Wolves steer Gros Ventre elk
By WHITNEY ROYSTER
Star-Tribune correspondent
JACKSON — The doldrums of winter may be a boring time for some, but for wildlife and wildlife-watchers in the Gros Ventre River drainage it is one of the more exciting, and to some,troubling times of the year.
Once deep winter hits, elk begin living on three feedgrounds in the area, attracting wolves to the area as well.
This year’s wolf and elk dance began officially Jan. 23, when the Wyoming Game and Fish Department started serving up hay to elk at the Fish Creek, Patrol Cabin and Alakali feedgrounds.
According to Mike Jimenez, Wyoming’s federal wolf coordinator, about 12 elk have been killed by wolves since feeding began two-plus weeks ago.
“It has been really light,” Jimenez said. “A lot of elk are scattered” because of the light snow year and availability of natural forage. “It’s not anything alarming. The wolves and elk are doing fine.”
But the situation is open to interpretation. In recent years, critics have howled at the wolves’ presence at feedgrounds, saying it jeopardizes elk population and gives wolves an unfair advantage over their prey.
These critics have come forward to say any wolf descending upon a feedground should be shot, a stipulation they want included in Wyoming’s wolf management plan, expected to be finalized later this month.
But the Game and Fish department is mum on the issue, avoiding any questions on the problems that wolves near feedgrounds present.
Ron Dean, who runs the feedground program for the department, said he would discuss numbers but not issues.
“We’re not supposed to make any comments on wolves until the plan comes out,” Dean said, referring to the state plan.
The subtle shift in policy began last winter, when some Game and Fish officials said wolves on the Gros Ventre feedgrounds were a problem because the predator interrupted the natural migration route of the elk.
Officials said the Gros Ventre area was one of the last natural migration routes in Jackson Hole, and extensive work had gone into balancing hunting licenses against elk populations to ensure a healthy herd. Wolf predation, they said, would get in the way of that balance.
Although quiet on details, wildlife managers are keeping a close eye on the predator-prey balance in the area.
Dean said only about half as many elk are on feed as normal because of the low-snow year.
“The number of elk is kind of forage related,” he said. About 1,300 elk are disbursed at the three feedgrounds, with about 800 at the middle Patrol Cabin, 500 at Alkali and just 30 at Fish Creek, he said.
From Dean’s perspective, the problem is knowing where the elk will be, and stocking appropriate amount of feed.
“It’s kind of a wasteful process,” he said. “Instead of knowing we will have so many elk here and there, we’re forced to put a lot of extra hay at each.”
This year Dean said the agency stocked extra hay at Patrol Cabin — the feedground where elk typically congregate because it is in an open meadow and they can see wolves approaching.
Fish Creek, a feedground in the trees, has been largely abandoned by elk because wolves can strike more easily, Dean said.
Wolves have shown up, too, near feedgrounds in Big Piney and Pinedale.
Dean said elk were chased off the North Piney feedground and are now all at nearby Bench Corral.
Jimenez said some of the elk leaving North Piney likely found natural forage and are not on feedgrounds.
Two calves were killed on the North Piney feedground Jan. 13, Jimenez said, and one older cow was killed on nearby Black Butte feedground. Two cows were killed at Jewett feedground.
Jimenez said most of the feedground kills have been by disbursing yearlings from the Teton wolf pack. Two wolves were killed from that pack in federal action this year after they killed livestock near Cora.
Jimenez said his agency is working on a study of elk behavior on feedgrounds with wolves, and an early report indicates elk don’t leave feed because of wolf presence.
“The elk adjust and maybe go from feedground to feedground,” he said. “They might leave and return in a couple of days maximum.”