MIGRATORY BEHAVIOR AND MANAGEMENT OF ELK (CERVUS-ELAPHUS)

Elk (Cervus elaphus) in the Jackson herd in northwestern Wyoming, U.S.A., migrate as far as 100 km from high-elevation summer ranges to winter ranges and feed grounds at lower elevations where there is less snow. Selection favoring migratory tendency in elk has resulted in high fidelity to seasonal ranges and migration routes in the Jackson elk herd. However, migratory behavior is not genetically fixed as some interbreeding herds adjacent to the Jackson herd are resident whilst others are migratory or nomadic. The proximal factor stimulating autumn migration is clearly snowfall, whereas spring migration appears to follow snowmelt and greenup. Migratory behavior creates certain management difficulties because elk cross lands under various management jurisdictions. Fidelity to seasonal ranges also has important implications for harvest policy because local distribution has been substantially altered by hunting. To restore historical distribution of elk in the Jackson herd would require an increase in the controversial culling program within Grand Teton National Park. Careful timing of mining and logging operations on seasonal ranges and migration routes can minimize their disturbance effects on elk distribution.