elk

During the rut, bull elk can be more aggressive and unpredictable towards park visitors.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department mailed close to 9,000 brucellosis test kits this year. Kits were mailed to hunters near Yellowstone National Park and the southeast part of the state as part of an annual surveillance program.

Researchers say dogs could alert wildlife managers of infected animals faster than lab results could confirm and could help surveille an environment for chronic wasting disease.

Earlier this week, Gov. Mark Gordon brought together wildlife experts and the general public for the inaugural Sportsperson Conservation Forum. The forum took place at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois and covered topics like mule deer management and wildlife crossings. Wyoming Public Radio’s Hannah Habermann spoke with Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik about his takeaways from the event.

Visitors are advised to be aware of their surroundings, as cow elk can be more aggressive during this time of year, and may charge.

Every winter at 22 state-run feedgrounds in western Wyoming, elk descend from the mountains looking for more forage, and possibly hay. It all started about a 100 years ago. After some brutal winters, Wyoming started feeding elk to help them survive and to keep them off ranches. All these years later, elk have come to depend on it. But now, Wyoming says it can’t go on the way it always has, because of a deadly disease that can spread when elk congregate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been working with private landowners in Wyoming to help preserve migration corridors for big game. Now those efforts are expanding to Idaho and Montana.

For the first time, Wyoming is outlining specifically how it will manage its 22 state-operated elk feedgrounds going forward. The department released a draft plan, and it is a shift from how the state has historically done things. Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan spoke with Mark Gocke, Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s public information specialist.

A new study highlights the importance of both protected and private lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) for wildlife migration. The study specifically focuses on elk in the GYE, which includes much of western Wyoming and is ‘one of the largest nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth,’ according to the National Park Service. Lead researcher Laura Gigliotti spoke with Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan.

Warmer falls have made hunting harder, especially elk. This is affecting the Wyoming Game and Fish Department managing elk.