Winter Elk Surveys Completed

Wildlife biologists with Fish and Game recently completed the annual aerial surveys of elk in several of the region's big game management units. Units 21, 28, 30, and 30A were surveyed this winter. Because of mild winter conditions with extremely light snow in some areas, counting was very difficult. The elk tended to be very scattered, preferring to stay on north-facing timbered slopes. Animals were also seen at unusually high elevations for this time of year including at a record elevation of 9,400 feet! In general, the region's mild winter with its low snow accumulation allowed the elk to either move around more or simply not move to winter range at all. Unit 21 showed a slight increase in elk numbers while Unit 28 showed a corresponding decrease. Those animals that moved into Unit 21 from Unit 28 most likely did so when the Clear Creek fire was burning and did not return to their usual winter range because food was available in Unit 21. Food also remained plentiful in Unit 28 because of the sparse snowfall on the winter range. The elk numbers in both Units 30 and 30A were down considerably from previous surveys. However, an unusually high number of elk were found in the upper Horse Prairie area just over the Montana state line. Conditions here were evidently so mild that the elk that typically winter in Units 30 and 30A, spent the winter on their summer range instead of migrating into Idaho.