Winter Feeding for Elk 2

Yesterday we told you about the harsh winter conditions in Idaho's Upper Salmon River country which have resulted in big game herds coming into the lower valleys looking to feed… as in hay that has been grown and stored in bales by ranchers. This causes problems for cattle ranchers because elk, deer and even moose are ravenous. Rancher Dan French says that once the animals arrive, nothing works to drive them out. “There is no way to keep them out. Once they start coming in, they are hungry. Once they come in to eat, you are not going to keep them out of there, I don't care what you do. We could get depredation tags and it burns me that they are tearing up my haystack and I still had to pay for the tags. We did get them and we have been harassing the elk pushing them way back to Moulty Creek with the four wheelers. The side-by-side, shooting a shotgun at them and they make it back to the haystack just about as fast as we can move them out.” A meeting sponsored by the Lemhi County Farm Bureau was held last week where cattlemen and Idaho Fish and Game talked about what to do. Local game manager Tom Kerret encouraged communication and early intervention. “When they first show up, we need to know about it. It's not very hard to see. You got people driving around and the fields are full of them. Sure. Some people don't care if they're out on their fields. Some people very much do. I feel like we have been responsive if we have someone who has an elk problem.” it is difficult to say what will happen but, ranchers and Fish and Game officials promise to keep communicating and cooperating.