Deer, elk hunting outlook brighter in 2024
Statewide, deer and elk hunting in Idaho looks promising after a tough season in 2023.
Elk, the stalwarts of the mountains, generally speaking, have stayed relatively healthy and stable. Statewide, mule deer numbers also appear to be improving, while eastern Idaho’s muleys — after suffering from one of the worst winters on record in 2023 — are starting to gradually grow thanks to a much-needed mild winter. While scorching summer temperatures usually present the threat of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer, so far there’s no sign of any significant outbreaks this year.
If we’re going to lead with good news, then we probably ought to start with elk. Overall, the numbers for Idaho elk are once again looking steady and impressive.
Fish and Game Deer and Elk Coordinator Toby Boudreau believes we will see much of the same, if not better conditions, for elk this fall.
Mule deer also appear to be heading in the right direction — including those in eastern Idaho. Winter survival is typically the driving factor for mule deer herds, and the long-term average is about 60% of fawns surviving their first winter, but during hard winters that can be significantly lower.
To monitor herds, Fish and Game biologists captured and collared 217 mule deer fawns and 168 does in early winter in various parts of the state to track their winter survival. Of those collared, 77% of fawns and 95% of does made it through to spring.
“It’s going to take a few more years for mule deer to rebound in that part of the state, but a few more mild winters and I think fawns in particular will continue to trend in the right direction,” Boudreau said.
And as for whitetails, which saw the only hunter harvest increase among the three species, the news appears good … at least for now.
Hot summers and white-tailed deer can sometimes turn into a storm cloud of potential EHD outbreaks, seen as recently as 2021. There have been no such reports, but Fish and Game wildlife officials are encouraging folks to keep an eye out for deer showing signs of the disease.
EHD outbreaks usually occur during later summer and before the first frost when hot, dry conditions cause animals to congregate at watering areas where gnats — which carry and transmit the disease — are also likely to be. Assuming we avoid an outbreak, whitetail herds should continue to rebound.
Last Year’s Harvest
In 2023, hunters harvested 18,568 elk, 18,329 mule deer, and 19,828 white-tailed deer. Elk harvest was down 11% from 2022, while as predicted, mule deer harvest dropped a whopping 22% statewide. Whitetails represented the sole tick in the upward direction, accounting for a 3% increase from last year.
It didn’t take a whole lot of rubbing the crystal ball to forecast a less-than-stellar mule deer harvest in 2023 because of the severe winter that preceded it.
A total of 74,503 mule deer hunters hunted fall 2023, with nearly 25% of those successfully packing out a mule deer. Last year’s roughly 22% decrease in total mule deer harvest is also the seventh-consecutive year below the 10-year average.
While it may seem impossible to have 70% of the years below the 10-year average, it’s a reflection of unusually large mule deer harvests in 2015 and 2016 (both years over 37,000 deer harvested) that spiked the 10-year average.
As for elk … it was a good run. Last year would have been the 10th year in a row for elk harvest to eclipse the 20,000 mark, but that was not how last fall played out. Elk hunters took home 18,568 elk in 2023, roughly an 11% drop in animals harvested compared to 2022. Roughly 87,864 elk hunters — less than 1% fewer than 2022 — took to the mountains in 2023 in search of elk, with 21% of those individuals successfully harvesting an elk.
That drop was unexpected, but within normal fluctuations in annual elk harvests, and probably doesn’t reflect a drop in the elk population. Chances are good we will see that bounce back up above 20,000, but that depends on how many hunters go after elk, and what weather conditions they experience.
White-tailed deer harvest has been at the top of bad news headlines in recent years due to disease outbreaks; however, in 2023, whitetail harvest showed a slight bump in the right direction, from 19,182 in 2022 to 19,828 in 2023, which hopefully reflects recovering whitetail herds.
Last fall’s whitetail harvest also eclipsed the mule deer harvest for only the sixth time since 1975, when Fish and Game began tracking deer harvest by species.
Elk Hunting
The most notable statistic from the 2023 elk season? 18,568 total elk harvested, which is down 11% from the previous year and marks the first time since 2013 the statewide harvest dropped below 20,000.
Overall, hunter numbers were practically identical to the previous year’s hunter effort. Additionally, general season hunter success was right in line with previous years (17%), while controlled hunt success dropped substantially from an average of 41% over the previous five years to 23% last year.
Elk populations tend to swing less dramatically than deer, and elk numbers have been relatively consistent in past years. So, what might’ve caused the decline?
It’s difficult to prove exactly what caused the drop, but Boudreau believes seasonal elk distribution during hunting season may have contributed.
“We had a lot of elk stay in their high-country summer ranges longer than usual, and that made them less accessible to hunters, especially hunters with controlled hunt tags limited to a specific area. Elk were not being in those traditional hunting areas likely reduced overall harvest,” Boudreau said.
Hunters will see similar, if not better, elk populations this fall. Harvests should be at or above the 10-year average, which continues to be at a near-record number.
While that’s all good news, hunters are reminded that elk are highly nomadic, and there are no guarantees they will be in the same places they were in the past. Hunters need to be diligent at finding areas where elk want to be, and not dwell in areas without fresh sign of elk in the area.
Last Year’s Numbers
- Total elk harvest in 2023: 18,568
- 2022 harvest total: 20,952
- Overall hunter success rate: 21%
- Antlered: 11,363
- Antlerless: 7,205
- Taken during general hunts: 11,719 (17% success rate)
- Taken during controlled hunts: 6,849 (23% success rate)
Idaho mule deer hunting should improve after hunters last fall saw the unfortunate results of the catastrophic 2022-23 winter, particularly in eastern Idaho.Mule Deer Hunting
Idaho mule deer hunting should improve after hunters last fall saw the unfortunate results of the catastrophic 2022-23 winter, particularly in eastern Idaho.
Last year’s mule deer harvest dropped 22% statewide compared with the prior year, but wildlife managers expect to see it start ticking back up thanks to a mild winter and excellent 77% average fawn survival statewide. (More on that later.)
This brings us to 2024 and the proverbial question of whether the glass will be half empty or half full? It’s largely a matter of perspective. Hunters won’t see the big mule deer herds they saw a few years back, but hopefully, they will see more deer than last fall.
“I think we’re clawing our way out of the hole,” Boudreau said.
However, it takes more than one mild winter to really boost mule deer herds, and there’s an echo effect that lingers after a hard winter.
Mule deer does that are heavily stressed by winter typically bear lighter-than-average fawns the following spring, which survive at lower rates than heavier fawns. That phenomenon was reflected by lower fawn survival in eastern Idaho than in west and central Idaho.
While hunter harvest is one way of “keeping score” on the health of mule deer herds, it can be an unreliable measuring stick because when herds are large and healthy, Fish and Game can offer more antlerless tags. Those antlerless tags are cut back — or not reinstated — after hard winters to allow herds to rebound as quickly as possible. Dropping those antlerless tags drops the statewide mule deer harvest because antlerless hunts tend to have higher success rates than buck-only hunts.
Which leads us to buck hunting. With most of the state’s hunters focused on bucks, and last year’s healthy fawn crop that survived winter mean more young antlered bucks that will be sporting spikes, forked-horn antlers and a small percentage will be three-points. Those young bucks represent a large portion of the annual buck harvest, so it’s likely hunters will see an uptick in the fall harvest.
As for older bucks, that will likely be a mixed bag. Fawns killed during the 2022-23 winter obviously aren’t coming back, so that void in the buck population will remain for several years. But that’s not to say there won’t be any mature bucks, just likely fewer than after years of back-to-back normal or mild winters.
Buck survival through winter and hunting seasons can vary considerably depending on where you are in the state, so hunters can still find mature bucks, but not likely in the numbers they saw prior to the 2022-23 winter.
Overall, mule deer hunters have some reason for optimism, especially in the west and central parts of the state. They will hopefully see a few more mule deer in eastern Idaho, but it will take longer for herds to rebuild there.
Last Year’s Numbers
- Total mule deer harvest in 2023: 18,329
- 2022 harvest total: 23,588
- Overall hunter success rate: 25%
- Antlered: 15,245
- Antlerless: 3,083
- Taken during general hunts: 13,267 (21% success rate)
- Taken during controlled hunts:5,062 (46% success rate)
White-tailed Deer Hunting
White-tailed deer represented the biggest “win” from the 2023 hunting season, as noted by the upswing in harvest numbers for the first time since 2019. An estimated 49,098 white-tailed deer hunters hit the woods last year, with 40% of those successfully bagging a deer. As predicted heading into the 2023 hunting season, overall harvest numbers for whitetails increased from 19,182 to 19,828.
Recall back in 2021, EHD wreaked havoc on the Clearwater region’s whitetails, killing an estimated 6,000-10,000 deer that year. Like any species, it takes time for animals to rebound.
“I like where we’re at this year with whitetails, and while not fully recovered, I am hopeful hunters will see more of them in the Clearwater Region, and similar numbers in the Panhandle and elsewhere,” Boudreau said.
Fish and Game wildlife staff will continue to monitor the EHD and CWD situation among deer populations during the remainder of summer and into fall, and deer hunters in the Panhandle need to be informed about what’s happening with latest CWD detection and how that could affect the fall hunts. (See more about CWD below.)
Last Year’s Numbers
- Total white-tailed deer harvest in 2023: 19,828
- 2022 harvest total: 19,182
- Overall hunter success rate: 40.3%
- Antlered: 13,741
- Antlerless: 6,088
- Taken during general hunts: 18,548 (38% success rate)
- Taken during controlled hunts: 1,281 (40% success rate)
Hunters play a critical role in testing for CWD since there is no live test for the disease, and getting accurate and current information requires annual testing. CWD is more manageable — and spreads slower — when only a small fraction of the herd is infected.
The CWD situation is changing and management is evolving. The disease was detected in a mule deer buck last fall in Unit 23 near New Meadows, and again in a whitetail doe found dead in July of this year in Unit 1 near Bonners Ferry in the Panhandle.
Fish and Game has the following CWD rules for the 2024 hunting season:
Unit 18 is now included with Unit 14 to form the CWD Management Zone. Unit 15 was removed after extensive testing found no animals with CWD there.
Hunters who harvest a deer, elk, or moose in the CWD Management Zone cannot transport whole carcasses and certain animal parts outside of Units 14 and 18. For details on special rules, see the CWD webpage.
Mandatory CWD testing no longer applies to elk and moose, which are less susceptible to CWD than deer. However, Fish and Game will still accept voluntary samples from hunter-harvested deer, elk, and moose anywhere in the state.
Mandatory CWD testing of all harvested deer continues in Unit 14 and now includes Unit 18 as well. Sampling of harvested deer in Unit 15 is no longer required, but we’d still like samples from interested hunters.
New for 2024, CWD testing is also mandatory in Units 23, 24, and 32A for deer, but carcass transport rules do not apply.
In an effort to prevent the further spread of CWD and to manage populations with CWD, Fish and Game has developed a strategic plan to guide the state’s response and management actions when animals test positive in an area.
Hunters can take heads or lymph nodes of harvested deer, elk, and moose to any regional Fish and Game office for CWD testing, or get directions on the Fish and Game website on how to collect and submit samples themselves.
Mandatory Hunter Reports
Hunters are reminded fill out their report 10 days after harvest, or if the hunter did not hunt or harvest (deer, elk, and pronghorn only), 10 days after the closing date of their season for each tag purchased.
When you file your Mandatory Hunter Report, you give critical hunt and harvest information to wildlife managers to maximize and sustain healthy herds. Help us collect this vital information and conserve your hunting, fishing, and trapping dollars. For more information, check out Fish and Game’s Mandatory Hunter Report webpage.
Season setting for 2025-26 hunts
A reminder to all big game hunters: Season setting for 2025-26 big game seasons starts this winter with the commission approving seasons in March. Hunters should keep an eye out for upcoming season proposals, open houses, and opportunities to comment on proposed changes. Check the website for details.
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Panhandle deer and elk outlook
Elk
The Panhandle Region experienced a relatively mild winter with lower snow falling over winter range. The lack of snow should have allowed elk to move easily and find adequate forage throughout most of the winter. Overwinter elk calf survival in Unit 4 was high, at 90%.
Winter broke and spring weather began early, with increased snow melt at lower elevations, allowing for an earlier-than-normal green up on the mountain. Cool spring weather continued through June and should have produced decent forage conditions going into summer.
While seasonal weather trends have their effects, Units 1, 4, and 6 continue to be among the highest producing elk units in the state, and hunters will again have plenty of elk to pursue come fall.
Deer
While deer are generally more sensitive to weather, the Panhandle also saw good over-winter survival of fawns and adults. The region has plenty of great white-tailed deer hunting areas, particularly Units 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 — which are among the top 10 units in the state for white-tailed deer harvest.
What hunters should be aware of this fall
Beginning in the hunting seasons of 2023, general season antlerless elk hunting opportunity was removed from both the A and B tags in Unit 4 due to concerns regarding elk population performance in that area.
Hunters across the Panhandle should remain vigilant in their bear awareness and identification skills as they hit the woods this fall. In the Panhandle, grizzly bears are mostly found in Unit 1, but have been sometimes documented in Units 2, 3, 4, 4A, 6, 7, and 9. Black bears are common throughout most of the region.
Panhandle hunters should also remember to check Fish and Game’s website for information on the Large Tracts Program for access and motorized restrictions. It is important to remember these lands are private, with rules set in place by the landowner, and respecting these rules will help ensure that access continues to be available.
For those returning to, or passing through, the Panhandle from hunting in other states, remember there are carcass transport rules in place from CWD-positive states and management zones. Check the regulations before moving your harvested animals.
Micah Ellstrom is a regional wildlife manager with Idaho Fish and Game and Connor Lies is a public information officer with Idaho Fish and Game.