The closure of a portion of Boise River WMA ended on April 1, but read this before you dust off your hiking boots

The portion of the Boise Front Segment of Boise River Wildlife Management Area, west of Highway 21, reopened to the public on April 1, following a months-long closure aimed at benefitting wintering big game and accommodate rehabilitation efforts following the Valley Fire.  

Although this closure has been lifted, recreationists should be aware that several trails and roads on the Boise Front Segment will close again intermittently during April and early May in the interest of public safety, as Idaho Power crews will be running heavy equipment to work on the power line that runs from the West Highland Trailhead up to the archery range, then Highland Valley Road to Highway 21. 

Idaho Power crews began preparation work on roads leading to power lines on April 3 and will continue to do so through May 1, when they intend to complete the replacement of crossarms. They anticipate the crossarm work will take around 8 hours, which will necessitate lots of Idaho Power staff activity in the area, again making recreational use of the area unsafe. Though weather may alter plans, it is expected that all roads and trails, as well as the archery range, will be open on May 3rd.  

Closed roads and trails include Cobb Trail, West Highland Valley Road, East Highland Valley Road, and East Shaw Mountain Road.

“We understand people are itching to get out and use the WMA following the winter closure, but Idaho Power’s activities will likely create unsafe conditions for recreational users such that we ask for folks to bear with us for a little longer as this work takes place and use alternative access points and trails” said Regional Habitat Manager Brad Lowe.  

One last thing to think about before you go 

While deer and elk will soon begin their migration from the Boise Front back to summer range, many are still on the WMA, and they are particularly vulnerable in the early spring. They’ve burned through most of the fat stores that carry them through the winter, and in some circumstances, additional stress at this time of year could prove fatal.  

And, even though it has been a relatively mild winter in this part of the state, winter mortality has been high this year for collared mule deer fawns in Unit 39. As of March 31, 58% of collared fawns had died, with two months still to go in the monitoring period. This rate of mortality was about 20% higher than what is normally observed for Unit 39 for this point in the monitoring season.  

While impacts from fires likely contributed to the higher mortality this year, the most important factor is that fawns showed up on winter range light in the first place, which means they had fewer groceries on their backs going in.  

“Our fawns averaged 69 pounds when weighed at the beginning of the season and from what we know about winter survival, fawns that weigh approximately 65 pounds or less have a highly elevated risk of not surviving the winter,” said Regional Wildlife Biologist David Bernasconi. “We were fairly close to that threshold going into this winter.” 

What does that all mean for folks who are eager to recreate on the WMA now that the closure has been lifted? Maybe consider holding off for a couple more weeks to continue to give these animals a break, and at the very least, do your best to minimize impacts to big game on the WMA property. Leash your dogs and give deer and elk a wide berth.