Off-Leash Dogs Harass And Kill Wildlife

A Fish & Game appeal to citizens

BY HAYDEN SEDER

In February, two incidents were reported of off-leash dogs chasing deer, one in Bellevue and one in Hailey. In Hailey, the off-leash dog chased and killed a mule deer buck in Quiqley Canyon. In Bellevue’s Muldoon Canyon, two off-leash dogs repeatedly chased deer in deep snow. Both of these incidents were reported to Idaho Department of Fish and Game conservation officers, who then investigated the reports and issued infraction citations.

In Idaho, it is illegal for an unleashed dog to actively track, pursue, harass or kill a big game animal. In the case of the killed mule deer, IDFG Regional Communications Manager Terry Thompson reports that witness reports were confirmed by a Fish and Game officer who found the deer and had determined it died from injuries from the dog attack.

The Wood River Valley is something of a dog haven, and many dog owners allow their dogs to run around off-leash. But the area is also home to many species of wildlife that face many stresses, particularly in the winter months, such as snow depths, ongoing cold temperatures, and the encroachment of human populations on their natural habitat.

The area’s large resident deer and elk population grows during the winter months, with migration patterns putting wildlife in areas where residential encroachment now occurs. “Deer and elk come into town because towns are now encroaching onto their traditional winter range, which leads to potential conflicts between people and wildlife,” said Thompson.

While we all may want to recreate with our dogs, everyone needs to do their part by not allowing their unleashed dogs to stress or kill wintering wildlife.”

Cody Smith, Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officer

Thompson explains that several other factors are increasing the likelihood of wildlife–pet encounters. One is the large population of resident deer and elk living in the Wood River Valley year-round that have lost their natural migration instincts between summer and winter ranges, which results in a growing number of animals staying in the Wood River Valley.

“There is also an unintended consequence of resident deer and elk in our communities—and that can be seen by the number of reports that we receive about mountain lions living in or near our communities,” said Thompson. “Predators will follow the food source—and when the food doesn’t migrate, the predators don’t have to migrate either.”

The solution is ultimately to keep your dog on-leash, even if you don’t suspect wildlife to be nearby. Fish and Game officials ask that all people keep their dogs under control, even friendly dogs whose instincts may kick in when wildlife is around.

“The key to reducing these conflicts is for people to keep their dogs on-leash,” said Thompson. “The common thread is typically dogs off-leash with many of the wildlife conflicts occurring throughout the state, and more locally in the Wood River and Magic Valley areas.”

While this is only to be used as a last resort, Idaho code does state that any dog allowed to run at large and chase or harass big game animals can be lethally removed by law enforcement officers.

Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officer Cody Smith said, “While we all may want to recreate with our dogs, everyone needs to do their part by not allowing their unleashed dogs to stress or kill wintering wildlife.”

SVSEF’s Finnigan Donley Brings Home 2023 U18 Nationals Overall Men’s Title

Ten members of the Sun Valley Ski Education Alpine FIS Team qualified to compete in the 2023 U18 Nationals in Mittersill, NH, March 9-16. The athletes competed in both speed and tech events including downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom. At the conclusion of the series, SVSEF’s Finnigan Donley was crowned Overall U18 Men’s Champion and on the women’s side, Paige DeHart brought home two top ten finishes in the nation including fifth on the podium in giant slalom and eighth in slalom.

Five men and five women made up the team that traveled east to compete against their strongest contemporaries across the country. Finnigan Donley, Kai Subith, Larson Overby, Max Meucci, and Sacha Stern-Pre filled the men’s SVSEF roster; while Maya Lightner, Madison Vieara-McCarthy, Natalie Gowe, Paige DeHart, and Ruby Crist qualified for the women.

“I had a great time at the U18 Nationals,” said Finnigan Donley, SVSEF FIS Team athlete and 2023 Overall U18 Men’s Champion. “National championship races are both mentally and physically challenging because there are four races in the span of four days. I am proud of my results throughout the week because I was able to stay at a high level from the first day to the last day!”

SVSEF FIS Coach Sue Schwartz accompanied the team to Mittersill for the race series. “I’m incredibly proud of these athletes for qualifying for U18 Nationals,” said Schwartz. “While seeing athletes reach the pinnacle of their sport and earn a title is exciting and rewarding, it’s not all about podiums and top fives. I’m proud of how they did, how they conducted themselves, of their performances on the hill, and of the consistent improvement we’re seeing in their skiing. They were awesome—they tried extremely hard and SVSEF was well-represented. Major kudos to all of our athletes.”

“This was my first trip to the east coast,” said Paige DeHart, SVSEF FIS team athlete. “It was a great trip and the racing conditions were excellent. Overall it was a successful race series for myself and SVSEF.”

On the first day of competition in the Women’s Downhill, Maya Lightner finished just off the podium in sixth place and Ruby Crist had a standout finish moving from her start position in 43rd to land in 16th place overall. Natalie Gowe finished in the top 30 in 28th place. In the Men’s Downhill, Finnigan Donley stood atop the podium, Kai Subith found his way to a top 15 in 11th place, and Max Meucci and Larson Overby finished just outside the top 30 in 31st and 32nd respectively.

Donley followed up with another win in the Men’s Super G and DeHart landed top 15 in 14th for the women in the Super G. Donley continued a strong series placing sixth in Men’s Giant Slalom with Subith just on his heels in 7th place. DeHart stood on the podium in fifth for the women in Giant Slalom. Donley raced to his third podium of the series in the Men’s Slalom, placing third. DeHart again had the top finish for the women earning a top-ten in 8th place for the Women’s Slalom.

Of the team that traveled to U18 Nationals, five SVSEF FIS Team athletes have also qualified for the upcoming 2023 U.S. Alpine National Championships in Sun Valley. In preparation for racing on the big stage, Finnigan Donley and Kai Subith will travel to Minnesota to compete in the Northern Michigan University Lutsen Spring Series, March 23-26, Paige DeHart and Madison Vieara-McCarthy will head to Montana to compete in the giant slalom at the Western Region FIS Open at Big Sky, March 30-31, and Maya Lightner will resume training in preparation for the U.S. Alpine Nationals, April 2-5.

Sun Valley Icon Needs Help

For over four decades, Joe Fos played the piano at the Sun Valley Resort. Despite his cancer diagnosis three years ago, Joe continued to play the piano in the Duchin Lounge. Joe and his wife Patricia are now struggling financially as their savings and retirement accounts have been depleted to pay for cancer treatments. Please consider a donation to help out this Sun Valley icon.

To view the GoFundMe, please visit: https://gf.me/v/c/m4l5/joe-fos-the-pianoman

Wood River Valley Citizens Committee Forms to Support Ballot Measures for Housing and Air

A Wood River Valley Citizens Committee (WRVCC) has formed to advocate for the passage of the Yes for Housing and Air ballot measures in Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey, all of which call for renewing the existing 1% for Air Local Option Tax and reallocating the proceeds to 0.5% for workforce housing and 0.5% for air service support. The vote will take place May 16, 2023, with early voting starting May 1. Sixty percent of registered voters must vote YES for the measures to pass.

The WRVCC is headed up by three longtime local residents: Paddy McIlvoy of Hailey, Calista Carter of Ketchum and Lisa Stelck of Sun Valley. They are joined by a group of 10 other community members, from each of the three cities, who will be helping advocate for the Yes for Housing and Air ballot measures. Other WRVCC members include Susan Giannettino, Rick Kapala, Kathryn Graves, Jenni Rangel, Joan Davies, Dave Luhr, Alan Stevenson, Baird Gourlay, Barb Figge and Rachel Wolfe.

The WRVCC is committed to working hard to pass the ballot measures in Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. If approved by voters, these measures will extend the current 1% for Air Local Option Tax for another five years in Ketchum and Sun Valley and extend it until 2050 in Hailey. It will also split the tax revenue equally between initiatives that bolster workforce housing and maintain air service. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up at yesforhousingandair.info/volunteer.

The Amazing World of Native Bees

Hailey Public Library will buzz into spring with a free talk about ‘The Amazing World of Native Bees’ with educator and forester Linda Ries on Thursday, March 23, 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Town Center West. The talk is co-sponsored by the Wood River Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society.

“Native bees are the primary pollinator or significantly supplement honeybees for agricultural crops,” commented Kristin Fletcher, the library’s programs and engagement manager, “However, these fascinating creatures are in decline all over the United States as a result of loss of habitat, toxins and disease. The good news is that there’s much we can do to help them out. But first we need to learn more about the unique natural history and lifestyle of the species who live here.”

Ries will teach participants how to identify local native bees, explore their life c ycles and gain tips on how to encourage these bees to thrive and survive in our backyards. The talk will focus on bumble bees, mason bees, and leaf-cutter bees as well as other native bees and how they are different from imported honeybees. Ries will discuss which bees pollinate local fruit trees and vegetables and examine the increasing threats from pesticides and poor cultural practices.

Linda Ries has a B.S. in Forest Biology from Colorado State University and worked for over 20 years as a U.S. Forest Service forester and conservation Eeucator. She helped establish the Hailey Native Plant Arboretum in 1996 and has served on the City of Hailey Tree Committee since 2016. She was the Project Learning Tree coordinator for South Dakota and also served as Blaine County 4-H leader for Entomology, Geology and Forestry. She had been a lover of insects since she was a little girl. Hailey Town Center West is located across from the library at 116 S. River Street in Hailey. For more information, contact the library at (208) 788-2036 or visit www. haileypubliclibrary.org.