82 TRAPPED MULE DEER, KILLED.

Photo courtesy Idaho Fish & Game

Over the past few months, Idaho Fish and Game has removed a total of 82 wild mule deer from within a high‑fenced captive elk facility located in an Idaho Game Management Unit 60A. During the 2025 hunting season, hunters on nearby properties reported seeing numerous wild mule deer inside this elk facility. Investigations indicate that the deer likely entered through gaps beneath the perimeter fencing.

Although no captive elk at this particular facility have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the operation is subject to the Idaho State Department of Agriculture’s (ISDA) requirement that 100 percent of captive elk mortalities be tested for CWD. In contrast, other captive elk facilities in Jefferson, Bingham, and Madison counties have had multiple elk test positive for the disease in the past 18 months, increasing concern about potential spread.

Fish and Game considered several management options, including hazing the deer out of the enclosure, before concluding that lethal removal was the most responsible approach. There is currently no reliable method for testing live animals for CWD, and wild deer cannot legally be maintained in captivity. The decision to lethally remove the deer was made out of an abundance of caution to minimize any risk of disease transmission.

Regulatory responsibilities in this situation are shared. Captive elk facilities fall under the authority of ISDA and are managed according to existing state laws and rules, while Idaho Fish and Game is responsible for all wild deer and elk populations. The two agencies coordinated closely with each other and with the facility owner to plan and carry out the removal of the deer.

The 82 deer were taken through a combination of efforts by public hunters, who were selected from the depredation hunt list, and by Idaho Fish and Game staff. Every removed deer is being tested for CWD. Test results are currently available for 76 of the animals, all of which have been negative; results for the remaining deer are still pending.

Approximately half of the deer were harvested by public hunters, who retained the meat for personal use. The rest, after testing negative for CWD, are being processed by professional meat cutters and donated to local food banks. The costs of meat processing are being shared by Idaho Fish and Game and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

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