A hunt to reduce the size of the Jackson elk herd will be held in Grand Teton National Park on Saturday/NPS
A hunt to reduce the elk herd at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming will be held this Saturday.
The hunt is authorized in the park's enabling legislation. The legislation, adopted in 1950, gave the National Park Service the authority to work with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to reduce the size of the elk herd when necessary for the proper management and conservation of the Jackson elk herd.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the elk herd's population is around 11,000.
Respective federal and state resource managers have reviewed available data and concluded that the 2019 program is necessary. The program is determined annually and is based on the status of the Jackson elk herd, including estimated herd size and composition and the number of elk on supplemental feed on the National Elk Refuge. A total of 375 permits are authorized for the 2019 program.
The only area open to the Elk Reduction Program is Area 75, located mostly east of U.S. Highway 89. The Antelope Flats portion of area 75 closes November 25, and the remaining portions close December 8. The Snake River Bottom between Deadmans Bar and Ditch Creek is closed to the program.
Elk Reduction Area 79 is closed to the program this season to limit harvest pressure on northern migratory and resident elk.
Participants in the program must carry their state hunting license, conservation stamp, elk special management permit, and 2019 elk reduction program park permit, use non-lead ammunition, and are limited in the number of cartridges they are able to carry each day. The use of archery, hand guns, or other non-center fire ammunition rifles is not permitted, nor is the use of artificial elk calls.
In addition, participants, regardless of age, are required to carry a hunter safety card, wear fluorescent orange or pink, and carry and have immediately accessible non-expired bear spray. Information packets accompanying each permit warn participants of the risk of bear encounters and offer tips on how to minimize the risk of human-bear conflicts.
National Park Service and Wyoming Game and Fish staff will monitor and patrol elk reduction program areas to ensure compliance with rules and regulations, interpret the elk reduction program to visitors, and provide participants with outreach regarding bear activity and safety.
An information line for the elk reduction program is available at 307-739-3681.
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Comments
Anyone know what happens to the gut piles? I'm just curious, not against this hunt. Elk numbers need to be controlled one way or another, and this seems to work for the park.
Just stop killing the dear.
The gut piles are left and are consumed by wildlife (ie. grizzlies, ravens, eagles, coyotes, etc.). Grizzlies often wait until after the elk hunt ends to go into hibernation (bears don't hibernate if there is a constant food source).