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December 29, 2011

Egin-Hamer area closure goes into effect Jan. 1

By Niels Nokkentved, IDFG

   What started out as an idea by local county commissioners to reopen a popular farm to market road 14 years ago continues to be a success not just for humans, but also for wintering wildlife.

   Even though the winter has been mild so far, the lack of human disturbance created by the closure allows herds of deer, elk and moose to spend more time down on the desert between St. Anthony and Dubois during crucial portions of the late winter and early spring.

   Though the closure has been around for years, officials from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management and Fremont County still make dozens of contacts related to closure violations.

   For the 14th year, the Egin-Hamer Area Closure places nearly 500 square miles of land off-limits to human entry to protect wintering deer, elk and moose herds. The closure begins on Jan. 1 and lasts through the end of March on lands south of the Egin-Hamer Road and until April 30, north of it.

   To help keep things straight, the signs marking the area north of the Egin-Hamer road are fluorescent orange, while the signs for the earlier opening southern portion are lime green.

   The arrangement for the closure was agreed upon when county commissioners approached the BLM with the idea of the area closure in return for the re-opening of the Egin-Hamer Road for winter travel. State agencies, such as Fish and Game and the Idaho Department of Lands also are involved in the closure and play an active role in management.

   Individual landowner access to their lands is exempt from the closure. The active St. Anthony Sand Dunes, from the Red Road to Thunder Mountain and adjacent to Egin Lakes access, is also exempt from the closure.

   Occasionally powered parachutes, helicopters and small planes have been sighted flying low over the closure area. While the air space over the closure is not restricted, pilots of all types are cautioned to not harass the wintering deer, elk and moose. If the machines are flying low enough to cause the wildlife to move away, then they are flying too low.

   Students from BYU-I are also reminded that the Civil Defense lava caves are included within the closure area boundaries. According to Fish and Game observations, the increased number of animals staying down on the desert later into the spring is a sign of the success of the project.

   Maps and information are available at the BLM website: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/upper_snake/recreation_sites/St_Anthony_Sand_Dunes.html.

   For more information, including free maps of the closure, contact either the Fish and Game office in Idaho Falls at 208-525-7290 or the BLM office at 208-523-1012.

Sportsmen's Report sponsored by John and Lorraine Weiland