Elk Migration. A Complicating Factor in Jackson Hole

Authors(s): P. Muchmore

Publication: Wyoming Wild Life

Publisher:

Publication Date: 0000-00-00

Type:

Location:

Abstract: Wyoming's Jackson Hole area supports the largest remaining individual elk herd in the world. Its importance as a unique asset constantly brings it into the headlines and its management has brought national recognition to the State of Wyoming. One of the big problems affecting the management of this herd concerns the migration routes the elk follow, and the period during which these migrations occur. These factors ultimately determine the setting of hunting seasons and desired harvests. If the herd were a single unit in habit and movement, the problem would be less difficult than it is today, but complications arise from the fact that the herd is actually two herds as far as management activities are concerned, First, there is the resident herd, which is composed of elk that remain in the immediate Jackson Hole area all year. Second, there is the migratory herd that winters on the National Elk Refuge and outlying state feed grounds, then normally leaves the feed grounds in early spring to move north, following the receding snow line. By mid-July, the majority of these elk are in Yellowstone Park, where they remain until heavy snows force them to migrate back to the Refuge. In order to control the entire herd, and in order to keep within reasonable limits the number of elk that must be supported on feed grounds each year, a satisfactory hunt on the migratory herd is essential. The resident herd is constantly hit with the heavist hunting pressure each year, since the migratory herd makes no appearance until late in the hunting season. A condition exists where the resident elk are slowly being decimated, while the elk that must be hunted, i.e., the migratory herd, are slowly building up their numbers. Since the resident herd is the most desirable one to maintain, the problem is how to achieve a desired kill on the migratory herd. This is particularly difficult because the migratory elk are available for hunting only during a brief period, but in heavy concentrations. The solution of this problem depends heavily upon a single big question: When will the migratory herd arrive from the north?

Keywords: animal studies, animal, mammal, ungulate, wapiti, Cervidae, elk , Cervus elaphus, migration, population, distribution, Jackson Hole, Teton County, National Elk Refuge, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, wildlife , management, habitat, behavior