Car vs. Wildlife Crashes Up

BOISE -- Idaho's wildlife managers are beginning to worry about the increasing number of collisions between motorists and deer, elk and moose. Studies show more than 5,000 deer, elk and moose were killed by vehicles on Idaho roadways last year. Idaho Fish and Game Department managers told the Spokesman-Review it's time to focus even more on monitoring and wildlife crossing programs. Wildlife Program Coordinator Gregg Servheen says the number of deer killed by vehicles matches the total harvested by hunters in the state's biggest deer hunting unit. More wildlife crossings may be one possible solution. Wildlife collisions have decreased since the state built a wildlife underpass on Highway 21 northeast of Boise and in northern Idaho. But Idaho's focus on wildlife crossings lags behind states like Montana, Wyoming and Utah.