Residents and visitors are asked to stay away from the feeding area to avoid disturbing the moose.

Feeding is expected to continue until April 2025.

The Bullwhacker feeder is located west of Ketchum and is an annual feeder approved by the Fish and Game Commission. Feeding at Bullwhacker has occurred annually since the 1980s, with regular feeding beginning in the 1950s. Depending on winter conditions, feeding usually begins in late December or early January.

The site was established with the intent of keeping elk out of the Ketchum and Sun Valley communities. While many think that feeders supplement winter range forage, the purpose of the Bullwhacker feeder is to attract elk away from local communities where conflict may occur.

Large numbers of deer and elk have become year-round or seasonal residents of communities throughout the Wood River Valley, leading to an increased number of human-wildlife conflicts during the winter. Large game left in and around communities are at greater risk of being struck on streets and highways, becoming entangled in fences, falling through thin ice on ornamental ponds and into household window wells, being chased by off-leash dogs, and… get tangled in swings and hammocks.

Feeding wildlife by residents is strongly discouraged, as unauthorized feeding sites can lead to unintended consequences by attracting wildlife to close proximity to cities and neighborhoods. (Please read the article: Feeding elk and deer in the city does more harm than good.)

For more information about how to reduce human-wildlife conflict and suggestions for how to live and recreate safely near wildlife, visit the Wood River Valley Wildlife Smart Communities website.

For more information about winter feeding, contact the Magic Valley Regional Office at (208) 324-4359.