Early
season shoulder hunt added near Norris
By Jessianne Castle EBS ENVIRONMENTAL & OUTDOORS EDITOR
BOZEMAN – Wildlife
biologist Julie Cunningham took to the sky this February to count elk. During
two flights she documented a continued change in herd behavior in hunting
district 311 north of Highway 84 near Norris and spotted fewer elk in Gallatin
Canyon. Cunningham attributes seeing fewer elk near Big Sky to the timing of
the fight.
As a
wildlife expert for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Cunningham is responsible
for keeping tabs on the greater Bozeman area’s wildlife. She monitors
population trends and health, and recommends hunting regulations and
objectives.
On a Feb. 13
flight over Gallatin Canyon with pilot Rob Cherot, Cunningham counted 382 elk.
During the 5.5 hours they were in the air, they buzzed up and down, drainage by
drainage, from Porcupine Creek south to Black Butte, then from Sage Creek north
to Big Sky, covering portions of hunting district 310 and 360. It’s the lowest
count since 2016.
Cunningham says
there were occasions where they couldn’t get visuals on elk, even though they
spotted tracks.
“This flight
was probably done too late in the season,” the biologist said in her report.
“Later in winter if snowpack is heavy, elk tend to conserve energy by staying
under tree cover and not moving into the open in response to the noise of the
helicopter or airplane.”
Other
flights and necessary wildlife capture work caused her to delay the flight
until mid-February this year, she added.
“I suspect
elk numbers are slowly increasing, but HD 310 is still markedly below the
objective of 1,500 elk, and I continue to support conservative management in
this district,” she said.
FWP
conducted a cooperative flight earlier in February with the Flying D Ranch
northwest of Gallatin Gateway near the mouth of the Gallatin Canyon, ultimately
documenting elk numbers within the target range of 2,000-3,000. Cunningham flew
with pilot Joe Rahn north of Highway 84 from Norris north to Three Forks, while
an observer and pilot from Flying D Ranch covered the southern end of hunting
district 311 from Highway 84 south toward Big Sky. In all, the parties counted 2,219
elk.
This was the
fourth year FWP has worked in partnership with Flying D Ranch to count elk, an
effort Cunningham says is valuable for wildlife management as it gives a better
picture of elk numbers and distribution, while saving money and flight time.
Cunningham
said it’s notable that she continued to observe two separate elk herds in the
district. The newer, 800-head Red Mountain herd was documented in 2008 and
lives year-round on private land west of the Madison River. It wasn’t described
in the 2005 elk plan, which guides how FWP manages elk populations in the state.
The Spanish
Peaks herd, which Cunningham counted at nearly 1,400, is documented in the
state’s elk plan. These animals live east of the Madison River on the Flying D
Ranch and within the Spanish Peaks Wilderness. According to Cunningham, GPS
collar data suggests the Red Mountain and Spanish Peaks herds seldom mix.
Since 2009,
the Spanish Peaks elk have moved north of Highway 84 onto private land, where
they’ve caused crop damage. The presence of the elk near cattle also poses a
risk for ranchers, as some elk populations are known to carry the
abortion-causing disease brucellosis. More than 1,000 elk frequent these
smaller properties and agricultural lands in the winter, Cunningham said.
In 2017, the
Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a shoulder season hunt in the north half
of the hunting district to reduce the number of elk on private land and reduce
conflict for landowners. During the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Feb. 13
meeting, commissioners elected to continue the shoulder season for the 2020
hunting season, and added an early season option so hunters can pursue elk on
private lands north of Highway 84 from Aug. 15 to the start of archery season on
Sept. 5.
