Current through Register Vol. 6, March 22, 2024
(1) Past experience
in Montana and elsewhere has shown that artificial feeding of game animals is
not a sound game management program - neither economically nor biologically. It
is expensive, is not good for the animals, and not good for the range upon
which these animals are dependent. It can only be justified under extreme
winter conditions which indicate a winter loss of major proportions is
imminent.
Therefore, when it has been determined that extreme winter
conditions exist on department-owned lands, an emergency feeding program may be
undertaken and the following regulations shall be policy:
(a) invite local sportsman's groups to
participate in the program;
(b)
feed only hay of high quality free from all forms of pollution;
(c) feed hay in sufficient quantity so that
at least some hay is left uneaten; (this normally means about 12 pounds per
animal per day) ;
(d) feed will be
scattered over large areas in an attempt to maintain a normal
distribution;
(e) the department
will determine feeding areas and only those areas will be utilized; these are
wild animals and consideration must be given to the establishment of feeding
areas located specifically to avoid harassment.
(2) In the Gallatin River drainage the elk
feeding policy for the department is as follows:
(a) for the area in the vicinity of the
northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park: encompassed by the drainages of
Buffalo Horn Creek, Cinnamon Creek, Wilson Creek, Teepee Creek, Lodgepole
Creek, Sawmill Creek, Monument Creek, Sage Creek, and the portion of Taylor
Creek below the Taylor Narrows, there will be no feeding, whether hay or other
food supplements, of elk.
(b) For
the remainder of that portion of the Upper Gallatin Canyon where elk feeding is
not excluded by the provisions of subsection (2) (a), the following guidelines
are the elk feeding policy of the department.
(3) Purpose. The purpose of this plan is to
establish criteria for the monitoring and evaluation of winter conditions for a
portion of the Upper Gallatin elk herd in order to avoid catastrophic losses
during a severe winter.
(a) The department is
responsible for managing the wildlife on national forest lands in Montana. The
forest service, however, has responsibility for the management of wildlife
habitat, necessitating the two agencies work closely together in game
management within the boundaries of the national forest. Yellowstone national
park contains a portion of the Upper Gallatin elk habitat. The three agencies
therefore coordinate their responsibilities under a cooperative agreement for
the management of the Upper Gallatin elk herd.
(b) In any winter, regardless of severity,
natural elk mortality will vary from 1% to 10%. Nature has the ability to
recover losses rapidly. The ratio of calves to adult cows may vary from 25% to
60% in a given year. Elk herds have the potential of doubling their size within
two years. Nevertheless, a loss in excess of 15% of the total herd could be
considered catastrophic, necessitating feeding or other emergency
measures.
(4) Objective.
The objective of this plan is to establish guidelines for evaluating winter
conditions affecting Upper Gallatin elk and the condition of the elk
themselves. An additional objective of this plan is to establish guidelines for
feeding, should the need arise, that will minimize damage to soil, vegetation,
and water while providing for the needs of elk through a crisis period. It is
hoped that elk feeding when needed can be achieved through the cooperative
efforts of concerned citizens working with the department and the forest
service.
(5) Background. Research
has shown that once animals are suffering from severe malnutrition, feeding may
do no good. Also, once animals have become weak from use of reserve body fat,
the animals may not be able to adjust to a change of diet. If feeding is to be
done then, it must begin before the animals' condition is so poor that they do
not respond. A decision to feed must also recognize the following adverse
impact on the environment and the animals:
(a) making healthy animals dependent on
artificial feed when they would be better off foraging;
(b) stopping or interrupting natural
migration habits;
(c) tending to
deplete emergency food reserves in the vicinity of feed grounds; (research has
shown that elk will severely browse conifers and shrubs in the immediate
vicinity of the feed ground regardless of the amount of hay put out);
(d) concentrating animals when their
resistance is down, increasing the risk of the spread of any disease or virus
present;
(e) decreasing water
quality by concentrating animals near open water;
(f) allowing genetically inferior animals to
survive, thus interfering with the natural selection process;
(g) changing social behavior patterns may
cause problems; for example, if bulls are attracted into cow groups, increased
stress may be placed on weaker or smaller animals through fighting and
jostling.
(6) Even
though late winter storms can be quite severe, usually after a couple of days
the snow melts and food becomes available again. Those animals which are too
weak to wait out a few days will not be helped by feeding.
As a general rule, artificial feeding will not be started
after April 1. To avoid losses from a late spring storm, such as occurred in
April, 1975, managers will need to make a thorough analysis of the available
feed and animal condition prior to April 1.
(7) Criteria for evaluating winter conditions
for the Upper Gallatin elk herd. The department will set up monitoring stations
at Taylor Fork and Porcupine to monitor snow depth, icing, and crusting. The
following criteria will indicate that feeding may be necessary:
(a) snow depth 20 inches or more with crusts
and/or ice forming;
(b) weak adult
cows forced to bottom lands along streams and Highway 191;
(c) adult cows foraging during middle of
daylight hours;
(d) adult cows not
seeking cover after feeding;
(e)
emergency food sources not available;
(f) groups of adult cows (not isolated
animals) generally in poor condition;
(g) signs of malnutrition in road-kills of
adult cows (bone marrow pink, jelly-like, lack of body fat, especially around
kidneys);
(h) adult cows weak and
moving with difficulty through snow cover;
(i) weather outlook for cooler than normal
with above normal precipitation forecast.
Note: Since some calf losses are not preventable but are
expected most years and since this plan is designed to prevent catastrophic
reductions in the elk herd, the criteria for feeding is based on factors
affecting the reproductive base (adult cows) only.
Procedure: In the event hay feeding becomes necessary, the
following procedure will be followed:
(a) every effort will be made to avoid
concentrating animals; hay will be fed where the elk are found, scattered over
a wide area and in small amounts;
(b) approximately 3 to 7 pounds of hay per
animal is sufficient per feeding;
(c) hay will be fed from sleigh or snow
machine;
(d) distribute feed away
from streams and highway and emergency food sources, such as willow and
dogwood;
(e) scatter feed at the
break (or toe) of the slope;
(f)
only "certified weed-free" grass hay will be used;
(g) hay will be furnished or approved by the
department;
(h) all feeding will be
monitored and supervised by the department with assistance of the forest
service; the results of any feeding program should be carefully documented for
future reference;
(i) feeding will
stop when natural feed becomes available or when elk stop using hay, whichever
comes first;
(j) the department
will obtain a forest service permit for feeding on national forest
land.
(8)
Responsibility and coordination. The department will be responsible for making
the final decision on whether or not to feed hay to elk, and will supervise the
procurement and distribution of hay.
(a) The
forest service will make the final decision on whether to allow the placing of
hay on national forest land for feeding of elk. The location of feeding areas
on national forest land must receive prior approval from the forest service.
Feeding will not take place inside Yellowstone National Park.
(b) The forest service and department will
jointly monitor snow, weather, and animal conditions, with the department
having the primary responsibility for monitoring.
(c) If conditions indicate that feeding may
be necessary, a thorough analysis of snow and animal conditions will be made by
department and forest service personnel. Porcupine and Taylor Fork Creek above
the narrows will be checked as a minimum. A joint meeting will be held and the
department will decide whether or not to feed and where feeding will be most
effective.
(d) Proposed national
forest feeding sites will be approved at that time.
(e) The department then may invite private
ranchers and organizations to participate and establish a schedule for
monitoring the feeding and recording results. Forest service personnel may
participate in monitoring the feeding operation.
(9) The elk herds in the Gallatin drainage
provide a peculiar problem for management in this state as they move over their
normal winter range.
87-1-201, MCA; IMP,
87-1-301,
MCA;