# Elk numbers in Yellowstone.



## cklspencer (Jun 25, 2009)

[quoteNews Release from the
Northern Yellowstone Cooperative Wildlife Working Group

March 17, 2010

Winter Count Shows Northern Elk Herd Numbers Remain Stable

The annual winter aerial survey of the Northern Yellowstone elk herd indicates the population has remained fairly stable since 2006.

Biologists counted at least 6,070 elk, under what were considered only fair survey conditions. This year's survey was hampered a lack of snow on the ground and some poor flying weather.

The herd winters between the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park and Dome Mountain and Dailey Lake in Paradise Valley, Montana. Half of the elk counted this year were inside Yellowstone, while the other half were observed north of the park boundary.

This population count is down significantly from the 9,545 elk counted during the winter of 2004-2005.

The long term trend shows a 60-percent decrease in elk numbers since wolves were restored in the region. However, a significant reduction in both wolf numbers and wolf predation has been observed on the park's northern range.

Biologists believe elk numbers have decreased in areas where there are higher numbers of wolves and grizzly bears, but have stabilized or even increased in areas where there are fewer predators and moderate population reduction due to hunting. In addition, fewer elk calves survive in areas where there are more predators.

Just 100 antlerless elk permits per season have been issued by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) in recent years. In order to increase the size of the elk population, FWP has recommended closing the Gardiner late hunt for the next two years.

The Northern Yellowstone Cooperative Wildlife Working Group will continue to monitor trends of the northern Yellowstone elk population and evaluate the relative contribution of various components of mortality, including predation, environmental factors, and hunting.

The Working Group was formed in 1974 to cooperatively preserve and protect the long-term integrity of the northern Yellowstone winter range for wildlife species by increasing our scientific knowledge of the species and their habitats, promoting prudent land management activities, and encouraging an interagency approach to answering questions and solving problems.

The Working Group is comprised of resource managers and biologists from the Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, National Park Service (Yellowstone National Park), U.S. Forest Service (Gallatin National Forest), and U.S. Geological Survey-Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman.][/quote]



> http://www.ktvq.com/news/gardiner-elk-h ... to-wolves/
> 
> Posted: Feb 18, 2010 11:00 PM
> 
> ...


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks for the interesting info.

Maybe elk numbers up there are stabilizing. Looks as though Elk populations in the Greys River system paralleled those in Yellowstone from 2004 to now. Is it wolf related? I'm no biologist and only go up in the elk country in the fall. One thing for sure, I have seen my share of wolves up there. 

From what I'm hearing, the elk reductions in the Greys River drainage have stabilized. I plan to set an elk camp back up there this fall.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

Those are some interesting numbers. I have read several articles on the elk killers but one that stood out was in Field and Stream a few months ago. Some Yellowstone biologists have stated that since the wolves were brought back the elk numbers have (in some parts of the park) been cut by half. I looked for thearticle online but could not find it.

Also in the article it stated that the mortality rate amoung bison calves had been dramatically increased due to wolf predation. This only leads to lower numbers of both species. One of the interesting things in this article was the way they debunked the idea that wolves only attack the sick and weak. It actually explained how wolves will target an animal based on the caloric expenditure versus the caloric gain the prey will provide. So attacking a large healthy animal is a priority for the wolf.

So much data points to the damage wolves cause there is very little that can be said to argue against it. If we did not have all the economics attached to wildlife, mainly big game species I guess the wolves and their prey will eventually find a natural balance. the fact of the matter is that we do have a huge vested interest in wildlife and we cannot afford the devastation that wolves have brought with them. Better said the devastation that the por-wolf croud brought to us by intorducing them into the scene.


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## cklspencer (Jun 25, 2009)

I just thought what was interesting in the artical was the area the wolf numbers have gone done the elk population did not fall alot more(who would have guessed :roll: ). On the one end of the park they lost one of the most well know wolf packs,The Druids. As of the First of the month it was thought that there was only one pack serviver. Most died of mang and conflics from another pack. 
I did see the artical in Field and Stream, great aritcal. I just hope we can keep them out of Utah as long as we can.


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