OCTOBER TOWN HALL
IDAHO SPORTSMEN | ACCESS & OPPORTUNITY
MONTHLY REPORT
October 2026
It may be prime hunting season, but questions, risks and meaningful reform regarding Idaho’s captive elk industry continue to dominate our town hall discussions First, a quick refresher.
Following the spirited conversation last month about the industry, state agency oversight and enforcement and solutions for protecting public wildlife, we provided an opportunity for an industry leader to join our Oct. 6 meeting. As a gesture of good faith, we believe it is fair for the industry to address sportsmen and share some insights on the challenges these operators face and some of the things they are considering on their own to better protect public elk and deer and change misconceptions about the industry.
After some outreach between Benn Brocksome, from Idaho Sportsmen for Access & Opportunity (ISAO), and Roy Klinger, President of the Idaho Elk Breeders Association (IEBA), we invited Klinger to take center stage.
Klinger said he understands why sportsmen and others are disgruntled with operators and the reasons groups like ISAO want reform and greater accountability. He emphasized the industry is committed to adhering to rigorous Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing requirements and is cooperating with a national association working to develop a live test.
According to Klinger, private elk breeders and their operations are already subject to a multitude of rules and regulation by the Idaho Department of Agriculture. Klinger pointed out IEBA members care deeply about following the rules, owning up to consequences and fines when fences fail to prevent intermingling between public and private herds. He said the industry understands the importance of protecting public wildlife.
“The misconception right now is that we’re a bunch of rogue operators just trying to pad our pockets and not care about our animals,” he said. “We want to do what’s best for the elk, the public elk, public deer and all the wildlife out there.”
So, where do things go from here?
Klinger said he has had preliminary discussions with leadership from Fish and Game to discuss future goals. Internally, IEBA members are discussing what, if any, changes should be made to best management practices and additional regulations. There is broad understanding among IEBA members that fines and financial reimbursement is appropriate to state agencies charged with responding to an enforcement action.
Additionally, Klinger said operators are exploring remedies for two of the most common causes leading to the co-mingling of public and private herds. This includes:
The formation of snow bridges. This occurs when snow drifts in specific locations, high enough to allow deer and elk to walk atop the snow to get beyond a fence. Klinger said solutions under review are frequent snow plowing and erecting tall, vertical panels that exceed fence height.
Digging underneath a fence, which is not uncommon in the sandy soils of eastern Idaho, Fixes include adding another layer of fencing at ground level that can run deeper into the soil. This has proved successful with operations in other states, he said.
For now, Klinger said there are no plans to bring policy ideas to the Idaho Legislature next year. He recognizes other constituencies or agencies may have other ideas.
“We want to work together. There has to be some accountability,” he said.
Brocksome thanked Klinger for reaching out after news of the September town hall discussion about the industry resonated across sportsmen networks. Idaho Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks also praised Klinger for stepping up to have initial conversations, specifically about CWD testing and an enforceable mechanism for reimbursing Fish and Game the hundreds of thousands of dollars it spends on each enforcement action.
“I think they are expressing a willingness to sit at the table with concerned stakeholders,” Fredericks said.
One other issue that emerged during the town hall involves hunt camps and livestock infrastructure, things like corrals and cattle loading areas being blocked during active grazing operations or transports. While reports of conflicts are limited, they have happened. Sportsmen and grazing operators have long coexisted but a few bad actors can damage the relationships that have been built over time, which could limit opportunities for sportsmen to access public lands, including endowment lands that have grazing leases.
Dustin Miller, Director of the Idaho Department of Lands, the agency that oversees tens of thousands of state public and endowment lands, reported multiple cases this year of hunters camping too close to livestock hubs.
As a result, the department recently issued a temporary rule requiring all camping be at least one-quarter mile from livestock facilities. A legal debate is currently brewing over whether IDL has the authority to impose such a restriction, but Miller says he is confident the temporary ban will hold. At the very least, he said, hunters and campers should not be setting up shop so close to the property of grazing lease holders who are in the process of bringing their herds to the low country.
Just a planning note, but we will not be holding a townhall next month as it coincides with Election Day. We know legislators and stakeholders will be focused on other matters. We will, however, publish a policy memo that spells out the legislation and issues we see coming down the pike in the upcoming Legislature. Stay tuned for that, and remember, please exercise your right and vote on Nov. 3.