Too Many Elk

Too Many Elk

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
“We are happy to provide a forum for the legislators, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Idaho Sportsmen’s Commission and ranchers to come together and hopefully work out a solution that we can all live with” Cattle rancher James Whitaker representing the Lemhi County Farm Bureau is speaking to a group of about 50 people who recently toured ranching communities in the Lemhi Valley where big game, mostly elk, are causing problems. Ranchers shared stories on the impacts of large elk herds that have taken up residence on their properties. “There are from 100 to 600 at various spots throughout the winter. In the corrals, around the haystacks, in the fields, there is indeed a problem. We would like to see some kind of compensation for our losses, maybe extend the boundaries a little further to keep the numbers on these animals down.” Idaho Fish and Game has been working with ranchers to manage the problem. Rancher Steve Bachman with Fish and Game assistance has tried hazing. “My hazing operations have pushed the elk into my neighbors. So if my neighbors don’t haze, what happens is, we have experience that all of the elk will congregate into them.” Game managers are allowing more hunting opportunities but it is having very little impact.
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