Idaho spending $650,000 to feed elk, deer and antelope

Idaho is spending about $650,000 this winter to feed elk, deer and antelope at 110 sites around the southern half of the state. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Wednesday says it’s feeding about 10,000 elk, 10,000 deer and 100 antelope. The sites are in areas where officials say an unusually severe winter is causing problems for big game. Officials say the number of elk being fed represents 7 percent of the state’s elk population, while the number of deer being fed is less than 2 percent. Officials say the emergency feeding is intended to reduce damage to private crops, keep animals from roads and provide nutrition. State officials say deer and elk herds have grown with several years of mild winters, but numbers could decline this winter.