Gail P.
Yelp
A wonderful place in Jackson Hole, WY. that is dedicated to protecting the elk herds in winter is the Elk Refuge, which is part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.
It was in 1912, after the photography of Stephen Leek inspired public interest in preserving a part of the traditional winter range of the area elk population, that the Reserve idea was born.
"Today almost 10,000 elk winter in the refuge, which is located just north of the town of Jackson. The elk begin their migration out of the high meadows in the fall, usually after the first snow storm. They stay in the refuge through the spring, when food becomes more abundant," according to www,jacksonhole.com.
The 25,000 acres of open fields, streams, ponds, and marshes make it a perfect spot for elk to winter at. While driving to Yellowstone along the highway, I saw the (empty) Elk Reserve this past summer but the tour guide told us that in the winter, the fenced in reserve is brimming full of thousands of Jackson Hole elk.
The winter season is the only time of year you will be able to observe the animals at their temporary home. During the summer months, the elk disappear into the mountains. But the refuge is still a popular place to observe bighorn sheep, deer, bison and moose. 5 YELP STARS for this great Reserve that has helped to reintroduce elk, which had disappeared from over 90 percent of their original range in the United States by the early 1900's. At that time, northwest Wyoming and the Jackson area was one of the last strongholds of elk. This area also boasted a perfect blend of habitats that suit elk: open,grassy meadows, marshes, timbered areas, sagebrush, and rocky outcroppings.
Thus was born the National Elk Refuge--located with the dramatic Grand Teton Mountains in the background and Yellowstone National Park nearby. According to the www.fws.gov website, the Jackson Elk Reserve was "one of the first big game refuges established and is managed to provide winter habitat for approximately half of the nearly 14,000 elk in the Jackson elk herd. Refuge grasslands are managed to produce as much natural forage for elk as possible through irrigation, seeding, prescribed burning, and other management activities. These management practices enhance winter elk habitat and reduce the need for supplemental feeding. The number of elk wintering on the Refuge is limited to avoid overuse of the range and to avoid the potential spread of diseases common when herd animals are crowded."
Perhaps the only bump in the road here? There is some contretemps about a wintering bison herd in the Elk Reserve. Some environmentalists have complained that the growing bison herd wintering on the Refuge is competing with elk for winter range and supplemental feeding. As of now, the FEDS who manage the Reserve note, in their best government-speak, that "Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are preparing a Bison and Elk Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement which will help to develop the future management plan of these animals on the National Elk Refuge." (www.fws.gov.)
