MDF Chapter Rewards
Bitterbrush and Browse Planted For Wintering Deer
Deer Winter Range Restored
An Idaho Department of Fish and
Game employee demonstrates
proper technique for planting
bitterbrush seedlings.
Near Boise, Idaho The Mule Deer Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Idaho Fish and Game Department, Bureau of Land Management, and over 400 community volunteers partnered in March 2003, to plant 26,000 bitterbrush and other browse seedlings on critical deer winter range near Boise, Idaho. The Boise River Wildlife Management Area (WMA)-about 15 miles east of Idaho's capitol-is home to 7,000 to 8,000 wintering deer. During the summer of 2000, the WMA experienced a damaging man-caused fire that eliminated most of the browse plants that were critical to its large wintering deer herd.
Volunteers plant bitterbrush
seedlings across critical deer
winter range near Boise, Idaho.
MDF provided $9,000 over the past three years to cover the costs of nearly 40,000 seedlings that were hand-planted by volunteers. Since 1993, dedicated volunteers planted nearly 450,000 browse seedlings-mostly bitterbrush-on fire-damaged deer winter ranges in the Boise area. MDF's Boise Chapter assisted with the planting and raised project funds through local fundraising activities, such as their annual banquet.