We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2016
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Charles M. Russell (CMR) National Wildlife Refuge recently partnered on a study to evaluate the effects of public hunting access and other landscape factors on elk distributions during the fall archery and rifle hunting seasons. The study took place in the Missouri River Breaks area north of the Missouri River in hunting districts 621, 622 and 631.
In February of 2013, 25 cow elk were captured in the Missouri River Breaks population in hunting district (HD) 621, and 25 cow elk were captured in the Larb Hills population in HD 622 and 631. Elk were radio collared with a global positioning system that recorded hourly locations 24 hours a day for two years.
During the captures, blood samples were taken to determine pregnancy status and to detect antibodies indicating exposure to diseases. None of the sampled elk were positive for exposure to brucellosis. The average pregnancy rate was 77%, which is lower than pregnancy rates from typically observed in other Montana elk populations.
The main objective for this study was to better understand fall elk distribution and availability of elk to hunters. Elk numbers have been above the established elk population objective of 1,700-2,000 animals since 2001. Wildlife management generally relies on increasing harvest of adult female elk as the primary management tool for limiting elk population growth and reducing elk populations. However, increased antlerless elk hunting license quotas in this area have not resulted in sufficient harvest to reduce elk population numbers. Additionally, since the number of elk hunting licenses issued was increased in 2007, harvest success rates have declined. Hunter access was thought to be a limiting factor in elk management in this area.
Researchers categorized hunter access across the study area into three categories: freely accessible to hunters, restricted hunter access, and no public hunter access. The distributions of the elk were then compared during both archery and rifle season relative to hunter access and other habitat features such as cover, terrain, and distance to roads. Overall, elk tended to be less accessible during the archery season, and more commonly selecting for "no access" areas. Although elk were more accessible during rifle season, they were not always in easy to hunt locations.
In HD 621, 68% of archery season elk locations occurred in areas accessible to hunters, 30% occurred in areas with no hunter access, and 2% occurred in areas with restricted hunter access. During rifle season, 91% of elk locations occurred in areas accessible to hunters, 9% occurred in areas with no hunter access, and <1% occurred in areas with restricted hunter access.
"Many of the elk that were inaccessible during the archery season in HD 621 were in the Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area, which is closed to hunting," said Thompson. "During the rifle season, we saw these same elk disperse out into much more publically accessible areas. However, these elk utilized different strategies to avoid hunters, such as using dense cover, riparian areas and areas away from roads for security."
In hunting districts 622 and 631, 50% of archery season elk locations occurred in areas accessible to hunters, 40% occurred in areas with no hunter access, and 10% occurred in areas with restricted hunter access. During rifle season, 66% of rifle season elk locations occurred in areas accessible to hunters, 29% occurred in areas with no hunter access, and 5% occurred in areas with restricted hunter access.
"In the Larb Hills, elk were relatively less accessible to hunters during the rifle hunting season than in HD 621. These elk more commonly used 'no access' areas rather than habitat features for security," said Thompson.
The research emphasized the need to work cooperatively with landowners to provide adequate hunter access and implement harvest strategies to achieve elk population objectives in this and other areas of the state. One step in that direction, Thompson said, is the recently adopted "shoulder seasons" and additional antlerless elk permits in the Region 6 Breaks hunting districts in an effort to reduce elk populations. These changes in the elk season are intended to provide additional elk harvest opportunity, specifically focused on the patchwork of private and public lands adjacent to the CMR National Wildlife Refuge.
"The ultimate goal is to maintain distribution of elk across public and private land, respect landowner concerns and rights, and provide equitable availability of wildlife resources for all Montanan's," said Thompson.
