Idaho Game and Fish to Kill or Relocate Elk From Private Land

An elk herd living year-round in Payette County, Idaho, has caused more than $1 million damage to agricultural fields (Image by Tom Tietz)

In an effort to reduce damage to agricultural fields, Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) plans to relocate and / or kill approximately 100 elk on private land near Emmett.

According to ktvb.com, wildlife officials will lethally remove approximately 60 elk and relocate around 40 elk to areas with below-average elk populations. The elk currently live year-round in Payette County on private land owned by five landowners in Unit 32.

Game officials learned through GPS tracking that the herd, which has grown to 350 over the last five years, remains on the property year-round.

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Even though hunters, landowners, and Fish and Game staff have attempted to reduce elk numbers and crop damage, the herd still caused more than $1 million in damage to agricultural land in 2025. The landowners only received approximately 35% reimbursement for their reported losses.

"The shortfall was due to two claims exceeding the single-claim payment maximum of $125,000 in state law, and overall, statewide claims last year exceeded Fish and Game s fund for depredation payments, which resulted in proration of claims," game officials said in a news release.

Fish and Game said previous projects have shown that attempting to trap all of a large herd, or a large portion of a herd all at once, risks the safety of the elk.

Elk that cannot be trapped and relocated to areas outside of Unit 32 will be lethally removed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture s Wildlife Services. After processing, the meat will be distributed to regional food banks.

To ensure that the approximately 1,000 migratory elk that winter in the area are not affected, the project will occur during the spring and summer months.

For more information about Fish and Game's plan, visit their presentation here.