Wyoming joins the elk wars

Then there's those 22 disease pools known as feedgrounds keeping herds unatturally inflated.

End the feedgrounds, end the over population problems in the western part of the state.

Wouldn't the disease pools run in conflict with the unnaturally inflated idea?

End the feedgrounds, increase the elk conflict with Ag producers.
 
Wouldn't the disease pools run in conflict with the unnaturally inflated idea?

End the feedgrounds, increase the elk conflict with Ag producers.

Not really. brucellosis isn't a limiting factor necessarily in ungulate populations. Both ungulates and livestock essentially abort once, develop a sort of immunity to it, and then carry on. Brucellosis is a problem because our rules and regulations haven't really kept up with the exciting new invention of pasteurization.

Short term, yes. More elk will be displaced onto private lands, spreadin brucellosis to those cattle.

Long term: sustainable elk herds based on actual habitat and not pellets.
 
Not really. brucellosis isn't a limiting factor necessarily in ungulate populations. Both ungulates and livestock essentially abort once, develop a sort of immunity to it, and then carry on. Brucellosis is a problem because our rules and regulations haven't really kept up with the exciting new invention of pasteurization.

Short term, yes. More elk will be displaced onto private lands, spreadin brucellosis to those cattle.

Long term: sustainable elk herds based on actual habitat and not pellets.
All things being equal I will take pellets over the alternative known and unknown impacts.
 
End the feedgrounds, end the over population problems in the western part of the state.
The problem with an abrupt ending of the feed grounds is that it's not like all the elk don't still show up and say "well there ain't enough food for us all so half of us have to leave". They all show up and they all eat until the food is gone. Then all the elk starve worse for half the winter.
 
The impacts are pretty well known.
I'm afraid you will get your wish sooner rather than later of no feedgrounds. I doubt it will result in this natural elk utopia you desire. We'll see I suppose.
 
The impacts are pretty well known.
Over 100 years of elk feedgrounds in Western Wyoming. Result more elk. No feedgrounds in Southwest Wyoming. Result, more elk. No feedgrounds in Southern Wyoming. Result, more elk. No feedgrounds in Central or Eastern Wyoming. Result, more elk.

When exactly is this disease bomb going to explode?
 
The problem with an abrupt ending of the feed grounds is that it's not like all the elk don't still show up and say "well there ain't enough food for us all so half of us have to leave". They all show up and they all eat until the food is gone. Then all the elk starve worse for half the winter.

Gun 'em down on the feedground, then shut it down.

Just sent that idea to the committee.
 
Dear severely overburdened elk hating landowner,

I am willing to trade you my small city lot for your troublesome property so you never have these worries about all the awful wildlife in the future. I do have too many squirrels, the occasional raccoon and skunk and also a moose for a day or so in the winter

Honestly that article is unbelievably terrible. That said hunters will continue to vote against there own beat wildlife interests
 
Just trynna be hepful & get them elks down to a manageable number!
Western side of the state is not the problem. No feedgrounds in the areas the ranchers are complaining about. The ranchers not complaining are the ones that border feedgrounds.
 
Give us our public land back?
It is mostly private land.
We work for a rancher in this region and hunt it.
The huge herds are impressive to say the least.
The problem started by a few ranchers wanting trophy caliber bulls in this area so they gave sanctuary to herds later in season.
This was about 35 years ago we first heard of these sanctuary ranches but they had been doing this for years before.

Yes , once they herd up it is hard to get on them and take several out a the group but it can be done.
I would also venture if I called and asked about access I would be told no even though we have 30+ year experience hunting this area and work for a rancher in it. Some LOs just don't trust anyone but those they know very well or family.
The guy we work for says no to hunters unless they are friends of ours and we hunt with them. Their biggest concern is liability and not wanting folks just wondering around. However elk are scarce by mid Oct these days- headed to those sanctuary ranches by then.
WG&F GWs and biologists know who we are and who we work for but we never got a call to go shoot any elk last Feb. could have been there in minutes and we know the area.

They need to do something but access is the issue and will not go away unless they pay big to LOs I think. They tried G&F "guided" hunts a few years back and they went so so I think. G&F folks were out on the ranches with hunters.

This is also a very open country area in most of it but it is rough . Plenty of cover and terrain for stalking up on herds.
This is a pretty common herds size in this area, we took 2 elk out of it. This was 2011 so herds have increased now even. Pic shows about half the herd.

DSCN0401 copy.jpg
 
Over 100 years of elk feedgrounds in Western Wyoming. Result more elk. No feedgrounds in Southwest Wyoming. Result, more elk. No feedgrounds in Southern Wyoming. Result, more elk. No feedgrounds in Central or Eastern Wyoming. Result, more elk.

When exactly is this disease bomb going to explode?

Tuesday, March 30th, 2034.
 
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