Big Game Winter Feeding
When winter brings wildlife out of the hills and into contact with people, we may ask when is it appropriate to feed big game animals. The desire to feed animals is natural, yet from past experience, Fish and Game knows it is a complicated decision.
Fish and Game looks to natural forage to sustain big game populations. But when emergency conditions exist, winter feeding becomes an option. Three main conditions that can trigger winter feeding are:
Private Property Damage
To prevent damage to private property such as damage to stored agricultural crops like haystacks
Public Safety Concern
To prevent significant human safety issues such as elk congregating near a busy highway
Excessively harsh winter conditions
To prevent excessive mortality that would affect recovery of the herd such as those conditions where a high percentage of the adult females would be expected to die
The agency’s policy and actions have evolved through decades of experience with winter feeding and is done with the best interest of Idaho’s big game populations.
After the devastating winters in the late 1990’s, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission developed a policy and process to guide the agency’s decisions to feed or not to feed big game animals.
News
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SW Region Big Game Winter Feeding Update
Monday, January 23, 2017 - 5:51 PM MST
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Winter feeding underway across Southern Idaho
Monday, January 23, 2017 - 3:21 PM MST
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Southwest Winter Feeding Report - January 23, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017 - 3:20 PM MST
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Magic Valley Winter Feeding Report - January 23, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017 - 3:20 PM MST
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Additional Winter Feeding Sites Authorized in Southeast Idaho
Saturday, January 21, 2017 - 7:43 PM MST
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Big game around the region continue to battle winter
Thursday, January 19, 2017 - 2:58 PM MST
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Elk and Mule Deer Feeding to Begin in the Silver Creek Valley and Carey areas
Thursday, January 19, 2017 - 12:23 PM MST
Regional Feeding Updates
Check here for details about winter feeding in each of our regions.
- Panhandle Regional Update January 23, 2017
- Clearwater Regional Update January 23, 2017
- Southwest Regional Update January 23, 2017
- Magic Valley Regional Update January 23, 2017
- Southeast Regional Update January 23, 2017
- Upper Snake Regional Update January 23, 2017
- Salmon Regional Update January 23, 2017