Jackson Hole Elk.

Authors(s): D. Mobley

Publication: Wyoming Wildlife

Publisher:

Publication Date: 0000-00-00

Type:

Location:

Abstract: One of the most widely publicized, yet perhaps the most vastly misunderstood of Wyoming's natural resources is the Jackson Hole elk herd--the largest in the world. This herd has been the subject of books, motion pictures, magazine and newspaper articles and has at one time or another been a subject of conversation for practically every citizen in the Rocky Mountain region. The elk in Jackson Hole furnish recreation in the form of hunting to several thousand Wyoming and nonresident sportsmen each year. The herd provides Teton County with one of its principal sources of revenue through annual hunting seasons; yet few people, outside of those involved with the management of the herd, know very much about it. One of the principal reasons it has been difficult for the general public to gain any understanding of the Jackson Hole Elk management is the fact that one state agency and four federal agencies are involved either officially or unofficially in the management of this herd. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, is, according to state law, responsible for the management of the herd. However, because the animals spend a good part of the year on federally owned lands, agencies of the federal government, including Yellowstone National Park, Teton National Park, Teton National Forest and the Jackson Elk Refuge, also become involved. Management efforts on the part of these different agencies lead to a great deal of confusion on the part of the general public. For instance, there is a general belief around Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region that all of the elk in Jackson Hole spend the winter on the National Elk Refuge located just above the town of Jackson. It is true that a portion of the elk in that area winter on the 28,000 acre refuge. The hay that is fed to these animals, is, for the most part, grown within the confines of Teton National Park. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department harvests the hay and stores it at the refuge where it is fed by employees of the national refuge. However, in addition to this operation, there are nine other feed grounds in the area operated solely by the Game and Fish Department. Included are the Goose Wing, Alkali and Fish Creek feed grounds located on the Gros Ventre drainage northeast of Jackson, the Dog Creek, Horse Creek and South Park feed grounds on the Snake River south of Jackson and the Camp Creek, Dell Creek and Call feed grounds in the Hoback River drainage also to the south. During mild winters, such as 1960-61, a good portion of the elk do not appear at feed grounds at all, but instead spend the winter on ranges in the lower portions of the Snake River Valley.

Keywords: animal, mammal, ungulate, Cervidae, Cervus elaphus, wapiti, elk, population, mortality, Teton County, National Elk Refuge, Jackson Hole, migration, behavior, management, winter food supplementation, food, feeding, forage, hunting, human activity, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, wildlife