TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) -Idaho Fish and Game just finished up a trapping and translocation project in Southern Idaho to remove elk responsible for costly and repeated crop damage.
On Thursday fish and game concluded its three-day effort of trying to reduce the elk population in the Little Camas region near Game Unit 44. Mike McDonald, who is the regional wildlife manager for Idaho Fish and Game said there is more than 150 head of elk in the area, which is above the population management objective.
“A lot of elk in the Magic Valley region. We have seen increasing elk herds for over the last decade,” McDonald said.
Due to the increase in population, the elk have been wandering over on to private land causing chronic and costly crop damage in the range of $2 million.
“Some of the most expensive depredations in the history of the degradation program,” McDonald said.
He said over the last several years wildlife officials have tried a variety of tactics to manage the herd, from increasing hunting permits in the area to hazing and scaring the elk away. This time around wildlife officials tried trapping and funneling the herd into corals with a helicopter and ATV’s, and then translocating by trailer to a different game unit. McDonald said the tactic is one that is rarely used.
“It’s dangerous. There is some adherent risk to elk and the people handling elk, and #2 it’s pretty darn expensive,” McDonald said.
He said their goal over the three day period was to trap and move 70 heads of elk and translocate onto public land in Game Unit 34 in the Valley/Boise County area, but wildlife officials were only able to get 16.
“We have a long history of trying to manage this elk(population). They have become pretty savvy to what some of what we are trying to do out there. Even with a helicopter, these elk were very reluctant to be moved,” McDonald said.
He didn’t say whether or not they would try trapping again next year, but the decision will most likely come down to how much damage the herd causes in the future.
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The Link LonkOctober 26, 2020 at 05:41PM
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Idaho Fish and Game finishes up project to trap and translocate elk in Southern Idaho - KMVT
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