BOISE COUNTY, Idaho — Some Boise County residents say more open-range cattle are wandering onto their property this year, raising concerns about damaged lawns, fencing costs and road safety.
Rachel Richardson, who owns property in Star Ranch, said keeping cattle away from her home has become a recurring chore.
“One time I had 15 and so I was chasing 15 cows,” Richardson said.
She sometimes uses her utility vehicle to move them off her property.
“I’ve many times gone down there and I chase them down through the valley, and if I’m lazy, I’ll get on my UTV and chase them,” she said.
Richardson said cattle climb the hill toward her house and tear up the grass. While cattle have passed through for years, she said there were noticeably more this summer.
“We kind of babysit them for them, you know what I mean?” she said.
WATCH: Who keeps the cows out?
Other neighbors have shared similar frustrations in local Facebook posts.
During a drive along Harris Creek Road through Star Ranch and Placerville, then over to Idaho City, Idaho News 6 encountered multiple groups of cattle.
Idaho has more cattle than people. In designated open-range areas, cattle are permitted to roam, and property owners generally must fence them out if they want to keep them off their land.
For Richardson and her husband, that has meant building a fence and gate themselves. She said they still need to fence more of their property, and meeting the state’s fencing requirements adds to the challenge.
“To fence them from coming up the hill on this other side because we own the other side, it’s gonna be really expensive,” she said.
Boise County Sheriff Scott Turner said the responsibility to keep cattle out comes with living in an open-range area.
“If you don’t want livestock on your property, then it is your responsibility as a property owner to fence them out,” Turner said.
Richardson also worries about encountering cattle on winding roads with blind curves, particularly after dark. She said she has had close calls this summer.
“As we come around the corner there they are and you know you slam on your brakes,” she said.
Turner said crashes involving livestock have been uncommon in his experience. He estimated he could count on one hand the incidents over the past decade, most of which occurred along Idaho Highway 55.
He also said grazing can help reduce fire danger by removing vegetation that could otherwise fuel a fire.
Turner said it appears more cattle are roaming in the county this year, though he does not know exactly why. He urged residents to recognize that open-range livestock remain part of rural Idaho life.
“And so there needs to be some grace and understanding that if you choose to live here and move here, we are still rural Idaho,” he said.
Richardson wants to explore petitioning for a herd district, hoping to place more restrictions on roaming livestock. Whether a district could be established in the area remains undetermined.
For now, she continues watching for cattle making their way toward her house.
