Elk damage payout exceeds $1million!!

Dman · May 31, 2019

Did anybody else see this:
https://www.gohunt.com/read/news/idaho-farmer-payout-for-elk-damage-exceeds-1-million#gs.fwfz37

I'm not anti farming or anything like that, I like to eat food too... But that seems pretty excessive.
It's a really good example of what fish and game is up against trying to balance managing big game with so much pressure from big AG.
This farmer bought the ranch in the 90's as mostly dry land ag... then put in wells and irrigated over 2800 acres. He's probably created the best food source for miles around, and now the elk have flooded in, go figure. I doubt the elk are new, but since he's created a great food source now they are a problem and somebody has to pay... either the elk or F&G. Massive lethal removal may be next, in fact they already killed an estimated 80 elk there last summer.

I hunt the Weiser elk zone and it's just disappointing to see what they are doing there to reduce the elk numbers primarily in response to farmers complaints. At least that's the only reasoning I've seen for the reduction. I believe their "goal" is to reduce the elk numbers to about half of what it was, it's maddening to see this happen.

Yeah, i'm just a selfish hunter, but have a hard time believing we have too many elk!

YZF_88 · May 31, 2019

I saw that as well! Helps explain the substantial 40% increase in controlled rifle tags in southeast units as well.

hawkbill · May 31, 2019

Corn McDonald the head biologist for magic valley game and fish is going to destroy the hunting up in the central mountains and the Bennett mountains because he can't figure out how to manage game or help farmers. You would think that if a farmer decides to plant organic crops in a migration corridor that he would high fence it, but no he likes those big bulls he sees out there, he gets his land owner tags so he and his buddies can kill a big old trophy bull and then call the game and fish to get the Elk off the property. What about the game and fish under biologist Randy Smith capturing 170 Elk out of warm springs and dumping them out in farm country, you were probably involved in that also weren't you Mcdonald. There was no mention of winter kill by the game and fish in the Central Mountains this year. Then to have your 2 year public meetings, which was in February and not let the sportsman talk at the meetings. They increase tag numbers in all the central units and none of this will help your private land, corn and Elk issues. McDonald you better get out to the rifle range and practice up because it looks like you and your buddies will be running off of Kill Tags this year. Corn McDonald made it very clear he only has one law to follow and that is to protect the private land owner, what he forgot about was it takes sportsman to make it happen.

Mallards_Only · Jun 1, 2019

This kind of stuff pisses me off. First, weren't the elk there first before he decided to put in a pivot and grow crops that are not "native" to the area? Now, the elk are a "nuisance?" Second, they should allow depredation tags if the guy wants to keep the elk out. But, I suspect hawkbill is correct and the farmer himself is killing bulls and loves them when he has a tag to fill for himself and then wants a cool million as a bonus after he shoots his bull. Finally, the article states they tried fencing but the sage grouse had difficulty navigating the fences. SERIOUSLY?? First, how many sage grouse could possibly be endangered by a fence around a pivot. IF they're flying into it, put streamers on it and if they can't walk through it, put it 12" above the ground. No elk is gonna crawl under a fence. It ain't rocket science. McDonald sounds like a real winner.

elkboy32 · Jun 1, 2019

The landowner privilege in this state is getting out of hand. And unfortunately it's us sportsman that are getting the shaft. I have a feeling that eventually serious anger is going to boil over, and I really hope it doesn't become violent. But taking away something that individuals value so much, wether it's killing off a herd or putting a gate on a road, will create a response. I just have a feeling very few individuals in power in the state really give a crap about what Idahoans really value though.

Butts · Jun 1, 2019

I replied to the GoHunt article. Say the same thing here. IDFG has taken a reactive stance on this issue just like every other western state. The state knows problems exist, but they are willing to throw a bandaid on it and not execute a solution.
IDFG has increased tag numbers for bull elk around agriculture land. Solution??
Why does it take a state agencies checkbook being hit before awareness rises.???
I understand there is a delicate balance, but hell all mighty there has to be a more proactive approach on these issues.!!
My opinion is the ?fences ? that where put up are the disinfectant. NO solution just a way to get LO of their back. Do it right and be done with it and save everyone a hell of allot of time , energy, and money.

Dman · Jun 6, 2019

Found another write up with a bit more info on this:
https://www.postregister.com/farman...cle_a6502657-167b-5ab9-837a-e20b72a7e523.html

Butts, yeah, F&G seem to always be reactive on issues like this. But they have been working for several years on this one particular farm now, but can't seem to figure it out. Fencing seems to be the only real solution to me in this instance other than wiping out the whole herd. Whatever "hazing" techniques they've tried so far apparently don't work.
Wonder how much fencing you can get for a million bucks! I have to think there must be a way to not be too much of a detriment to the sage grouse and still keep the elk out.
Honest question... how much do sage grouse even use these crop lands? certainly not their native habitat!
This article stated that they've already killed 80 of the elk (16%). Would be a terrible waste to Idaho sportsmen if that escalates. Just another kick to nutz from F&G.

hawkbill · Jun 7, 2019

Isn?t it amazing that an Elk Farmer can fence the Elk in on his property, but the game and fish can't quite figure out what to do here. The Mexicans have been high fencing 20 years. The real problem lies with the big Ag legislators, the game and fish and the game and fish commissioners, they want the sportsman to keep buying the tags to hunt so they can be stupid and not come up with a real solution. I see trouble a brewing, I spoke with guys from Challis, Twin Falls and the central mountains about these problems over the weekend, everyone says the same thing just who in the hell does Mike McDonald think he is. You better take a step back Mcdonald and look at the whole situation, your Nazi style meetings didn't go well where ever you showed up, your a terrible speaker and quite boring and you are all about you not the two hundred guys that came to the meeting with high hopes of hunting next year. The Sportsman and women pay your salaries and you show up and treat people like dirt, I can hardly wait to see you at the next meeting and I will garentee the sportsman will be talking.

fullthrottle · Jun 7, 2019

Huh, the landowners ##### about the elk, yet they won't let anyone on their land to hunt them. Makes a whole lot of sense to me.

Mallards_Only · Jun 8, 2019

>Huh, the landowners ##### about the
>elk, yet they won't let
>anyone on their land to
>hunt them. Makes a whole
>lot of sense to me.
>

What, and give up on their cash cow of getting a cool million for doing NOTHING?? Wanna be a millionaire? Buy some property in a well-established elk wildlife corridor. Plant crops that are well-known to be attractive to elk and then make a "damages" claim to the state of Idaho. Total BS if you ask me.

hawkbill · Jun 8, 2019

How about doubling the payout by claiming ORGANIC

Mallards_Only · Jun 9, 2019

That's probably why he went organic. Why spend more $ on chemicals, etc when you can lie about your yields that you're supposedly losing and get a ridiculous payout from IDFG and do less work. This whole thing stinks.

grizzly · Jun 9, 2019

There is an legal idea called The Attractive Nuisance Doctrine that says a landowner can be held liable for something that happens on his land... even in the case of trespassing.

The common example is a kid that goes in your backyard and drowns in your pool. You maybe didn't give permission, but you should've foreseen that happening and fenced it. That's the generalized idea, anyway.

They need to apply some sort of similar ideology here. Don't plant what amounts to deer/elk cocaine around herds of wild animals with no way to protect your crops. By so doing, you carry the risk associated with such.

When viewed through the lens of the new trespassing ordinance, it's pretty clear that farmers/ranchers are running Idaho nowadays.

Grizzly

-----------------------------------------

Ask yourself if you agree with the following statement...

"It's time to revisit the widely accepted principle in the United States and Canada that game is a public resource."
-Don Peay, Founder of SFW, as quoted in Anchorage Daily News

GregMcReynolds · Jun 10, 2019

This is the fault of the legislature, not IDFG. Don't forget, it's the legislature who dictates how depredation funding works and what sportsmen pay. And the legislature is mostly made up of farmers and ranchers.
If we want to fix this problem, we have to stop voting ranchers into office just because of their party affiliation.

IDbulls · Jun 13, 2019

Daughter drew an early Oct elk tag a few years back near Leadore. Lots of elk on private land and agriculture. Not one land owner would give us the time of day. Many had signs that said ?No hunting. Don?t ask?
These same land owners are the first to cry foul in December and January and want the F&G to pay for crop damage. Sorry. Shouldn?t have it both ways. Either have some access for hunters or no depredation relief. Just my two cents

smokepoll · Jun 13, 2019

I am so plus1 on IDbulls comment. Same thing happened to me. Provide some access to help with the problem or no relief.

hawkbill · Jun 13, 2019

Oh don't worry boys, when they cut the corn we will be able to chase the ,Elk across the desert with trucks, 4- wheelers and razors. Hopefully we can surround them and really let the led fly, god that sounds like a lot of fun. Why not call in Mountain home air base and. Level the herd, it would sure save McDonald a lot of embarrassment with his so called hazing techniques.

Mallards_Only · Jun 14, 2019

>I am so plus1 on IDbulls
>comment. Same thing happened to
>me. Provide some access to
>help with the problem or
>no relief.

EXACTLY!

OLDHORNHUNTER · Jun 27, 2019

Here is my 2 cents on this If these landowners dont allow hunting on their lands during the general season or during depredation hunts. Than they should NOT get Crap from F&G, Unit 31 around Weiser is the same story better than 50% of the unit is Private,most of it is leased!! Most of these landowners do NOT allow hunting on their land,Yet F&G gives out hundreds of landowner tags! and the same landowners that get these tags wont let you fill those tags on their property ?? How the He## does that work ?? And they have very little elk problems thru most of the unit,yet the tags are not good for any of the national forest where the elk are most of the year ? They have ruined this unit in my opinion but that seems to be what the Fish Tarts are best at in Idaho...

Dman · Jun 27, 2019

OldHorn, 100% agree... Unit 22 same thing. Over the past 3 years they've significantly cut the elk herd with essentially unlimited cow hunts. I think i recall somewhere they are cutting the herd by nearly 50%. All to appease the farmers that complain.
Making what was once a pretty dang good general elk hunt into poor/average at best.
Pretty sad when you consider the potential for that unit to produce game to only be held back by "the management".

OLDHORNHUNTER · Jun 27, 2019

Yep both used to be excellent units for deer & elk The record books reflect that .I asked the game warden for 31 years ago why they didnt shut 31 down or reduce the season & let the deer herds build back up. He told me & 4 other hunters standing there at his check station that because they had made 22 a forky general hunt the Boise area hunters needed a place to hunt for bigger deer.Last year was the 1st year they did radio collar efforts in unit 40 trying to figure out what was killing all the deer !! Sure couldnt be the 600 to 1000 fokies they have killed every year for the past 15 plus that had anything too do with the decline !!! They actual said this year the main causes were lions & yotes