Hungry Deer May Head For City Yards

A cold, snowy winter and bare slopes from the Eighth Street Fire could send hundreds of hungry deer into north Boise yards.

In the aftermath of the August blaze, deer will not find much food in more than 12,000 acres of winter feeding range that was cleared of sage and bitterbrush.

Wildlife managers toured the area Tuesday to plan a strategy.

“The problem is not that the deer are going to run off when they see a home. The problem is that they are going to run to it,” said Tracey Trent, regional Idaho Fish and Game supervisor. “These animals dearly love fertilized plants.”

An estimated 600 to 700 deer typically feed during the winter in the Eighth Street Fire area.

Fish and Game will put out nutrient blocks to entice deer to stay in unburned areas on the Boise Front.