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Predation leading to smaller winter elk hunt in Gardiner
By The Associated Press
12/17/04
HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- Next year's winter elk hunt near Gardiner will be cut from 1,180 hunters to 148 because wolves and other animals are eating into the northern Yellowstone National Park herd, state officials decided Thursday.
Declining elk numbers, the result of predation, means it's likely the winter hunt will end soon, said Kurt Alt, a regional wildlife manager for the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "It's probably going to go away," he said.
The decision to severely cut permits next year was made by the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, meeting in Helena.
The northern Yellowstone herd hit a peak of about 19,000 animals in 1994. The next year, wolves were reintroduced and elk populations have been on a steady decline since, Alt said.
As recently as 2000, FWP offered more than 2,800 tags for the late hunt, which aimed to harvest mostly female elk migrating out of the park.
"We expect to observe less than 8,000 elk during this December's count," Alt said.
Because of the abundance of predators in and near the park -- including wolves, bears and mountain lions -- Alt said he fears one bad winter could drop the elk herd close to the 1968 level of 4,000, and the smaller herd would then have to face all those predators.
The commission also approved Montana's statewide elk plan, which focuses on ways for people to harvest more elk in some districts, if necessary. Most elk hunting districts in the state contain more elk than guidelines call for, leading to landowner complaints.
By The Associated Press
12/17/04
HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- Next year's winter elk hunt near Gardiner will be cut from 1,180 hunters to 148 because wolves and other animals are eating into the northern Yellowstone National Park herd, state officials decided Thursday.
Declining elk numbers, the result of predation, means it's likely the winter hunt will end soon, said Kurt Alt, a regional wildlife manager for the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "It's probably going to go away," he said.
The decision to severely cut permits next year was made by the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, meeting in Helena.
The northern Yellowstone herd hit a peak of about 19,000 animals in 1994. The next year, wolves were reintroduced and elk populations have been on a steady decline since, Alt said.
As recently as 2000, FWP offered more than 2,800 tags for the late hunt, which aimed to harvest mostly female elk migrating out of the park.
"We expect to observe less than 8,000 elk during this December's count," Alt said.
Because of the abundance of predators in and near the park -- including wolves, bears and mountain lions -- Alt said he fears one bad winter could drop the elk herd close to the 1968 level of 4,000, and the smaller herd would then have to face all those predators.
The commission also approved Montana's statewide elk plan, which focuses on ways for people to harvest more elk in some districts, if necessary. Most elk hunting districts in the state contain more elk than guidelines call for, leading to landowner complaints.
