BLACKFOOT — There’s been some moose on the loose in the city of Blackfoot the past two weeks, but Region 5 Wildlife Manager for Idaho Fish and Game Martha Wackenhut said the incidents might be part of the fall rut that is going on in Southeast Idaho.
Both of the moose that have ended up inside Blackfoot city limits have been young bulls about 2 to 3 years old. The bull that made a visit to town Sept. 17 had to be tranquilized by Fish and Game officers and relocated. However, the moose that wandered into the city this Wednesday was able to be herded back toward the Snake River bottoms.
“It was able to navigate the greenbelt and golf course and get back to the river,” Wackenhut said.
Moose in this part of the state normally begin the rut in late September and early October and dominant bulls likely push the younger competitors out of their normal habitat along the river.
Blackfoot is located in Unit 68A where no moose hunting permits are issued. Wackenhut said Unit 68A is a narrow strip of land along the Snake River and American Falls Reservoir that stretches from Idaho Falls all the way to American Falls.
“Those moose in there haven’t been hunted and are not being hunted at this time,” Wackenhut said.
Fish and Game will be reviewing big game regulations in Region 5 and 6 this coming winter and Wackenhut said it is possible that a limited number of moose permits for United 68A may be discussed. She said it has been awhile since Fish and Game conducted moose population surveys in Southeast Idaho.
“It’s not surprising to us that they (moose) get sidetracked into those towns along the river,” she said.
Though the pair of young bulls wandered into Blackfoot recently, Wackenhut said its more normal to have yearling moose end up inside city limits in the spring when expectant cows kick their older children out to fend for themselves.