Elk still not being fed at Refuge

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Elk in the National Elk Refuge are still not being fed despite nearly a foot of crusted snow covering forage in some places. Refuge managers say they are holding off supplemental feeding for now in an attempt to shorten the winter feeding plan.

WGFD biologist Aly Courtemanch and I evaluated snow and forage conditions on January 11 and found average available forage at key index sites to be 1,150 lbs. per acre. Average snow depth at these sites was 9 inches. Except in areas where previous elk foraging activity had compacted the snow, forage was accessible beneath the snow all the way to the ground,” said senior wildlife biologist Eric Cole. “Supplemental feeding is not necessary at this time, but we will continue to evaluate forage conditions on a weekly basis.”

Under the Feeding Reduction Step-Down Plan finalized in 2019, the prevailing principal strategy is to reduce supplemental feeding and disease risk by shortening the feed season length.

“Consistent with the goals of that plan, this winter we intend to delay the start of supplemental feeding by one week compared to comparable conditions in the past,” Cole said. “In practice, this means that when average available forage declines to 300 lbs. per acre at key index sites, we will wait an additional week before starting feeding.”

For historical comparison, the average feeding start date on the Refuge has been January 24, but those dates vary widely in any given year depending on conditions. Feeding start dates in recent decades have ranged from anytime between the end of December to the end of February. There have been 10 winters since 1912 when the Refuge did not feed at all. The most recent in 2018.

Refuge staff count all ungulates on a weekly basis in a standard 11,400-acre survey area, which roughly corresponds to the southern half of the National Elk Refuge where animals can readily be observed from the ground.

Staff also maintains a sample of elk captured on National Elk Refuge feedgrounds and equipped with GPS collars. These collars record a precise location every 1.5 hours, which allows managers to track elk movements, migration timing, habitat use, and aggregation and density patterns.

As of January 10, 45 out of 52 (87%) collared elk have arrived on the south end of the Refuge. Collared elk that have yet to arrive on the Refuge are currently located on private lands west of the Refuge and also in the Gros Ventre drainage. These movement patterns and the number of elk occupying the Refuge are typical for mid-January, according to Cole.

Based on reports from other agencies, bison remain well north of the Refuge with no sign of southward movement. The National Elk Refuge bison hunt will remain open through January, but if supplemental feeding becomes necessary before that time, the hunt will close.