Winter is a hard time for the Wood River Valley's wilder denizens, including elk, mule deer and moose.
Especially in the hardest of winters, wild animals migrate down into the Wood River Valley for its relative shelter and the fact that food and water are more easily available to them. But, inevitably, this leads to conflicts between wildlife and vehicles on highways and roads.
For those of us who make the valley our home, being a good neighbor to wildlife requires us to respect and understand their basic needs, Idaho Fish and Game officials said this week.
Roger Olson, a local district conservation officer for Fish and Game, said one of the most heavily used wildlife corridors in the valley is in the area around Peregrine Ranch, just north of Hailey along state Highway 75. Elk typically graze the Peregrine Ranch's large fields at night before crossing the highway to reach the security of the Wood River's riparian areas, where they spend their daytime hours, he said.
This pattern of crossing from west to east just after sunset and from east to west before sunrise places them in danger of being struck by oncoming vehicles, Olson said. "That's the kind of place that a person needs to watch out for," he said.
Olson recommends drivers drop their speed by at least 5 miles per hour to make it easier to brake for wildlife on the road. Drivers should also watch for eye reflections, he said. "Always watch the side of the road," Olson said.
Unless drivers are going less than 20 mph, they should never swerve away from wildlife, he said. Swerving can place drivers into oncoming lanes, so braking hard for wildlife is typically the safest bet, Olson said.
"Whether it's a rabbit or a moose, my life is more important than the animal that is standing in the road," he said.
To protect wintering wildlife, the Sawtooth National Forest and Fish and Game close the south-facing slopes along Warm Springs Creek to all human use in winter. How long the closure lasts depends on the severity of the winter, Olson said.
Officials initiate the closure when snows become deep enough to force elk into more concentrated herds, Olson said. The closure extends from the West Fork of Warm Springs Creek to Ketchum, he said.
So far this year, the snows, although significant, have been light enough to allow elk to move around with relative ease, Olson said. "They aren't concentrated," he said.
Once deeper snows come, though, the Warm Springs area will be closed, Olson said. "Mother Nature is going to kind of dictate that one," he said.
Pet owners need to be careful to not allow their dogs to run after wildlife, Olson said. "They're just playing, but the elk doesn't see that," he said.
Olson also discourages people from feeding wildlife.
During winter, Fish and Game typically hears complaints that elk are starving, he said. Except in the hardest of winters, though, this isn't typically the case, Olson said.
"Elk can lose up to 20 percent of their body weight before they get in trouble," he said. "They're big, strong animals."
