Winter feeding on Elk Refuge to end this weekend
Elk mortality low, feeding program totaled just 42 days as step-down program continues
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Spring is showing signs of arrival on the National Elk Refuge.
Snow pack depth at Refuge Headquarters peaked on February 21 at 14.9 inches, and has generally been declining since that time. Current snowpack depth at the headquarters site is 6.7 inches, which is close to the long-term average for March 18.
“This site typically represents some of the highest snow depths on the south end of the Refuge, and much of the south end of the Refuge is now snow free,” says senior wildlife biologist Erik Cole with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Cole has also been diligent about observing first arrivals of various species on the Refuge.
The first dates that horned larks, mountain bluebirds, red-winged blackbirds, red-tailed hawks, and Uinta ground squirrels are observed are important indicators of spring, Cole shares. He spotted a flock of about 200 horned larks north of Miller Butte on March 6.
Feeding to end
The last day of supplemental feeding in 2022 will be Sunday, March 20.
“As part of the feeding reduction step-down plan developed in 2019, we are ending feeding approximately two weeks earlier than we would have under comparable conditions in the past,” Cole says. “In order to estimate a feeding end date that is two weeks early, I compared long-term snowpack depth measurements in mid-March to when we ended feeding in previous years, and used this information to predict a feeding end date.”
By Cole’s calculations, refuge feeding would have ended around April 3, historically, so March 20 represents an end date two weeks earlier.
The idea is wapiti will eventually forget the Elk Refuge smorgasbord is there.
“Elk use the feedgrounds because of learned behavior,” Cole says. “The purpose of ending the feed season earlier and shortening feed season length is to decrease the likelihood that elk with no knowledge of NER feedgrounds discover the Refuge feeding program.”
Over time, the goal is to increase the proportion of the Jackson elk herd that winters on native winter range and decrease the proportion of the Jackson elk herd that winters on the Refuge. If all goes according to plan, big game managers will see closer to 5,000 of the 11,000-head Jackson herd wintering on the Refuge rather than 8,000 or more experienced regularly each season.
“This is part of a long-term strategy to reduce reliance on supplemental feeding on NER and reduce elk and bison disease transmission. It will likely take several more years of reducing feed season length to determine if this strategy has been effective,” Cole admits.
Supplemental feeding began February 7, so that marks 42 days of feeding. By comparison, the long-term average feeding end date is April 2, and the long-term average feed season length is 64 days.
Winter elk mortality
Refuge staff attempt to document every elk mortality that occurs during the winter months with records dating back to 1982. To date, winter elk mortality is on track to be well below average, Cole says. There have been 47 total elk winter mortalities documented so far this winter. For comparison, the 1982-2021 average is 109 total elk winter mortalities on the Refuge.
