Elk Behavior
- Thread starter Swede
- Start date
JohnFitzgerald
New member
- Mar 31, 2014
- 1,108
I\'d guess up from natural population. At least that\'s what ODFW tells us. :wtf:
I would say true. They are a thing of the past because of the lack of unpressured natural grass lands where elk would naturaly live. We have pushed them to the mountains and downsized their natural range even more by farming or grazing livestock on any easily accesed flater lands. Hunting them also limits the elks natural population.
True ... as above, they are pushed to smaller and smaller portions of the west. (Aren\'t we all?)
But you know what? Typical western land is gone, too.
We don\'t live in the 1700s anymore ... fences, interstates, ranches with hay ground ... grazing, mining ... we all have a nostalgia for the past, but we live HERE and NOW, and so do the elk.
But you know what? Typical western land is gone, too.
We don\'t live in the 1700s anymore ... fences, interstates, ranches with hay ground ... grazing, mining ... we all have a nostalgia for the past, but we live HERE and NOW, and so do the elk.
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,332
Natural elk populations, numbers-wise, are a thing of the past in most areas because of the Parks and Wildlife controling those numbers in most areas. Now can a population of elk live or go somewhere naturally? Absolutely. It is very apparant here in Colorado, where elk have naturally moved to the flatlands, going as far as the far eastern part of the state. The question is a little confusing to me on what you are looking for.
It looks like you folks really nailed this question. The answer is true. Land management, hunting and other resource management has really changed \"natural\" elk populations. The elk quickly adapt to changes in their environment or move away. This has become very apparent in the area where I hunt. Over the last 10-15 years the people I hunt with have noticed a steady decline in elk sightings. In the past we often got at least a couple elk in the first few days of hunting season. This year, no one saw an elk for several days. I saw 3-5 elk only during 29 days of hunting.
The point of this question is to point out that we too need to adapt to changes. I will need to relocate or manage to hunt where there are very few elk.
The point of this question is to point out that we too need to adapt to changes. I will need to relocate or manage to hunt where there are very few elk.
