Idaho’s hunting season looks promising

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Deer and elk hunting in Idaho is looking up this year, even after a tough season in 2023, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

Elk have stayed relatively healthy and stable despite the harsh 2022-23 winter. Mule deer numbers also look like they are improving throughout the state, and are starting to gradually grow, thanks to the mild winter we had in 2024. 

Fish and Game says while there should be plenty of elk to hunt, there will be noticeably less deer.

"The further north and west you go, we have more deer on the hill. The further south and east you go, numbers are down a little bit more. You should expect to see still fewer deer on the landscape than you did five or [more] years ago," said Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist, Logan Peterson.

It takes a few good winters for an animal population to rebound from such a harsh one, but Fish and Game believes the populations should increase in the next few years, especially fawns.