Elk

Idaho Fish and Game is closely monitoring mule deer and elk herds that typically overwinter on hundreds of thousands of acres burned by wildfires earlier this year.

Some Western states choose to feed elk occasionally, but Wyoming has the nations largest feeding program.

The rush, chaos and competition still defined the annual shed hunt, but vehicle registrations in Jackson were down by roughly half due to a new state law, prohibiting out-of-state residents for the opener.

Since the 1980s, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has fed elk each year at the Bullwhacker site to keep the animals away from urban and residential areas.

State officials think the addition of the SH-21 Cervidae Peak overpass will reduce vehicle collisions with big game by 80%.

Non-Idaho residents hoping to bag a deer or elk this season will be able to buy their tags beginning Friday morning.

An increase in the popularity of the activity collided last year with a snowy and cold winter that took a toll on Idaho wildlife.

It concentrates U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation funding in areas important for animals.

The Pew Charitable Trusts published a report calling on policy-makers and landowners to help animals migrate across the West. That report also highlights the latest science on animals like mule deer, elk and pronghorn.

Idaho Fish and Game has found six cases of chronic wasting disease in deer and elk since the disease was first detected in the state last fall.