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tjones
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Looks like we will be heading to the Madison this year. My little corner of the world has gone to hell.
Bitterroot elk numbers down
PERRY BACKUS - Ravalli Republic
The Bitterroot’s elk herd is ailing.
The ratio between cows and calves in some hunting districts is as low as biologists have ever seen.
In many places, that ratio is half of what biologists think is needed to sustain a hunted herd.
Overall elk numbers are dropping as well. In the West Fork, elk numbers this spring were half of the five-year average and nearly a third of the population objective set by the state.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Bitterroot biologist Craig Jourdonnais can’t say for certain what’s causing the decline.
Last year’s cold, wet spring could have played a role in this year’s low elk calf numbers.
“And you just can’t deny that wolves have an influence on elk herds,” Jourdonnais said. “There’s not an elk winter range in the Bitterroot that’s without the influence of wolves.”
Wolves aren’t the only predator that keys in on elk calves. Mountain lions and black bear take their share as well.
Short of expensive field studies, there’s no way of telling exactly what’s to blame.
What is certain is the evidence that elk numbers are dropping.
Since 1963 - minus a couple years here and there - FWP biologists have taken to the air each spring to count elk in the Bitterroot Valley.
There are not many places in Montana that can boast that kind of longevity.
“The Bitterroot is one of those few places in the state where we fly every inch of winter range every spring,” Jourdonnais said. “Having that consistent set of data over such a long period of time is a real asset.”
That long string of information offers biologists an excellent opportunity to track population trends on the elk that call the Bitterroot home.
This spring, Jourdonnais put in more than 50 hours in a Super Cub over a 43-day period to count elk. Part of the cost for the flights was subsidized by local conservation organizations and individuals.
“We had great flying conditions,” he said. “I felt good about the results.”
Here’s a snapshot of what he saw:
• On the east side between Miller Creek and Burnt Fork in hunting district 204, Jourdonnais counted 11 calves per 100 cows.
“That’s the lowest we’ve seen since we started keeping records,” he said. “To maintain a fairly heavily hunted population that is also being impacted by predators, we really need something closer to 30 calves per 100 cows.”
• Still on the east side in hunting district 261 from Burnt Fork to Skalkaho, the biologist counted 569 elk. The five-year average is 803.
• In the West Fork, Jourdonnais spotted 774 elk this spring. The five-year average is 1,445. The population objective for the hunting district set by MWP is 2,000. The biologist saw nine calves per 100 cows.
“We’re not even close to the five-year average,” he said. “We’re going the other way … I have some real concerns for elk in the West Fork.”
• Elk are doing better in the East Fork where Jourdonnais counted 3,527 elk, which is about 200 more than the five-year average. About 1,000 of those elk live on the sprawling CB Ranch, which is off limits to hunters.
• Overall, Jourdonnais counted 6,163 elk this spring. The five-year average is 7,201.
The decline in elk tallied this spring will probably translate into a more conservative elk hunting season this fall.
“The general feeling is that we are going to need to tighten our belts,” Jourdonnais said. “People should be prepared for considerably less antlerless opportunity this coming fall compared to years past.”
Even with declining numbers, there are still some places in the valley where elk are a nuisance for landowners.
“We will still address those places where problems exist,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you have 2,500 or 500 elk, there are always going to be places where there will be conflict with folks trying to make a living off their land.
“We are not going to forget those private landowners. We have the tools we need to manage game damage,” Jourdonnais said.
There may be some changes in mountain lion and black bear hunting regulations as well.
Over the past eight or nine years, Jourdonnais said there has been a “very, very restrictive” season on mountain lions in the Bitterroot.
“I think we’re going to see the department attempt to manage lions at the levels that we have now,” he said. “People can expect to see a higher quota set on mountain lions, but we’re not going back to the days when we killed 100 lions.”
The black bear season may also get extended a week or two.
“We’re losing calves early to something,” Jourdonnais said. “We know we have bears, lions and wolves working on these elk. If there is no foreseeable change in their numbers, we can’t expect the trend in elk numbers to change either.
“We need to look at making some adjustments otherwise we’ll end up like the Gallatin where there was a long, slow bleed. We kept expecting the calf numbers to pop and they never did there.”
Black bears key into elk calves during the first couple of weeks of their lives. When calves become more mobile, wolves and mountain lions take their share.
“If you can get an elk to a yearling, their survival rate goes way up,” he said. “The highest cause of mortality for adult cows is humans even in areas where there are a lot of predators.”
Log on to RavalliRepublic.com to comment on this and other stories.
Bitterroot elk numbers down
PERRY BACKUS - Ravalli Republic
The Bitterroot’s elk herd is ailing.
The ratio between cows and calves in some hunting districts is as low as biologists have ever seen.
In many places, that ratio is half of what biologists think is needed to sustain a hunted herd.
Overall elk numbers are dropping as well. In the West Fork, elk numbers this spring were half of the five-year average and nearly a third of the population objective set by the state.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Bitterroot biologist Craig Jourdonnais can’t say for certain what’s causing the decline.
Last year’s cold, wet spring could have played a role in this year’s low elk calf numbers.
“And you just can’t deny that wolves have an influence on elk herds,” Jourdonnais said. “There’s not an elk winter range in the Bitterroot that’s without the influence of wolves.”
Wolves aren’t the only predator that keys in on elk calves. Mountain lions and black bear take their share as well.
Short of expensive field studies, there’s no way of telling exactly what’s to blame.
What is certain is the evidence that elk numbers are dropping.
Since 1963 - minus a couple years here and there - FWP biologists have taken to the air each spring to count elk in the Bitterroot Valley.
There are not many places in Montana that can boast that kind of longevity.
“The Bitterroot is one of those few places in the state where we fly every inch of winter range every spring,” Jourdonnais said. “Having that consistent set of data over such a long period of time is a real asset.”
That long string of information offers biologists an excellent opportunity to track population trends on the elk that call the Bitterroot home.
This spring, Jourdonnais put in more than 50 hours in a Super Cub over a 43-day period to count elk. Part of the cost for the flights was subsidized by local conservation organizations and individuals.
“We had great flying conditions,” he said. “I felt good about the results.”
Here’s a snapshot of what he saw:
• On the east side between Miller Creek and Burnt Fork in hunting district 204, Jourdonnais counted 11 calves per 100 cows.
“That’s the lowest we’ve seen since we started keeping records,” he said. “To maintain a fairly heavily hunted population that is also being impacted by predators, we really need something closer to 30 calves per 100 cows.”
• Still on the east side in hunting district 261 from Burnt Fork to Skalkaho, the biologist counted 569 elk. The five-year average is 803.
• In the West Fork, Jourdonnais spotted 774 elk this spring. The five-year average is 1,445. The population objective for the hunting district set by MWP is 2,000. The biologist saw nine calves per 100 cows.
“We’re not even close to the five-year average,” he said. “We’re going the other way … I have some real concerns for elk in the West Fork.”
• Elk are doing better in the East Fork where Jourdonnais counted 3,527 elk, which is about 200 more than the five-year average. About 1,000 of those elk live on the sprawling CB Ranch, which is off limits to hunters.
• Overall, Jourdonnais counted 6,163 elk this spring. The five-year average is 7,201.
The decline in elk tallied this spring will probably translate into a more conservative elk hunting season this fall.
“The general feeling is that we are going to need to tighten our belts,” Jourdonnais said. “People should be prepared for considerably less antlerless opportunity this coming fall compared to years past.”
Even with declining numbers, there are still some places in the valley where elk are a nuisance for landowners.
“We will still address those places where problems exist,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you have 2,500 or 500 elk, there are always going to be places where there will be conflict with folks trying to make a living off their land.
“We are not going to forget those private landowners. We have the tools we need to manage game damage,” Jourdonnais said.
There may be some changes in mountain lion and black bear hunting regulations as well.
Over the past eight or nine years, Jourdonnais said there has been a “very, very restrictive” season on mountain lions in the Bitterroot.
“I think we’re going to see the department attempt to manage lions at the levels that we have now,” he said. “People can expect to see a higher quota set on mountain lions, but we’re not going back to the days when we killed 100 lions.”
The black bear season may also get extended a week or two.
“We’re losing calves early to something,” Jourdonnais said. “We know we have bears, lions and wolves working on these elk. If there is no foreseeable change in their numbers, we can’t expect the trend in elk numbers to change either.
“We need to look at making some adjustments otherwise we’ll end up like the Gallatin where there was a long, slow bleed. We kept expecting the calf numbers to pop and they never did there.”
Black bears key into elk calves during the first couple of weeks of their lives. When calves become more mobile, wolves and mountain lions take their share.
“If you can get an elk to a yearling, their survival rate goes way up,” he said. “The highest cause of mortality for adult cows is humans even in areas where there are a lot of predators.”
Log on to RavalliRepublic.com to comment on this and other stories.
