To listen, visit and find Episode 173.The Idaho Fish and Game Commission recently approved proposed changes to some deer and elk hunts in response to disease outbreaks in the Clearwater Region last year.Įpizootic hemorrhagic disease swept through low-elevation areas of the region last summer and killed thousands of whitetail deer. Ross and Micah Ellstrom on the North Idaho Now Podcast. “Micah and I and the rest of our staff do what we do because we love to hunt and fish and we love to talk to people who love to hunt and fish.” “I think a huge part of it is being able to talk with folks as they’re coming,” Ross said. Ross said another important aspect of the check stations is the interaction Idaho Fish and Game employees are able to have with other outdoor enthusiasts such as themselves. Idaho Fish and Game Regional Communications Manager T.J. The disease was detected for the first time in Idaho in 2021 after more than 20 years of proactive surveillance and testing.Įllstrom said that while CWD has not been detected in the Panhandle region yet, it's important for biologists to stay vigilant and catch it early if it does make its way here. Idaho Fish and Game states that CWD is a contagious and fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose for which there is no cure. One of the many things state wildlife officials are currently on the lookout for is signs of Chronic Wasting Disease. That data goes into our mandatory harvest reporting database.” Oftentimes, we will take samples depending on what the species is and what we are looking to do with it. We will collect information from them regarding their harvest. “We check in on how their hunt went and if their hunt was successful. “We just set up and as folks come by, they’ll stop and visit with us,” Ellstrom said of the check stations. Hunting zones in Idaho are drawn up based on elk population movements and migrations, as well as hunter behavior. Several of these stations were active last weekend, during which time hunters had the opportunity to harvest cow elk in certain zones. ![]() To help determine how factors such as fires, abnormal temperatures or illness are affecting the health of big-game animals in the Panhandle, Idaho Fish and Game will sometimes set up check stations in areas with high hunter traffic. However, long-term in our forested habitats, fires tend to be very beneficial for big game … it increases the (amount) of groceries on the ground.” “They'll displace animals in the short term and it makes access more difficult for hunters if there are road and forest closures, obviously. Ellstrom said forest fires can be a unique factor for big-game wildlife habitat and movement, as the animals tend to leave those areas temporarily, but have been known to return to feast on the new vegetation. While the drop in whitetail numbers is something for Idaho Fish and Game to monitor, he doesn’t anticipate hunters will see a decreased number of them in the woods.Īreas that could see a decrease in animals of all types are those recently affected by the numerous wildfires that burned in North Idaho this summer and into fall in some places. “A lot of the deer that went into winter were already stressed from the drought,” Ellstrom said. He added that this increase could be attributed to last summer’s significant drought, combined with persistent snow throughout the winter and even into the spring in certain areas. “We did see some increases in mortality in whitetail deer fawns,” he said. When it comes to deer, Ellstrom said Fish and Game has seen some fluctuation in populations. Winter seasons are traditionally the driver of big-game populations in North Idaho, so the relatively mild winters experienced over the last few years have generally translated to increased survival rates. “We tend to see a decrease in harvest during years of these warm, dry conditions that persist through October,” Ellstrom said.īased on statistics gathered over the years from radio collars that have been placed on elk populations in the panhandle, Idaho Fish and Game has been seeing moderate to high survival rates for calves. He explained that when temperatures are high, elk often head for areas more difficult for hunters to access. ![]() “These warm temperatures and dry conditions can be difficult for elk harvest in particular.” “The weather has been a little difficult with the season so far,” Ellstrom said. 10, it’s difficult to gauge yet whether hunters are having success, said Regional Wildlife Manager Micah Ellstrom. Considered by many in North Idaho to be a holiday worthy of taking time off from school or work, hunting season for deer and elk has arrived.
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