VISITING BOISE RIVER WMA

Visiting Hours – The Boise River Wildlife Management Area is open year-round and has no established visiting hours. School and other groups are encouraged to visit Boise River WMA in the early spring when deer and elk are still visible from the highway. Those interested in a WMA guided tour should call well in advance of the proposed trip date. IDFG personnel will make every effort to accommodate group trips.

Access for the Disabled - For persons with disabilities, access within the Boise River WMA is extremely limited. Visitors with special needs are encouraged to contact WMA management personnel to determine which area(s) are most suitable for physically-challenged visitors. In all cases, visitors are encouraged to assess their own abilities before entering the Boise River WMA.

Vehicles/Parking - Use of motorized vehicles, including ATVs, is permitted only on designated roadways. The map in this brochure shows designated routes but visitors are encouraged to check for updates or changes on the IDFG website at <fishandgame.idaho.gov>. These restrictions are to protect vegetation and soils and to minimize wildlife disturbance. Please park only in designated areas and do not block access gates.

Area Restrictions - Portions of Boise River WMA are closed seasonally to protect wintering mule deer and elk from human disturbance. All forms of human travel may be restricted in these areas. For current information regarding these area closures, check the IDFG website or contact Boise River WMA management personnel.

Dogs - All dogs on the Boise Front segment of the WMA must be leashed, except working hunting and herding dogs.

Wildlife Observation/Photography – the Boise River WMA is known for concentrations of big game species, with deer and elk commonly seen on the WMA. Visitors are welcome to hike throughout the WMA for wildlife viewing and photography purposes during spring, summer and fall months. Remember to watch for area closure signs. To

and pronghorn antelope wintering on the Boise River WMA attract wildlife enthusiasts, an attraction that can prove fatal to these big game species. Winter is a difficult time for them. Forage is often at a premium, and winter temperatures, wind and snowfall tax their already limited energy reserves. Human disturbance can be extremely harmful to big game animals during this period, in some cases causing death or loss of fetuses. For this reason, some areas within Boise River WMA are closed to the public during winter. Reducing human disturbance allows more animals to survive the winter.

Despite these restrictions, large herds of wintering mule deer can still be seen relatively easily, with some of the best viewing opportunities offered directly from State Highway 21. Several pullouts along the highway allow wildlife watchers to scan the hillsides of the Boise Front segment in search of mule deer. It is not uncommon to see several hundred deer in a single outing. Small, scattered herds of elk can also be seen from the highway. For your safety and that of others, please use the pullouts when watching for deer and elk; do not stop on or just off of the highway.

Just above mile marker 11, Lucky Peak Viewpoint provides a panoramic view of Lucky Peak Lake and the lower portion of Boise River WMA’s Charcoal Creek segment which lies across the reservoir. Adjacent to the overlook, the reservoir backs into Sheep Creek; look for two raptor perch poles, and perhaps their occupants, along the lava rock rim above the creek.

A drive along Highland Valley Road, open to motorized vehicles from May 1 through November 15, takes the visitor through upland shrub and grassland communities, along several riparian corridors and eventually reaches the Douglas-fir covered slopes of Lucky Peak itself. Along the way, visitors are treated to spectacular views of the Boise River Valley and, far to the west, the Owyhee Mountains. The turnoff to Highland Valley Road is between highway mile markers 13 and 14. Though the gravel road starts out gently, steep grades and a rough surface restrict this road to high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles.

Near highway mile marker 17, the More’s Creek turnout may provide views of mule deer and eagles during winter months and glimpses of other wildlife throughout the year. Just across the More’s Creek Bridge, visitors may choose to leave Highway 21 to drive Forest Service Road 268. This route follows the contours of Lucky Peak Lake, eventually passing Lucky Peak State Park and the Spring Shores Area. The road continues to Arrowrock Dam and Reservoir and beyond.

In addition to the numerous wildlife viewing opportunities, big game, upland bird and small game hunting are all available on Boise River WMA lands.

BOISE RIVER

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

GUIDEBoise

A mule deer buck stands frozen in its tracks, blending into the surrounding terrain. More than 7,000 mule deer spend the winter months on Boise River Wildlife Management Area lands.

enhance your outing, a bird species checklist is available at WMA headquarters. First-time visitors or those unfamiliar with the area are encouraged to visit with management personnel before traveling the WMA on foot.

Hunting – Public hunting is allowed on the Boise River WMA. There is a no shooting safety zone year-long near the WMA headquarters and another small safety zone at the top of Lucky Peak in the fall. Specific regulations and access to some WMA locations may change from year to year so hunters should consult current regulations for more details.

Camping - Overnight camping is prohibited on Boise River WMA lands.

Fires/Firewood Cutting - Fires and firewood cutting are prohibited on the Boise River WMA.

Idaho Fish and Game adheres to all applicable state and federal laws and regulations related to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, gender, disability or veteran’s status. If you feel you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility of Idaho Fish and Game, or if you desire further information, please write to: Idaho Department of Fish and Game, P.O. Box 25, Boise, ID 83707 OR U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Federal Assistance, Mailstop: MBSP-4020, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203, Telephone: (703) 358-2156. This publication will be made available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact the Department of Fish and Game for assistance.

Costs associated with this publication are available from IDFG in accordance with Section 60-202, Idaho Code.

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Cover photo by Gary Will

For more information regarding your visit to Boise River Wildlife Management Area, contact:

Regional Wildlife Habitat Biologist Boise River Wildlife Management Area Idaho Department of Fish and Game

13000 E. Highway 21 Boise, ID 83716

(208) 334-2115

GENERAL INFORMATIONToday the future of southwest Idaho’s major mule deer herd rests a bit more secure than it might otherwise because in the early 1940’s far-sighted managers with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) began planning to conserve winter range in the Boise River drainage. In 1943 the Department used federal Pittman-Robertson funds to purchase more than 2,200 acres of prime mule deer winter range in the Spring Shores area of the Boise Mountains. As additional winter range became available, it too was purchased. Department owned land in the Boise River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) now amounts to nearly 19,000 acres in three counties.

The Department also works cooperatively with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and private landowners to increase the area where mule deer management is the priority. The total area managed as the Boise River WMA is nearly 35,000 acres. In a united effort, these varied entities strive to provide critical mule deer and elk winter range, improve watershed conditions and provide habitat for all wildlife species.

The Boise River WMA is made up of four distinct parcels. The Boise Front Segment begins near the Boise City limits and extends about ten miles east. The Spring Shores segment is along Lucky Peak Lake about15 miles east of Boise. The Charcoal Creek segment is located south of Lucky Peak Lake and the South Fork/McDonald segment consists of scattered parcels on Grape Mountain and along the South Fork Arm of Arrowrock Reservoir.

HOW TO GET THEREThe Boise Front segment is just east of the city of Boise in southwest Idaho’s Ada County. In fact, much of the southeast foothills area, visible from town, is part of the WMA. To reach Boise River WMA headquarters from Interstate 84, take exit 57 and travel 15 miles northeast on State Highway 21, past Lucky Peak Lake. Just after cresting the Highland Valley Summit, look for the Boise River WMA headquarters sign at mile marker 15.

THE SETTINGThe same general vegetation types occur on all four segments of the Boise River WMA. Upland areas are characterized by shrub steppe vegetation dominated by mountain and foothill big sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush and rabbitbrush. Native bunchgrasses such as bluebunch wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirrel tail, Sandburg bluegrass, Idaho fescue and red threeawn occur with the shrubs along with numerous forb (wildflower) species such as balsamroot and crane’s bill. As is true of many areas in Idaho, invasive exotic plants are common and sometimes become the dominant vegetation. Riparian zones near springs and streams are generally vegetation rich, with cottonwood, hawthorn, red-osier dogwood, willows and Woods’ rose thriving in these areas. Higher elevation crests of taller peaks support Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forest communities.

Terrain varies from nearly flat to almost vertical, with elevations from 2,880 to 5,904 feet. Summers are hot and dry while winters are generally moderate. Snowfall can be heavy at times, however, lower elevation, south-facing slopes normally have snow for short, intermittent periods, making these sites reasonably well suited for wintering mule deer and elk. Seasonal temperatures range from a blazing 108 degrees Fahrenheit during summer months to -23 degrees during winter. Growing seasons vary with elevation but typically are between 80 and 140 days. Annual precipitation averages 12 inches, half of which falls during the growing season.

The summer visitor will likely notice the dryness of the landscape, but, surprisingly, the Boise Rive WMA actually contains a great deal of water. In addition to the two forks of the Boise River, numerous creeks wind through the property and more than 50 springs provide surface water to some unlikely spots on the WMA.

HISTORICAL NOTESThe deer and elk herds wintering in the foothills of the Boise River once spent portions of those long, winter months in the Boise River Valley, dispersing downriver as far as the Deer Flat area near Nampa, Idaho. Long ago, development and increased human use close along the river pushed animals out of these preferred wintering areas and into the unsettled foothills. As human populations expanded beyond Boise’s city limits and development began in the foothills, biologists voiced concerns about the potential loss of critical mule deer winter range and the inevitable loss of the herds themselves. The establishment of the Boise River WMA provided permanent protection for some of these critical mule deer winter range areas.

With completion of the Lucky Peak Dam and the filling of the reservoir in 1955, a portion of mule deer winter range and some WMA lands were flooded and major deer migration routes were bisected. To compensate for this winter range loss, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer owned lands near Lucky Peak Lake were set aside to be managed as mule deer winter range. Deer have modified their migration routes, but some still must swim across portions of Lucky Peak Lake. The stress associated with this event is often severe during winter.

In 1959, two severe rainstorms followed a widespread wildfire that had burned portions of the Boise Front segment of the WMA. The result was serious flooding in North Boise. These events emphasized the need for sound watershed management throughout the foothills to protect human life and property in the growing city below. The horizontal lines high on the foothills that are visible from Boise are contour trenches built on the slopes of Picket Pin and Warm Springs drainages in the early 1960’s. Because perennial plants stabilize soils and hold moisture, while bare ground and weeds offer little protection from heavy rain, all lands in the Boise River WMA are managed with an emphasis on watershed quality. The results of this management philosophy are better flood protection and quality habitat for wildlife.

BOISE RIVER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The panoramic view from Lucky Peak includes the Boise River Valley and the Owyhee Mountains far to the west.

Only occasional winter visitors to Boise River WMA in the past, Rocky Mountain elk are increasingly more common. Nearly 500 elk now winter on the WMA.

A western fence lizard soaks up heat radiating from a rock outcrop. A variety of reptiles enjoy the warm, dry climate of Boise River WMA.

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MANAGEMENT PRACTICESThe checkerboard pattern of ownership found throughout the Boise River WMA makes landowner cooperation essential for successful mule deer and elk management. A large portion of critical big game winter range is in private ownership and as development occurs on these lands, critical winter range habitat could be forever lost and thousands of big game animals could perish for lack of a winter home.

Big game habitat maintenance and improvement are the primary management objectives of the Boise River WMA, with management efforts focusing on protecting and improving critical winter range habitats. As the human population of Boise has increased wildfires have become more common. For most of the past several years, some portion of the WMA has burned. One result of these fires has been to reduce or eliminate shrubs and perennial grasses from extensive areas. Shrubs such as antelope bitterbrush and sagebrush provide critical winter forage and cover. A major ongoing management effort on the WMA is to replace lost shrubs using seedlings grown in nearby Lucky Peak Nursery. Every March, when soil moisture is at its highest for the year, as many as 60,000 shrub seedlings are planted. Another ongoing management effort is to restore perennial grasses and forbs (plants that are not shrubs or grasses, i.e., wildflowers). Grass and forb seed is typically planted later in the fall so it can germinate in the spring and take advantage of abundant soil moisture. Forbs seedlings are also raised at Lucky Peak Nursery and planted in spring.

The limited land base of the Boise River WMA requires that deer and elk habitat be the best available. IDFG personnel work

closely with private individuals and other agencies to develop livestock grazing plans that maintain wildlife habitat on all lands in the area. In efforts to provide better quality forage for big game, experimental shrub, grass and forb plantings have been conducted on WMA lands for many years. As more suitable plant varieties are discovered and better planting techniques developed, forage quality and plant survivability improve.

Invasive and exotic plant species are found in many areas on the WMA. Cheatgrass, a non-native annual grass, is found throughout the WMA and some noxious weed species also occur. The WMA has an ongoing program to detect and control noxious weeds. Other management efforts are aimed at rehabilitation of areas dominated by exotic and species by using several techniques to reestablish native or desirable non-native species.

Healthy riparian areas are a key component to sound watershed management and overall watershed health is emphasized at the Boise River WMA. Damaged riparian areas are being restored to their native condition for the benefit of wildlife and the people of Boise. Beaver have been reintroduced to larger riparian systems where their dam building efforts slow water flows and decrease erosion of stream channels. Loose rock structures or check dams, man-made analogs of beaver dams, have been built along smaller riparian areas to slow water flow and minimize erosion. Willow cuttings are planted along creek banks to further stabilize soil and reduce erosion. These plantings have the added benefit of providing escape, feeding and nesting habitat for many wildlife species.

The shrubs, grasses and forbs planted to restore and enhance mule deer and elk habitat also provide cover and nesting habitat for numerous upland bird species. Because insects provide a necessary source of protein for young birds, pesticide use is extremely limited on the Boise River WMA. Cavity-nesting birds (wrens, bluebirds and chickadees for example) benefit from nest boxes at scattered locations.

The more than 50 springs which dot the WMA are routinely checked and maintained. Catch basins are installed below some of the springs to collect runoff water. Bird ladders (small ramps) are installed in the basins to ensure birds, small mammals and bats that may inadvertently fall in can escape. Although wildlife may drink from these basins, their major purpose is to better distribute livestock, resulting in more uniform grazing over the entire area.

BOISE RIVER WMA WILDLIFEWhile it sometimes seems as if mule deer magically appear almost overnight on the WMA each fall, in reality, many of these animals migrate here long distances from their summer ranges. Although relatively small, the Boise River WMA provides critical winter habitat for deer that spend their lives inhabiting a huge landscape. Some come from as far away as the Sawtooth Mountains while others descend to the foothills around Boise from mountains to the north. Because the deer from a vast area descend to lower elevations to seek places with less snow, milder temperatures, and available forage to survive the winter, the importance of management on the WMA is magnified. The migratory aspect of the Boise River drainage mule deer population brings a landscape scale importance to what occurs on the WMA and other areas in the foothills near Boise. Over 7,000 mule deer and nearly 500 elk spend the winter months here, browsing, resting and waiting out the long, cold winter season. During other seasons, both species are much less numerous, though quality range encourages some deer and elk to remain throughout the year.

Much less numerous than their upland cousins, white-tailed deer inhabit creek and river bottom riparian areas of Boise River WMA. Black bear inhabit the WMA until hibernation time and mountain lions may be around wherever there are deer. Moose are occasional visitors and the WMA supports a resident population of pronghorn antelope. Other mammals living here include red squirrel, badger, skunk, red fox, coyote and numerous smaller rodents.

The habitat diversity at Boise River WMA entices a variety of raptor species to the region. Bald and golden eagles are seen throughout the year, though their concentrations tend to increase during winter months. Goshawks, Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks frequent the Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests. Red-tailed hawks, northern harriers and American kestrels are common spring, summer and fall residents of open country. A spectacular number and an incredible variety of raptors concentrate in a portion of Boise River WMA for a brief time each year. During autumn, Lucky Peak serves as a “migratory funnel” for many raptor species migrating south from the mountains of central Idaho and beyond. The birds move through the Boise Mountains, merging along Boise Ridge before spilling down the slopes of Lucky Peak. This raptor concentration occurs each fall, with thousands of birds moving through.

Upland game species are varied and locally abundant, with no less than six species (chukar partridge, gray partridge, California quail, blue grouse, ruffed grouse and wild turkey) roaming the varied habitats of Boise River WMA. Mountain quail and sage grouse were once abundant in the area but have not been observed in recent years.

Songbirds are as varied as raptor species at Boise River WMA. Western meadowlarks, chipping sparrows, canyon and rock wrens, vesper sparrows and sage thrashers inhabit upland areas. Western wood-peewees, willow flycatchers and song sparrows, together with yellow-breasted chats and a host of warblers utilize riparian areas. Forest communities are home to downy woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, ruby-crowned kinglets and pine siskins.

Hot, dry summers provide ideal conditions for resident reptiles. Gopher snakes, western rattlesnakes, rubber boas and sagebrush lizards are found throughout the area. Amphibians, including bullfrogs, northern leopard frogs and western toads find sanctuary in and near riparian areas.

PUBLIC USE OF THE BOISE RIVER WMAPublic use of the Boise River WMA has increased dramatically over the past several years, along with the concurrent increase in the human population of the Treasure Valley. An increasingly difficult challenge for managers is to accommodate visitor desire for access to the WMA and still provide conditions that will ensure the long term health of southwest Idaho’s largest migratory mule deer herd. Each year, herds of mule deer, elk

Riparian areas are managed to benefit area wildlife and the Boise community.

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North America’s smallest falcon, the American kestrel pursues insects, reptiles and small mammals on Boise River WMA lands.