Moose on the Loose on I-15 in Blackfoot

There’s something to be said about moose and their majestic nature…from a distance! It’s not uncommon to see moose in east Idaho; it is, however, odd to see them on the Interstate. High traffic areas are typically unusual to see a Moose sighting, let alone see a cow/calf moose.

This time of year and in the spring, we expect to see a higher number of wildlife moving as they migrate. Last month, the District 5 Blackfoot maintenance crews helped in a wild moose chase that ended up on Interstate 15.

A cow/calf moose was trying to cross I-15 in Blackfoot and got into some trouble. The cow moose was able to run across and make it to the other side; however, her calf had some difficulty jumping the fence. Because the calf was having trouble the cow had crossed the fence four times and then re-crossed four times back to her calf…no easy feat with all the traffic. Idaho Fish & Game (IDF&G) waited patiently for the mom and the calf to get on the same side of the interstate and somewhere they could dart them.

Once the pair met up, they crossed the Blackfoot River and on to the Fort Hall Reservation, as the Fort Hall crews and IDF&G worked together to contain and relocate the pair. They jointly decided it would be best to tranquilize the cow and calf for the ease of transport. While waiting patiently for the pair to lie down, the ITD Blackfoot crew stood by just in case they decided to cross the Interstate yet again.

Once the tranquilizer finally took full effect and the pair was asleep, the Fort Hall police and IDF&G stepped in to properly blindfold and secure them. The very hefty cow and calf were then put into a trailer, with a whole lot of effort from everyone, and hauled off to an unknown area where they could roam safely and away from harm.

Because of the efforts of everyone combined — ITD, IDF&G, Fort Hall Fish & Game and local residents — the cow and calf moose were relocated, safe and healthy.

Published 12-07-18