Idaho Fish and Game is revising its long range plan for managing elk.

Rocky Mountain elk are Idaho’s premier big game animal. They are distributed throughout Idaho from the sage-dominated deserts of the south to the dense cedar-hemlock forest of the north.

Using many sources of input and data, Fish and Game develops plans to best manage wildlife to preserve, protect and perpetuate the species. The previous elk management plan addressed the need to manage hunter density and distribution, and changes in elk populations. Today Fish and Game is revising that plan to address current hunter preferences and elk numbers.

The goal is a plan that is responsive, incorporates biological and resource realities, hunter input and desires, and Commission involvement and approval. Based on hunter survey results, aerial surveys, current elk population status, the potential for herd growth and hunter preferences, Idaho Fish and Game staff drafted statewide elk management objectives for the next 10-years. They also developed objectives and strategies for each of the elk management zones in Idaho, and, are working on other, hunter-friendly options.