Northern Part of Egin-Hamer Closure Opens May 1

Right on schedule, the northern portion of the Egin-Hamer closure area will open at sunrise on May 1. Despite the nice spring weather and much of the wintering wildlife moving on to other areas, the area north of the Egin-Hamer Road has remained closed to human travel. Recently, Idaho Department of Fish and Game staff members have seen deer and elk taking advantage of early green up conditions in the area. The area south of the road opened sunrise April 1. Some years, when the winters are mild, the local, state, and federal agencies that manage the Egin-Hamer area have been able to open parts of the area earlier, but that was not the case this year. Biologists have been keeping an eye on the movement of big game in the area, and early green-up, especially on recently burned areas, means that some animals have still been hanging around in the closed area. The area is popular with local families that hunt through the sagebrush for shed antlers. Keeping illegal horn hunters out not only protects wildlife, but insures a fair start for legal antler collectors when the area opens. Maps and exact descriptions of the closed area are available at the Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Game offices in Idaho Falls or call BLM at 208-524-7445 or Fish and Game at 208-525-7290.