Wildlife and People

Elk Population Plunges in Montana

For a long time wildlife experts outside the Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks have been pointing out the effects of uncontrolled wolf predation on Northern Rocky Mountain elk herds.

This week the MFWP reached the same conclusion. Department biologists tracking elk numbers have noticed an alarming decline in the cow-calf ratio, a sign of imminent population crash.

As a result, the MFWP is reducing hunting permits, although over-hunting by humans is not the problem. The exploding wolf population is — wolves have been mass slaughtering elk at an unsustainable rate.

There is no plan to limit wolf numbers. The USFWS has twice attempted to delist wolves, and been rebuffed both times by federal judges pretending to be wolf biologists. A third attempt to delist wolves will reach litigation status this month. Despite a consensus among government, university, and private wolf experts that the Canadian gray wolf is fully “recovered” and not in any danger of extinction (it never was), the courts have stymied realistic wildlife management at every turn.

From the Missoulian Online:

FWP may lower number of elk permits in Bitterroot, Lower Clark Fork basin

By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian, June 17, 2009 [here]

Elk numbers in some parts of western Montana are so low, state Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials may dial back the number of hunting permits they release this summer.

“Something of this magnitude does not happen every year,” said Mike Thompson, wildlife manager for the FWP Region 2 office in Missoula. “If you’d asked me about this two months ago, I’ve have said ‘no problem.’ But we’ve never seen such a low proportion of calves to cows across such a broad landscape as we did this year in the Bitterroot.”

In February (which was more than two months ago) we noted the crashing elk population in Montana [here]. Glad to see MFWP is catching the clue, finally.

The rest of the Missoulian article:

The Lower Clark Fork River basin west of Missoula has equally troublesome elk survey numbers. And while the Blackfoot and Upper Clark Fork River basins east of Missoula are healthy, whitetail deer numbers are suffering.

FWP’s board meets in Hamilton on June 25 to review the statistics and decide how to respond. Thompson said a likely plan would reduce the number of cow elk permits awarded from the June 1 license drawings.

Although FWP already published the number of permits available for each hunting district, Thompson said that quota is based on the previous year’s research. FWP commissioners get fresh winter and spring population surveys before their June meeting. They’re authorized to deviate from the published permit quotas if the surveys indicate a problem. And this year, there’s a problem.

Biologists have a long shelf of data from aerial surveys of the mountains on the east and west sides of Ravalli County. It shows cow-calf pairs are significantly down compared to past years, even though it was a relatively poor hunting season in 2008. That means something else killed the calves over the winter and spring. …

Explaining why is a tougher matter. Thompson said wolves, lions and bears combine with the weather to affect calf survival. Wolves in particular have increased in number in those areas. So have lions and bears.

Wolves have gained ground in the Blackfoot and Upper Clark Fork basins, but elk numbers remain strong there. On the other hand, whitetail deer populations are hurting, and increased predation is a strong suspect.

The deer numbers are low enough that Region 2 hunters won’t be able to buy B tags for antlerless deer over the counter as they could last year. FWP spokeswoman Vivica Crowser said that decision came down earlier this spring, although it may still catch some hunters by surprise.

In addition to tweaking the hunting license numbers, FWP hopes to exert some control over the predators. Lion quotas should increase this fall and winter as the big cat population is reaching troublesome levels.

A wolf hunt remains uncertain. While the federal government removed gray wolves from the endangered species list last month, several conservation groups sued to block new wolf hunting seasons in Montana and Idaho.

Thompson said even if a Montana wolf season survives the legal challenge, it’s unknown how effective hunters will be in reducing wolf numbers. Unlike state and federal animal damage hunters who get to use helicopters and traps to quickly remove outlaw packs, big-game hunters would have no such special advantages.