2012 is the first year the Idaho Panhandle hasn't offered a general antlerless elk season. The Idaho Fish and Game Department made the decision because of declining calf and cow survival which has been majorly impacted by predation.
In addition to trying to protect cows and calves to increase elk numbers, the state is working to reduce the number of predators with other rule changes like lengthening the wolf and mountain lion seasons and increasing tags for wolves sand bears.
“We had been seeing mountain lion harvest increase in recent years, which is an indication that we may have been under-harvesting them and populations were growing,” Hayden said.
