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The original gift of land by the American Game Association was to preserve the wetland values of the area and to benefit the associated waterfowl species. With the Snake River corridor and Fort Hall Bottoms, this WMA attracts and provides habitat for a variety of waterfowl and shorebird species. Bufflehead, Canada goose, gadwall, mallard, pintail, redhead, ring-necked duck, ruddy duck, scaup, shoveler, teal, and widgeon are common on the area at various times. Sterling WMA and American Falls Reservoir probably support the greatest variety of shorebirds in Idaho. American avocet, black-necked stilt, sandhill crane, and a variety of sandpipers use the area.
The most important upland bird species is the ring-necked pheasant; however, gray partridge are not uncommon, and mourning doves occur in good numbers through early fall. A variety of other bird species frequent the area as residents or seasonally. Raptors include eagle, osprey, and a variety of falcons, hawk, and owls. Blackbilled magpies, blackbirds, kingbirds, marsh wrens, meadowlarks, waxwings, and several species of sparrows are only some of the less conspicuous passerine birds which can be found here.
Smaller waterfowl concentrations gather on Mud Lake WMA from late August through September and from November through December. Winter temperatures and the loss of open water on Mud Lake inevitably push these birds further south for the remaining winter months.
Antelope, badger, beaver, cottontail rabbit, coyote, marmot, mink, mule deer, muskrat, pocket gopher, raccoon, red fox, striped skunk, and jackrabbits are some of the mammals which commonly occur on the area.
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