Last winter’s impact: Idaho Fish and Game commissioners cut hunts in the region again

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Idaho sportsmen in the Snake River region and southeastern Idaho may see less antlerless hunting opportunities for the foreseeable future. Fish and Game commissioners are cutting several hunts in the region for the second time in two years.

After more than a year, Idaho's mule deer and elk populations are struggling to recover from the harsh winter of 2022 to 2023, according to data from Idaho Fish and Game.

Wildlife biologists say it could take several more years for them to bounce back.

"We saw very little survival of of our fawns and mule deer that we had tagged," Fish and Game biologist Logan Peterson said. "And we also had some mortality of our adult does, and that's when we really start seeing population drops."

If you recall, last winter stretched from November 2022 well into April 2023.

Fish and Game commissioners say, "despite a large effort by wildlife managers to emergency feed deer and elk in 2023 a lot of animals were lost due to deep, prolonged snow and frigid temperatures that stretched into spring."

"What we need to see a big high bounce back in the population would be several mild winters, very similar to the one that we've have this year," Peterson said. "While we did get good snow and stuff, it wasn't from November to April, it was from January till mid-march."

According to Fish and Game biologists, Idaho sportsmen can still plan on hunt's later in the season. But they may be disappointed by what they find.

Things are looking up for Idaho's white tailed deer population however.

According to commissioners, last year white tailed deer hunters saw a upswing in harvest numbers for the first time since 2019 which they say is a sign the herds are recovering.