Palisades and Teton Basin districts will be closed until May 1 to help wildlife
Published at
Idaho Falls — The Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho Fish and Game and Wyoming Game and Fish are extending winter range closures In the Palisades and Teton Basin Ranger Districts until May 1. The seasonal closure was set to expire on April 15, according to a news release from Idaho Fish and Game.
The extended closure was prompted by continuing elevated mortality rates in big game animals such as moose, elk and deer. The agencies are hoping that allowing the animals extra, uninterrupted time in their winter range will help the population rebound.
Winter range is predominantly on south-facing slopes at lower elevations, according to Idaho Fish and Game. As food sources in higher elevations become depleted, the animals move down to the lower elevations, where snow usually melts off faster so food is more accessible. Having this land to graze is vital to the survival of elk, moose and deer.
According to Fish and Game, human disturbances like snowmobiling, hiking and shed gathering during late winter and early spring can cause big game animals to expend energy they need to survive, especially with the severe, prolonged winter we’ve been experiencing this year.
“It has been a long, hard winter. Extending existing closure dates will provide some additional relief for area wildlife that may be stressed and running low on energy reserves,” said Mel Bolling, Caribou-Targhee National Forest Supervisor, in the news release.
Though Fish and Game is concerned about wildlife, there is also an issue of public safety. The department has issued several warnings about how the weather is affecting wildlife over the past few months. A human presence is added stress and big game animals can be aggressive when they are under stress.
RELATED STORY: Caught on camera: moose charges snowmobilers by Palisades
“This has been a brutal winter and we are asking people to give big game animals plenty of space and avoid causing them additional stress,” said Matt Pieron Regional Supervisor in the Upper Snake Region. “Our wildlife will benefit from any relief we can provide them and we appreciate the Forest Service for their efforts.”
The following locations are entirely closed to all human traffic:
Snowmobiling is not allowed in designated wildlife winter ranges or Wilderness Areas.
Maps showing winter closures are available at any of the Caribou-Targhee Forest Service offices or by going to their website and clicking on the link for winter visitor maps. The Forest Service will continue to provide winter patrols on the Forest to enforce the extended closures.