Tex Creek area," Regional Wildlife Manager Curtis Hendricks said. "We realize that this is not going to be an exact or surgical effort, but we felt it was a reasonable boundary for a more directed harvest."
The fire burned about 53,000 acres in Eastern Idaho last summer, including about 75 percent of the 34,000-acre wildlife management area. The fire burned most of the crucial range for about 3,500 elk, 5,000 mule deer and 100 moose that winter on the WMA, so it can sustain fewer animals this winter.
Fish and Game is also prepared to start emergency winter feeding following the hunting seasons. F&G officials decided a combination of emergency winter feeding and additional harvest is the best way to reduce over-winter mortality, allow winter-range vegetation to recover, and reduce damage to nearby private land.
The special elk season (hunt number 2230) in controlled hunt area 66-1X will run Nov. 17 through Nov. 30. These hunts are open only to people who possess tags for them.