Elk restoration enters second year

Courtesy MDC

Lessons learned in 2011 make this year’s work more productive.

JEFFERSON CITY–Missouri’s elk herd is growing on two fronts, and conservation officials express optimism that the second year of restoration work will benefit from experience gained in 2011.

Efforts to bring elk back to Missouri after a 150-year absence began in October 2010, when the Missouri Conservation Commission approved a restoration plan. The plan called for obtaining up to 150 wild elk from other states with established wild populations.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) quickly got the go-ahead from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to trap elk from its herd of more than 10,000. The Bluegrass State restored its elk herd between 1997 and 2002, bringing elk from Utah and other western states to populate a 16-county restoration zone.

MDC construction crews began building traps and holding pens in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky in December 2010. Although hampered by heavy snowfall, they completed their work in time to start trapping elk in January 2011.

This year, warm weather with little snow helped MDC make extensive modifications to holding pens. However, those same conditions hampered actual trapping, since elk had easier access to natural food and were less inclined to visit baited trap sites. In spite of this, 54 elk were captured through a combination of baited pen traps and sedative darting.

“We learned a lot the first year,” said MDC Elk Project Manager Ron Dent. “That enabled us to make better use of the opportunities we had to catch elk, and we have significantly improved handling procedures and veterinary care to keep the animals we captured healthy.”

Changes to this year’s elk-restoration work in Kentucky included enlarging the holding pens and extending them into brushy areas to provide better shelter from the elements. Other changes have substantially reduced disturbance from human activities and provided more natural, hygienic access to food and water. Provisions for moving and handling elk also have been changed to reduce stress and potential for injury.

“The elk are a lot more relaxed and in much better physical condition this year, thanks to all the changes we have made,” said Dent. “In short, we are getting better at this, and that translates into more and healthier elk.”

One particularly valuable innovation this year is the addition of two caretakers to watch over the Kentucky elk. Living in a camper on-site, the two not only guard against human disturbance, they provide early warnings of developing problems.

“One of our caretakers has an agriculture background and is very quick to pick up on it when the elk’s behavior is off,” said Dent. “That has given us the jump on several situations. Without their help, we wouldn’t be where we are today with this year’s work.”

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has shared the cost and staff needs for trapping efforts and plans to begin its own restoration this year. Substantial financial support also came from private conservation groups, including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.

MDC once again is working closely with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the U.S., Kentucky and Virginia departments of agriculture to ensure the health of all the captured elk.

This year’s catch of 54 elk includes 39 cows and 15 bulls. They will be divided between Missouri and Virginia, with the majority earmarked for Missouri.

Missouri’s share of this year’s captured elk will join the 36 elk already living here. The current elk herd consists of five calves born in Missouri last year and 31 of the 34 elk brought from Kentucky in 2011.

One of Missouri’s elk that died last year was a cow that was brought to Kentucky from Utah in 1997, the first year of Kentucky’s elk-restoration program. As the dominant cow, she played a key role in establishing Missouri’s elk herd before succumbing to old age. The other two casualties among last year’s transplants resulted from internal parasites and an accidental fall.

“Naturally, we hate to lose any of these animals,” said Dent. “But losses are inevitable, and we have every reason to believe that such losses will be smaller in the future as we gain experience.”

One of the elk now in holding pens in Kentucky is a cow that also was part of Kentucky’s restoration herd. She came to Kentucky from Utah as a calf in 1999.

Most of the 13 mature cows already in Missouri, along with those that will arrive this spring, are expected to be pregnant and will give birth to calves in early summer. With normal calf survival, Missouri’s resident elk herd could top 70 by the end of the summer.

MDC personnel will attempt to find calves born in Missouri this year and fit them with radio collars.

GPS collars on most of the resident herd enable MDC to track their movements. Dent said they are behaving as expected, exploring their new home but mostly staying in the vicinity of green browse fields and open woodland habitat available within the 346-square-mile elk-restoration zone in Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties.

“They are using the wildlife plots we established along the elk-tour routes,” said Dent. “They also are using open woodlands and forested areas, where they find acorns during the fall.”

Hunters who took part in managed deer hunts at Peck Ranch Conservation Area (CA) in October, November and December were asked to carry GPS units so biologists could observe how elk reacted to human activity.

“Most of the elk movements were short-term, and they returned to the same places after hunters left,” said Dent. “We were surprised to find that they didn’t move much at all. Mainly they just moved and stayed out of sight. We only had a few hunters who saw elk.”

According to Dent, the elk were more dispersed during the summer, as would be expected when cows are rearing their calves. As autumn wore on, they came together in three loosely organized groups. This is consistent with elk mating behavior, in which dominant bulls gather and guard “harems” of cows. These groups have tended to hold together until the present, and likely will break up again as calving season approaches.

To encourage Missouri’s growing elk herd to remain in and around the restoration zone, MDC is working to enlarge and improve existing habitat that meets the grazing animals’ needs. This work includes planting patches of mixed legumes and warm- and cool-season grasses and liming and fertilizing existing green-browse plots.

One large project involves several hundred acres on Current River CA. Some of these areas are old fields that formerly were pasture, hay or cropland but have grown up in brushy vegetation and invasive trees such as locust, cedar and Osage orange. Restoring these areas to a more open condition enhances habitat diversity in a way that benefits a wide range of wildlife, including elk.

Dent said elk have turned into a popular attraction at Peck Ranch CA, with individuals frequenting the established elk driving tour and local businesses making plans to develop elk-viewing opportunities. Dent said hunters at Peck Ranch CA last fall reported that the possibility of seeing elk was one of the area’s primary attractions.

MDC plans to close the refuge area at Peck Ranch CA this spring, as it did last year. Dent said the inconvenience to turkey hunters is considered necessary to avoid disturbance of elk from Kentucky and resident elk that are calving during the spring and early summer. The portion of Peck Ranch CA outside the marked refuge fence remains open to hunting and other activities. Dent said the 12,000-acre refuge area will remain closed until mid-summer. Exact closure and reopening dates will be announced later this year.

He said he expects health tests of elk trapped this year to be complete in May, after which they can be brought to Missouri. They will be released after a short holding period to allow them to acclimate to their new surroundings.

MDC is exploring the possibility of using elk brought from Kentucky this year to establish a second sub-herd on property owned by The Nature Conservancy. Dent said this area is nearer the middle of the elk-restoration zone, and releasing elk there would encourage additional use of suitable habitat the area offers. He said The Nature Conservancy has put significant effort into habitat improvements on its land, making that area even more suitable for elk.

“It also has the advantage of not putting all Missouri’s elk in one basket, so to speak,” said Dent.

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Elk restoration effort moves forward in Kentucky

Missouri’s first elk is in a holding pen, awaiting company.

HAZARD, Ky.–Missouri’s elk-restoration effort took a significant step forward Jan. 7 with the delivery of its first elk.

Photo Courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation

Workers with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFW) captured a juvenile bull. Of the bulls captured as part of trapping efforts, only calves and spike bulls will be used for Missouri’s restoration program, because mature bull elk with branched antlers are more difficult to handle and more likely to injure themselves or other captured elk.

Before elk trapping could begin, a construction crew made up of workers from KDFW and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) had to build a corral capable of holding 50 elk in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. The pen was built using funds from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Despite challenges posed by single-digit temperatures, repeated heavy snowfall and freezing rain, they put finishing touches on the holding pen just days before the first elk’s arrival.

Kentucky’s deer and elk herd coordinator, Tina Brunjes, said the operation has shifted from construction to trapping.

“The holding facility is complete, we have the pens to hold the elk, and we have the handling facility where we can do all the disease testing,” Brunjes said. “It’s all ready to go.”

The first MDC trapping team arrived in Kentucky last week. MDC Wildlife Management Biologist Travis Mills is supervising the four-person team. Mills has a special interest in the project, since he is the wildlife management biologist for Shannon, Carter, Ripley and Oregon counties, which encompass much of Missouri’s elk-restoration zone.

Mills said the assistance from the KDFW is vital to the success of his team.

“We couldn’t do this project successfully without help from the Kentucky team,” Mills said. “They’ve been through their own elk reintroduction in Kentucky and they’re putting their expertise to work helping us to take every precaution to ensure we bring in a healthy elk herd to Missouri.”

The trapping process, according to Brunjes, starts with laying out bait where the elk regularly travel, then letting that bait lead the elk into the trap through a series of fencing. 

“We’ve got bait out in areas where we’re trying to get a significant group of elk to start coming and feeding so we can trap them in the corral,” Brunjes said. By Jan. 10, two elk herds, totaling around 60 animals, were using the bait, setting the stage for trap deployment.

The trapping process is simple, according to Brunjes.  She said the team found an area where they have seen elk and knew they are traveling through that area.  After placing bait to lead the animals into the corral trap, it is just a matter of waiting.

Once elk are in the trap and the corral gate is closed, the trapping team will transfer them to the holding pen as quick as possible to minimize stress on the animals. Health testing will begin when 50 elk have been captured. Veterinarians from several agencies will cooperate on the health assessment and sampling process according to Brunjes.

If all goes well, MDC hopes to have 50 elk in holding pens by the end of January. When trapping ends and the initial health testing is completed, the clock will start running on a three-month quarantine period in Kentucky.

After arriving in Missouri, the elk will undergo another quarantine period in holding pens at Peck Ranch Conservation Area. These measures are intended to protect the health of Missouri’s domestic livestock and wildlife. The holding period also will allow imported elk to acclimate to the area, reducing the likelihood of their wandering far.

Mills said being part of the elk trapping and restoration team is an exciting assignment.

“To me, this is a career highlight,” Mills said. “I’ve spent over 20 years professionally in conservation and I’m excited to play such an integral part in this chapter of history where we’re restoring an important species to Missouri.”

The Missouri Conservation Commission decided to restore elk in a 346-square-mile area covering parts of Carter, Reynolds and Shannon counties for several reasons. These included citizen requests, ecological benefits from restoring a native species and economic benefits to Missouri through tourism and hunting. Before making the decision, the commission gathered citizen comments at public forums and by e-mail, mail and telephone. More than 70 percent of the 2,953 comments received expressed support for elk restoration.

The limited elk-restoration zone was chosen because it has extensive public lands, minimal agricultural activity, low road density and public support.

All elk brought to Peck Ranch CA will be fitted with microchips and radio collars. This will permit tracking their movements after they leave the holding pen as part of a cooperative research project with the University of Missouri.

The elk-restoration plan includes provisions for protecting Missouri wildlife and livestock and dealing with elk that wander onto private land where they are not welcome. The Conservation Department will use hunting to maintain the elk herd at a manageable size.

-Candice Davis-

Kentucky to provide elk for Missouri restoration program

Image via Wikipedia

Cooperative efforts with other states and conservation groups is getting the Show-Me State’s elk-restoration program off to a fast start.

HAZARD, Ky. – Elk from Kentucky will begin arriving in the Show-Me State this coming spring, and preparations to trap and transport the animals are proceeding rapidly, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

In October, the Conservation Commission directed MDC staff to restore elk to a 346-square-mile area in Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties. The first step in implementing the plan was to find a state willing to share its elk.

“Kentucky has by far the most successful elk restoration program and largest herds in the eastern United States,” said MDC Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen, “Its herds number around 10,000 across 16 counties. The Commonwealth of Kentucky generously consented to provide elk for our program, so we are preparing to help trap elk in Kentucky and bring them to Peck Ranch Conservation Area in southeast Missouri.”

The area where MDC will trap elk is on the Cumberland Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. Elk inhabit approximately 6,000 square miles of the mountainous region. Most of Kentucky’s elk are clustered around the eight sites where elk from western states were released during a five-year restoration effort from 1997 to 2002. In all, the commonwealth brought 1,549 elk from western states. The ratio of cows to bulls was three to one. Much of the area inhabited by elk is owned or controlled by timber or mining companies and is managed by the Commonwealth under special agreements.

Construction of a corral-type elk trap, holding pens and other facilities began Dec. 8 in Bell County, Kentucky. Construction Superintendent Richard Grishow, who supervises MDC onsite staff, said the work has progressed very quickly. In spite of single-digit temperatures and a 14-inch snowfall, work was winding down by Dec. 15. On that morning, the crew had to use space heaters to free skid steers from frozen mud before work could begin. Frequent sightings of elk have kept construction crews excited about their work.

Grishow said he expects the trap and holding pen in Kentucky to be completed by Christmas. Soon afterwards, trapping crews will begin baiting the trap with a mixture of corn, oats and molasses. At the same time, MDC construction workers will be busy back at home building a holding pen at Peck Ranch Conservation Area. The elk will arrive in tractor-trailer trucks after a three-month, precautionary quarantine in Kentucky.

The MDC has not selected a site for the holding pen at Peck Ranch. However, it likely will be in a remote spot inside the conservation area’s 11,000-acre central refuge. The Missouri holding pen will consist of a single 12-foot chain-link fence covered with burlap so the elk cannot see out or be disturbed by activities outside the pen. MDC Resource Scientist Ron Dent, who is helping with the restoration program, says the enclosure will minimize the chance of disturbing the elk.

“We will try to minimize human activity around the enclosure,” said Dent. “These are wild animals that are not used to being around people. Activity around the holding pen could cause unnecessary stress to these animals.”

The MDC will provide periodic public updates, including photos and video of the trapping and relocation process.

Elk could be released into the wild at Peck Ranch as soon as late April 2011. The “soft release” will involve opening a gate and letting elk leave on their own. The MDC plans to close the refuge area at Peck Ranch to hunting as long as elk remain in the holding pen. This is likely to affect a small number of turkey hunters who use the area.

The MDC selected the limited restoration zone in this remote part of the Ozarks because it has extensive public lands, suitable habitat, low road density, minimal agricultural activity and landowner support.

MDC personnel have received significant help from the staffs and volunteers from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFW), the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) and the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

The RMEF recently pledged $300,000 for Missouri’s elk-restoration program. The AWF has pledged $50,000. Virginia plans to conduct its own elk-restoration program with elk from Kentucky and will benefit from helping set up the trapping operation.

The Conservation Commission decided to restore elk to Missouri for several reasons. These included citizen requests, ecological benefits from restoring a native species and economic benefits to Missouri through tourism and hunting. Before making the decision, the commission gathered citizen comments at public forums and by e-mail, mail and telephone. More than 70 percent of the 2,953 comments received expressed support for elk restoration.

All elk brought to Peck Ranch CA will be fitted with microchips and radio collars. This will permit tracking their movements after they leave the holding pen as part of a cooperative research project with the University of Missouri.

The elk-restoration plan includes measures to deal with elk that wander onto private land where they are not welcome. The Conservation Department will use hunting to maintain the elk herd at a manageable size.

Kentucky held its first elk hunt in 2001. Missouri’s elk-restoration plan calls for a hunting season as soon as the elk population can sustain one. Research conducted in conjunction with the restoration program will enable the MDC to develop a population model to help determine when hunting can begin.

Elk brought into Missouri as part of the MDC’s restoration program will undergo rigorous testing for chronic wasting disease (CWD), brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, anaplasmosis, bovine viral diarrhea, blue tongue, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, Johne’s disease and vesicular stomatitis. They also will receive treatment for internal and external parasites. These veterinary health protocols are more stringent than any that apply to livestock brought into Missouri. 

Elk-vehicle accidents have been infrequent in other states with elk-restoration programs. This is partly because bull elk assemble groups of cows and guard them, rather than pursuing individual females, as white-tailed deer do. Elk are much less mobile in eastern states, where natural food is more plentiful, than in western states.

Arkansas’ elk-restoration zone has nearly twice the density of roads as Missouri’s. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) has recorded one or two elk-vehicle accidents annually since elk restoration began 25 years ago. The AGFC receives approximately two complaints of pasture damage and one or two complaints of fence damage annually.

According to the RMEF, statistics from eastern states with elk-restoration programs show no human fatalities from collisions with elk, and automobile insurance rates are no higher in states with wild free-ranging elk.

-Jim Low-