An elk cull is underway at Theodore Roosevelt National Park/NPS file photo
Elk culling has resumed at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, where small groups of park staff expect to remove approximately 30 elk by December 17.
The management goal is to maintain the number of elk in the park between 100 and 400 animals. The past several years, the park has kept the population at 200 animals. The South Unit’s backcountry trails will not be closed during the time elk are being removed. Reduction activities could take place at any day depending on staff availablity to provide greater program flexibility and take advantage of favorable weather conditions.
Roads and overlooks, as well as Cottonwood Campground, and the four frontcountry trails in the South Unit - Buck Hill, Wind Canyon, Ridgeline Nature Trail, and Coal Vein Trail - will remain open.
Although the park has Chronic Wasting Disease-free status, staff will continue to test culled elk to support North Dakota’s monitoring effort for this infectious disease.
Elk meat will be packed out of the park and donated to Sportsman Against Hunger through the North Dakota Community Action Partnership. Park staff will continue to use only non-leaded ammunition during the reduction.
Comments
I wonder if the oil fields outside of the park are having extreme negative impacts on a wide range of wildlife. More of the prairies in our USFS National Grasslands need wilderness protection, and that should include large swaths outside of this beautiful park. I've driven dirt roads between the two park segements, and it was overwhelmingly beautiful... but that was before the days of "Drill baby drill". I'm sure that character of wild priarie has been lost.
Gary, from what i saw 3 years ago, it is changing.. Perhaps others have been there more recently
I was there for about a week back in 2002. So, it has been quite some time, but I had a pleasant experience, and had much of the place to myself. I recently google-earthed over it, and oil fields now stretch all over the USFS grassland region and large scars are easily seen on the maps. There is no doubt that is having effects on habitat for elk, deer, bison, so they are probably concentrating in the park regions.