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BOISE -- Heavy snowfall this winter is forcing herds of elk and deer from higher elevations.

A number of calls have come into Idaho Fish and Game from drivers who have noticed elk roaming near highways.  The most recent incident was near Eisenman Road by Micron Wednesday morning.

Even though it is typical to see elk this time of year, a lot more are getting out of the snow and closer to town.

Herds of 50-70 elk have been seen foraging for food from Mountain Home to just outside the Boise City limits. Even though elk usually adapt well to winter weather, a heavy snowpack forces them to act on instinct.

“The reality is when the snow gets too deep it's harder for them to get to the ground to find the food that they're looking for,” said biologist Jon Rachael, Idaho Fish and Game.

Elk mainly rely on vegetation for food.  As a result, they are showing up in grassy places.

“We've got some situations where they're getting in where ranchers are feeding some cattle, and they're becoming a bit of a nuisance,” said Rachael.

But the migrating elk pose the biggest risk to drivers.

“We've got a couple of corridors that have many collisions with deer, occasionally with elk and motor vehicles,” said Rachael.

Rachael says the wandering elk could lead to a potentially deadly situation.

“It's a very real danger right now along I-84 and Boise with the number of elk we have out there. I can't imagine hitting an elk at 65 miles per hour on the interstate,” said Rachael.

Fish and Game officers urge drivers and people who live near the interstate to be on the lookout and to avoid interfering with the animals.

“Right now the critical thing for them is to maintain their energy resources, so we'd like to avoid disturbance as much as possible,” said Rachael.

They are hoping a little less snow would send the elk back to higher elevations and away from human development.

“With any luck we'll have some rain melt out the snow and free things up a little bit,” said Rachael.

Even though some elk have died from lack of food in the past, Fish and Game says it has not come to that yet - at least near Boise.

Officers say elk can be aggressive in certain situations - so again it's best to leave them alone.