Idaho Fish and Game Removes Wandering Moose
It came most likely out of the South Hills. A moose yearling wandered into downtown Kimberly last week. Idaho Fish and Game responded, tranquilized the large animal, and then released him north of Ketchum. There’s no indication it was the same moose that visited with sheriff’s deputies as they prepared for a safety fair in the South Hills on Thursday. There are a lot of moose in the area and the population has been growing.
You could make a safe bet we’ll see more of them wandering in the valley as territories get squeezed into the higher elevations.
I’m connected to the Tourons of Yellowstone social media pages. One thing is clear, many people have fewer smarts than wild animals. Two videos surfaced last week of tourists pestering bears. Some human jackasses in a pickup truck chased a moose near Coeur d’Alene and exhausted the animal.
The people in Kimberly who called Fish and Game made the right choice. It was the safest approach.
People aren’t getting any smarter, but populations of moose and bears are getting larger. Being stomped to death or mauled is no way to succeed on social media. You may get some views, but if you’re dead, you can’t enjoy the brief high.
Finally, whether it be moose, bears, or lions, the first move is to contact law enforcement or Fish and Game. The former will also get the latter. There are people in those agencies trained for the mission. You aren’t.
One last note, the tranquilizer used on a moose resembles fentanyl. The dose used on a moose would kill you.