Idaho Fish and Game crews are feeding 4,000 elk in eastern Idaho this winter, after a fire burned 22,000 acres of their winter range.
The fire hit the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area in Bonneville County last year. Without grass, forbs and brush, elk and deer now have nothing to eat. Fish and Game worried they would travel to private property 13 miles away and start eating haystacks and spilling into towns.
So, Fish and Game hauled in 1,500 tons of hay and in December, a crew of three began feeding 15 tons of hay a day to 4,000 elk. It’s the biggest winter feeding operation in Idaho’s history.
The elk seem to like it, if the Fish and Game video below is any indication. Watch as literally thousands of elk wash into the valley.
The emergency feeding operation will cost $350,000. The money comes from a special account funded by sportsmen who pay .75 cents extra for every elk, deer and pronghorn tag.
Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio
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