(Idaho Fish and Game Press Release, October 24, 2026)
On the morning of Friday, Oct. 23, Idaho Fish and Game officers responded to a report of two adult moose lingering in an “island” of open space within the I-15 and I-86 system interchange in Pocatello.
In the interest of public safety, both moose—a cow and a bull—were dispatched and removed from the area. The meat from both moose was donated to local families.
Seeing moose in urban situations like this is nothing new in southeast Idaho. Fish and Game responds to reports of moose in neighborhoods, shopping centers, schools, cemeteries, golf courses, and busy roadways. Most of the time, moose either move safely out of the areas on their own or are sometimes captured and relocated by Idaho Fish and Game. In fact, the cow moose in Friday’s situation was bearing an ear tag which indicated she had been moved from the Chubbuck area just last year.
So, why was the response to these two moose on the interstate a lethal one? It boiled down to location and risk to public safety.
Both moose were lingering in the open triangle of space wedged between two very busy interstates— I-15 and I-86. Even if they had been left alone, the moose would have had no choice but to cross lanes of traffic in order to leave that space.
Additionally, when immobilizing moose or other large game animals, the effects of the sedatives are not immediate. When an animal is first “darted”, it will quickly bolt— often running a substantial distance– before it is incapacitated by the sedating effects of the tranquilizer. Due to the proximity of the moose to lanes of traffic on all sides of the triangle in which they were standing, there was a significant risk to public safety if darted moose aimlessly crossed in front of oncoming motorists.
“Decisions like this one are not made lightly,” said Regional Conservation Officer Tim Klucken. “None of us enjoy having to take these kinds of actions, but public safety comes first. As sad as it is to have to kill two moose, sadder still would be injuries or loss of human life if a motorist had collided with one of these animals.”
Many may remember that in September of this year, a 66-year-old man from Pocatello was fatally injured after his vehicle struck an elk standing in the northbound lane on I-15 near the Utah/Idaho border. That same month, three vehicles were involved in a collision with a moose on I-86 in Power County, resulting in injuries to some of those involved.
“Right now we have changing weather and breeding behaviors that are causing big game to move,” Klucken reminds the public. “Keep an eye out for wildlife near roadways, especially in the early morning and at night when animals are often more active and harder to see. Don’t hesitate to contact Fish and Game or other law enforcement if you see a dangerous situation like the one we had with these moose on the system interchange in Pocatello.”
