State, Sportsmen Buy Elk Winter Range

The Fish and Game Department and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation have started buying 2,135 acres of critical eastern Idaho elk winter range.

“This is a critical purchase that everyone will benefit from,” said Terry Thomas, manager of the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area for Fish and Game.

As part of the $778,000 deal to buy the Quarter Circle O Ranch from Rod Payne and John Farabauer, the department also will buy the ranchers’ 2,210 acres of grazing allotments.

The purchase is called a “1031 property exchange” because the department and foundation are purchasing land for Payne and Farabauer in exchange for the ranch. The ranch abuts the Tex Creek management area east of Idaho Falls and will be managed as deer and elk winter range.

The deal has been in the making for two years and is Fish and Game’s biggest land purchase this year, said Tom Parker, land manager.

It also represents the Elk Foundation’s largest purchase in Idaho, said Art Talsma, regional director.

Biologists say more than 1,000 elk and countless deer winter on the ranch. There also is one active sage grouse breeding area on the property, and it holds sharp-tailed grouse.

“We are providing a secure winter range for one of east Idaho’s largest elk and deer herds,” said Steve Schmidt, regional habitat manager for Fish and Game.

Payne said he never considered selling the ranch to anyone but Fish and Game.

“I figured it fit well with their program, rather than have some rich person come in and have his own hunting ground,” he said.

Fish and Game will buy 1,422 acres and the grazing allotments for $520,000. The elk foundation will buy the rest in June for $258,000.