Environment
Idaho’s Well Trained Wildlife
February 18, 2020 
The GUARDIAN took advantage of the sunny day Tuesday and made a wildlife viewing journey to Garden Valley.
It has been a while since we visited the area in spring and we were surprised at the way the deer and elk have been trained by Idaho Fish and Game biologists. The two big game species get along better than the Dems and Repubs, sharing dinners on the south and east facing hillsides.
The deer apparently are able to read since they cross the highway at the marked crosswalk. The elk aren’t as good at finding their way. We saw one with a GPS around its neck so it could locate and share the crosswalk with the deer.
If you go, take along some binoculars and at least one co-pilot. It is easy to get distracted as you watch the critters. Be mindful of other motorists and remember your car is the best viewing location.
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Feb 18, 2020, 9:41 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFCrJleggrI
Feb 19, 2020, 9:31 pm
Could we get a tracking collar like the one elk has for our politicos? Maybe a shock collar version?? 🙂
Feb 20, 2020, 11:09 am
Why do they put the crosswalk where the deer alway get hit by cars?
Feb 22, 2020, 9:18 am
“your car is the best viewing location”.
LOL!!!
Or, one could get out of ones car and go for a hike, or a bike ride AND likely see more of a variety of wildlife.
And to bring it back to a Boise note instead of consuming excess fuel for a roadtrip just for the sake of a roadtrip, one can see plenty of various wildlife in our BOISE Foothill Trails and the BOISE Greenbelt. Best to get OUT of your car though.
Also, this brings up an important point of how Idaho funds wildlife related programs.
Here is an example of people spending money for ‘wildlife viewing’, aka wildlife tourism. That financially benefits other areas of the state and it certainly shows our wildlife affects nonhunters too.
Should our Fish & Game Dept get funding from our general fund? Should our tax dollars be shared with our wild animals?
We can also add a note about our public lands- Idaho (and Boise especially) is a place where people CAN get out of their cars and go for a hike on our public lands to enjoy the outdoors. That is a treasure! But, it is being threatened by some people.
EDITOR NOTE–Easterner, your advice is contrary to all who respect wildlife and the safety of big game in the winter. Once you step out of a car and attempt to get closer to animals in the winter, the already stressed creatures are easily spooked. They burn up calories at a time when there is little grass to eat. You car is indeed a good viewing blind. Any biologist will tell you to avoid “hiking” among herds of deer and elk in the winter.
Feb 22, 2020, 6:35 pm
Well Eastie? What do you have to say for yourself? Doing harm to the animals by causing unnecessary stress. I think that’s a felony in some liberal states? I’ll settle for you telling the editor he’s right and you were wrong to suggest such nonsense.
What he says is absolutely true. The best deer stand I ever had was an idling farm tractor with the football game playing on the radio. SoundGuard cab on an IronHorse series tractor. I only took photos of course.
PS: Only you could write 4 paragraphs on this
Feb 23, 2020, 12:26 pm
Pardon the prose, Editor.
But, going for a hike or bike ride does not translate to “step our of the car and attempt to get closer to animals” or to, ‘hike among the herds.’ (unless one is a Cervidae whisperer, of course).
Less gasoline. More sneakers.
And funding for wildlife on our public lands.
🙂