Temporary Antler Shed Hunt Closure enacted in Eastern Idaho

EASTERN IDAHO, (KIFI)- In response to the harsh winter, the Idaho Wildlife Commission has voted to add a shed antler gathering closure in districts 5 and 6 of Idaho Fish and Game.

District 5 is the Southeast Region, headquartered in Pocatello, and District 6 is the Upper Snake Region headquartered in Idaho Falls.

The closure will start on January 1 and run until mid-April.

"This is a season that's voted on by the Wildlife Commission every year. It's designed to just relieve some pressure off of animals and, you know, be looking for that season-to-season closure to start January 1st and April 15th, and then we'll see what the commission decides in the future," Logan Peterson a regional wildlife biologist for Idaho Fish and Game says.

The closure is part of relief efforts that Fish and Game can enact to help wildlife, currently experiencing a milder winter, but still recovering from last year's harsh winter.

"Then we'll see where we go from there," Peterson said.

The closures will not impact the seasonal closures we see on some public land, such as the Egin closure, which will still be closed for public use.