Formerly human-fed elk herd troubles Sun Valley neighborhood

SUN VALLEY, Idaho (AP) — As anyone who has tried to break a habit knows, it's hard, even if the incentives for change are great.

That's the case with the elk herd that has for centuries wintered in the valley that now houses the Elkhorn subdivision south of Sun Valley. Despite cars, people and, more recently, wolves, the Elkhorn valley is where those elk have for generations come each winter to survive. And that has become a problem.

The elk are now feeding on homeowners' landscaping, sauntering in front of cars and being killed by predators in backyards.

"I don't need stories of wolves eating people's dogs or driving the cougars down here," said Sun Valley Mayor Wayne Willich. "The wildlife situation is getting a little unstable."

Though the elk's presence poses serious concerns about health and safety in Sun Valley, it's unclear what can be done about it even the experts disagree.

Elk have been in the valley since long before the first city was incorporated, as the area's rich winter habitat attracted them to make it part of their annual migration. As Ketchum grew and Sun Valley morphed from resort to city, more humans were attracted to the valley, too.

"In late '71 and '72, Elkhorn valley started to be developed into Elkhorn proper as it looks today," said Lee Frost, who for 29 years was an Idaho Department of Fish and Game conservation officer in the Wood River Valley before retiring in 2001. "The elk tried to fit in, if you will, around the development as it took place."

The department tried unsuccessfully to stop one piece of that development, the June Day subdivision, which pushed the elk farther to the east. The department argued the importance of the June Day land for the local herd, which numbers between 50 and 200 head depending on the year and who is doing the estimating.

"That first winter after the subdivision was built, several of the elk really did have a lot of trouble. It was a rough winter for them," said Regan Berkley, regional wildlife biologist for Fish and Game.

That winter, about 1978, the elk came down onto the property of a prominent area landowner, who took it himself to help the elk out. "One, we felt so sorry for them, because they were famished. It's no fun to watch an elk die of starvation," said Ed Dumke, Sr. "Secondly, we didn't want them tearing down our (horses') haystack."

The Fish and Game maintains a stance that feeding wild animals in almost every situation is a bad idea.