• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Fish and Game Isn't Feeding Deer, Elk Yet

Posted on: Saturday, 17 December 2005, 15:00 CST

By Roger Phillips, The Idaho Statesman, Boise, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Dec. 17--Winter temperatures are cold, but Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials say it's a normal winter so far and big game animals do not need to be fed.

The department has a citizen advisory panel that meets weekly to assess weather and animal conditions to determine whether F&G needs to start emergency winter feeding.

"It's cold, but animals appear to be looking good and conditions don't appear to warrant it," said Lester McDonald, landowner/sportsman coordinator for the Southwest Region.

F&G's guidelines require certain weather factors to occur before winter feeding begins, including 18 inches of snow on south slopes, or five consecutive days where the temperature never gets above zero.

Neither of those situations have occurred yet on the animals' winter range.

Most deer and elk have migrated to their winter ranges, which means it will be common to see them along roadways in Boise area, Garden Valley and other wintering areas.

Animals also may move onto private property and feed on shrubs and bushes around houses.

"I would encourage folks not to feed animals," he said. "That just starts a process that usually gets worse."

When deer and elk migrate, they tend to stop wherever they find food, rather than continuing to lower elevations where more food is available, he said.

Some old, weak or sick animals normally die during winter months, which people may see.

"It's easy for folks to jump to the assumption that they are starving to death," he said.

But that's not necessarily the case. Most animals should be in pretty good shape this winter because there was plenty of food available last spring and summer.

"From what we've seen at our check stations this fall, deer and elk look really good as far as their fat reserves," McDonald said.

But F&G is stockpiling winter feed in certain areas in case winter weather gets worse and the department has to start emergency feeding.

-----

Copyright (c) 2005, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Idaho Statesman, Boise

More News in this Category