North American Elk

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North American Elk Cervus elaphus
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6 Subspecies of North American Elk

• Cervus elaphus canadensis- Eastern Elk
• Cervus elaphus roosevelti Roosevelt Elk
• Cervus elaphus nannodes- Tule Elk
• Cervus elaphus nelsoni- Rocky Mt Elk
• Cervus elaphus merriami- Merriam Elk
• Cervus elaphus manitobensis Manitoban Elk

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Distribution in ND
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Appearance

• Elk are about 5-6 feet tall at the shoulder
• Bulls (males) weigh from 700 to 1000 pounds
• Cows (females) weigh from 500 to 600 pounds

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Appearance

• The pelage ranges from reddish brown in the
  summer to dark brown in the winter.
• Rump color may look white from a distance but is
  actually orange in color
• Long black hairs on the neck referred to as the
  mane
• Males have impressively large antlers, whereas
  females do not
• Among the deer family, elk are second in size
  only to the moose

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Diet

• Like most Cervids, elk are true ruminants and
  have no gull bladder
• They are herbivores
• In the spring they feed on grasses and sedges
• Broad-leaved herbaceous plants are eaten in the
  early summer along with twigs
• In the late summer when the herbaceous plants dry
  out they then turn again to browsing for grasses
• In the fall they eat the dry leaves that fall
  from the trees and continue to eat grasses until
  the snow falls

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Diet

• Elk will dig down through the snow to get to the
  leaves and grass
• When the snow becomes to deep they eat mainly
  woody twigs
• Snow cover determines their diet
• Elk must eat 3 lbs of food per 100lbs of their
  body weight

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Predators

• Aside from humans (hunting) the most important
  predator is the wolf
• In spite of their size and power, elk are readily
  killed by wolves, especially when the snow
  becomes deep

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Predators

• Black bears kill primarily calves
• In some areas they kill as many as 50 of the
  calf population
• Predation occurs during the first weeks of the
  calfs life and ceases when they become strong
  enough to keep up with their mothers
• Grizzly bears will occasionally kill adult elk

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Reproduction

• Elk are the most polygamous member of the deer
  family
• In early September, the mating season begins
• The bulls move in with the cow/calf pairs and
  harem formation begins
• The males compete (rutting season) for females
  and smaller males are chased off to the fringes
  of the herds

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Reproduction

• Large bulls get control of 20-30 cows
• The young males are often not left out of the
  breeding
• They will often sneak in and breed with a female
  on the opposite side of where the harem master is
  located
• Harem masters are also challenged frequently by
  other bulls for the right to the cows

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Reproduction

• The age at which an individual is able to
  reproduce depends greatly on the environmental
  conditions
• Females typically reach sexual maturity at
  1.5-2.5 yrs of age

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Reproduction

• Males reach maturity at 1 year but rarely breed
  due to larger bulls being present
• The gestation period is about 8 ½ months
• Normally 1 calf is born , but rarely (1 of
  births) twins do occur
• Females are usually able to reproduce until
  about 14 years of age

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Calving
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Calving

• Calving season is from late may to early June
• Calves usually weigh on avg. 30lbs
• They have spotted coats to camouflage them from
  predators
• Their defense is to lay still until danger passes
• Usually hide in shrubs or grasses
• They can stand and walk minutes after birth

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Calving

• Once the calf can run and jump (1-3 wks) the cow
  and calf can rejoin the herd
• Calves are weaned in late summer but follow their
  mothers until the following spring
• They are dependent on their mothers milk for 1
  month, but sometimes suckle for up to 9 months

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Habitat Requirements

• General- Woodlands and large open areas
• Food- Grasses, sedges, broadleaved plants,
  leaves, woody vegetation and shrubs,
• Summer range- high country woodlands and meadows

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Habitat Requirements

• Winter range- dense, low-elevation woodlands
  north/northeast and south/southwest-facing slopes
  
• Transitional range- Douglas fir, aspen/pine and
  also open meadows

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Habitat requirements

• Security cover- Forest stands of varying ages,
  dense brush, briar thickets
• Water- Springs, lakes, rivers, streams,
  vegetation and snow

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Diseases

• Brucellosis-is a contagious bacterial disease
• It affects cattle by causing abortion in the
  latter half of pregnancy
• There are vaccines that are used on ranched elk,
  but capturing wild free ranging elk and
  vaccinating them for it is unrealistic

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Diseases

• Chronic Wasting Disease
• Causing much controversy in Elk Ranching
• This disease attacks the CNS and the brain of
  cervids
• Route of transmission not known
• Believed to be caused by prions
• Becomes cavities and holes in the brain
• Current method for testing is through exam of
  brain of deceased animal

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Diseases

• Bovine Tuberculosis
• It affects the respiratory system
• Much more common in domesticated elk
• TB has occurred in 31 herds of captive elk and
  deer in 15 states
• Transmitted by breath vapor

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ELK RANCHING
Elk Ranching
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Advantages to raising elk

• High fertility rate and long reproductive life
• Calve easily
• Calm disposition
• Tolerant of cold winters and hot summers
• Yield high quality velvet antler, meat and
  by-products
• Elk are very efficient, so they can be raised on
  a marginal amt of land

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Things Elk are used for

• Velvet antler
• Breeding Stock
• Shooter bulls
• Nutritional value of meat

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Velvet antler

• Bulls produce antlers every year and prior to the
  antlers becoming hard, it is known as the velvet
  stage. This is the stage in which the antlers are
  removed
• A mature bull may produce anywhere from 20-40lbs
  of velvet

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Velvet Antler

• The price of velvet is at around 20/lb
• The Velvet antler is the main aspect of elk
  ranching at this point

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Whats in the velvet antler?
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Velvet antler encourages

• Arthritis relief
• Muscle development, increased strength and
  increased endurance for athletes
• Enhanced Immune Activity
• blood pressure stabilization and improves blood
  circulation

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Breeding Stock Many ranchers also make a
significant amount of money on raising and
selling the elk to other ranchers for breeding
purposes This also leads to the start of new elk
ranches
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Shooter bulls

• Many elk ranchers are now getting into fee
  hunting as well
• People will pay around to 25,000 to come and
  shoot one of these bulls
• Often times, ranchers will take a bull that
  doesnt produce a large amt of velvet but has a
  large rack and sell it for a shooter bull

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Shooter Bulls

• Some ranches guarantee a kill, some a shot and
  others have no guarantees
• No state license is needed since the herd is
  privately owned
• Many hunters like to take advantage of these
  opportunities because they think it may be easier
  than hunting in the wilderness

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Shooter Bulls

• As the human population increases and the quality
  of wild trophy elk decreases, hunting ranches are
  starting to flourish

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Elk meat

• Eventually the elk being raised on ranches around
  the North American Continent will gain enough
  numbers that the animals will support the
  consumer demand
• Farm-raised elk meat is in high demand right now,
  and can be found at restaurants and through
  specialty shops, but once the number of ranchers
  increase, it is expected to be found in grocery
  stores everywhere

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Population Management

• Keys to controlling population
• Population size and trend
• K
• Predation rates
• Population distribution
• Public vs. private lands
• Sex ratio and age structure
• Goal of elk managers is to increase the ratio of
  mature males 100 females and the ratio of
  calves 100 females

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Population Size and Trend

• Three major factors
• K as influenced by the forage conditions,
  security conditions, and severe weather.
• Hunter harvest, harvest of adult females
• Predation rates and predator densities

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Population Distribution

• Maintain populations on public lands
• - This will increase hunting and viewing
  opportunities for the general public
• - Do this by increasing forage by burning,
  seeding, or feeding
• -Increasing security from human presence and
  activities
• Shift populations away from private lands
• - This will decrease crop depredation
• - Do this by allowing special hunts on private
  lands

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Sex Ratio and Age Structure

• -Two common goals
• 1. Increase the ratio of males 100 females
• 2. Increase the ratio of calves 100 females
• -Historically, malefemale ratios were probably
  about 25 mature males 100 females
• -Presently, there are about 5-10 mature males
  100 females

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Sex Ratio and Age Structure (Contd)

• Ratio of mature males females
• Mature males for public viewing and photos
• High ratios of mature males females may benefit
  population performance through early conception
  and birth dates

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Management of Habitat Components

• Food
• Winter range
• Transitional range
• Security cover
• Interspersion and minimum habitat size

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Management of Food

• Maintain pasture and open field areas
• Preserve and plant native species
• Eliminate or reduce human disturbance in pastures
  and woodlands

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Management of Ranges

• Winter range
• Preserve and maintain wooded lowlands
• Reduce human disturbance
• Transitional range
• Conduct fall prescribed burns in aspen stands
• Make available public and private land
• Reduce grazing by cattle in good elk ranges if
  possible

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Open Field Management

• Burning
• Returns nutrients to the soil
• Maintains grasslands and open woodlands as open
  habitat
• Promotes new growth of grasses, forbs, and shrubs
• Grazing
• Maintaining grazing areas
• Rotationally resting pastures and fencing
  livestock

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Open Field Management (Contd)

• Plantings
• Seeding pasture and open areas with native
  grasses, forbs, and legumes
• Grasses redtop, needlegrass, bluebunch
  wheatgrass, meadow brome, wildrye, etc
• Forbs and legumes fireweed, Oregon oxalis,
  yellow sweet clover, alfalfa, clovers, daisies,
  etc

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Woodland Management

• Burning
• Controlled burning of aspen and pine stands
• Underburn burning can reduce forest litter that
  could hinder movement
• Selective and even-aged timber harvest
• Can open forest canopies
• Forest roads should be closed to human use to
  minimize human disturbance

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Wildlife and Habitat Management on NER

• Habitat management
• Seeding
• Irrigation
• Prescribed burns
• Open migration routes
• Grazing of cattle
• Supplemental feeding
• During winter

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National Elk Refuge
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Supplemental Feeding on NER

• Elk are fed 2-3 inch pelletized alfalfa
• Higher in nutrition
• Fed 7 to 8 pounds per day
• Usually fed about 2.5 months during average
  winter
• Winter supplemental feeding not good for herds
• Elk congregate and increase the spread of
  diseases
• Eventually want to end winter supplemental
  feeding programs
• Winter feeding is expensive

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NER Population Management

• Wyoming Game and Fish Dept. Determined that a
  maximum of 7,500 elk is optimum for the refuge
• Herds numbers are maintained through late fall
  controlled hunts on the refuge and adjacent
  public lands

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Future

• The future of elk depends of cooperation between
  wildlife authorities, land managers, forest
  industries, oil and mining companies, park
  managers, Indian bands, and ranchers