The Idaho Fish and Game Commission originally cut deer and pronghorn controlled hunt tags in May 2023 due to winter severity in the Southeast and Upper Snake Regions.
Remember winter 2023? For those who’ve been enjoying the far milder winter this year, recalling the severity of last year’s winter—particularly in the eastern part of the state—might seem like forever ago.
To recap, heavy snows and prolonged cold spells proved to be incredibly detrimental to wintering deer and pronghorn in 2023, and as a result, Idaho Fish and Game wildlife staff in conjunction with the Fish and Game Commission made the choice to modify (and in some instances, eliminate entirely) many 2023 antlerless mule deer and either-sex pronghorn hunts in eastern Idaho.
Fast-forward a full year, Fish and Game staff are still taking into account herd health and are proposing to make the same alterations to the 2024 hunting season, plus a few more, to give recovering mule deer and pronghorn additional reprieve.
“We recognize the sensitivity of antlerless mule deer hunts, and have also heard concerns from hunters,” said Toby Boudreau, Fish and Game’s Deer and Elk Coordinator. “Despite a much-needed mild winter this year, we still want to give east Idaho’s mule deer and pronghorn populations some more recovery time.”
Fish and Game wildlife staff will be proposing its modifications to the 2024 hunting seasons at the March Commission meeting on March 20 in Boise. The proposed changes include several controlled hunts and landowner appreciation (LAP) hunts.
Those who are interested can check out the full list of big game season adjustments ahead of the March Commission meeting here.
The March 20 Commission meeting will be streamed live on Zoom, beginning at 8 a.m. MDT.
