Transcript Document

North American Elk
Cervus elaphus
6 Subspecies of North American
Elk
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Cervus elaphus canadensis- Eastern Elk
Cervus elaphus roosevelti – Roosevelt Elk
Cervus elaphus nannodes- Tule Elk
Cervus elaphus nelsoni- Rocky Mt Elk
Cervus elaphus merriami- Merriam Elk
Cervus elaphus manitobensis – Manitoban
Elk
Distribution in ND
Appearance
• Elk are about 5-6 feet tall at the shoulder
• Bulls (males) weigh from 700 to 1000
pounds
• Cows (females) weigh from 500 to 600
pounds
Appearance
• The pelage ranges from reddish brown in the
summer to dark brown in the winter.
• Rump color may look white from a distance but is
actually orange in color
• Long black hairs on the neck referred to as the
mane
• Males have impressively large antlers, whereas
females do not
• Among the deer family, elk are second in size only
to the moose
Diet
• Like most Cervids, elk are true ruminants and
have no gull bladder
• They are herbivores
• In the spring they feed on grasses and sedges
• Broad-leaved herbaceous plants are eaten in the
early summer along with twigs
• In the late summer when the herbaceous plants dry
out they then turn again to browsing for grasses
• In the fall they eat the dry leaves that fall from the
trees and continue to eat grasses until the snow
falls
Diet
• Elk will dig down through the snow to get
to the leaves and grass
• When the snow becomes to deep they eat
mainly woody twigs
• Snow cover determines their diet
• Elk must eat 3 lbs of food per 100lbs of
their body weight
Predators
• Aside from humans
(hunting) the most
important predator is
the wolf
• In spite of their size
and power, elk are
readily killed by
wolves, especially
when the snow
becomes deep
Predators…
• Black bears kill primarily
calves
• In some areas they kill as
many as 50% of the calf
population
• Predation occurs during
the first weeks of the
calf’s life and ceases when
they become strong
enough to keep up with
their mothers
• Grizzly bears will
occasionally kill adult elk
Reproduction
• Elk are the most
polygamous member of
the deer family
• In early September, the
mating season begins
• The bulls move in with the
cow/calf pairs and harem
formation begins
• The males compete
(rutting season) for
females and smaller males
are chased off to the
fringes of the herds
Reproduction…
• Large bulls get control of
20-30 cows
• The young males are often
not left out of the breeding
• They will often sneak in
and breed with a female
on the opposite side of
where the harem master is
located
• Harem masters are also
challenged frequently by
other bulls for the right to
the cows
Reproduction
• The age at which an
individual is able to
reproduce depends
greatly on the
environmental
conditions
• Females typically
reach sexual maturity
at 1.5-2.5 yrs of age
Reproduction
• Males reach maturity at 1
year but rarely breed due
to larger bulls being
present
• The gestation period is
about 8 ½ months
• Normally 1 calf is born ,
but rarely (1% of births)
twins do occur
• Females are usually able
to reproduce until about
14 years of age
Calving
Calving…
• Calving season is from
late may to early June
• Calves usually weigh on
avg. 30lbs
• They have spotted coats to
camouflage them from
predators
• Their defense is to lay still
until danger passes
• Usually hide in shrubs or
grasses
• They can stand and walk
minutes after birth
Calving…
• Once the calf can run and
jump (1-3 wks) the cow
and calf can rejoin the
herd
• Calves are weaned in late
summer but follow their
mothers until the
following spring
• They are dependent on
their mother’s milk for 1
month, but sometimes
suckle for up to 9 months
Habitat Requirements
• General- Woodlands
and large open areas
• Food- Grasses, sedges,
broadleaved plants,
leaves, woody
vegetation and shrubs,
• Summer range- high
country woodlands
and meadows
Habitat Requirements…
• Winter range- dense,
low-elevation
woodlands;
north/northeast and
south/southwestfacing slopes
• Transitional rangeDouglas fir,
aspen/pine and also
open meadows
Habitat requirements
• Security cover- Forest
stands of varying ages,
dense brush, briar
thickets
• Water- Springs, lakes,
rivers, streams,
vegetation and snow
Diseases
Brucellosis-is a contagious bacterial disease
• It affects cattle by causing abortion in the
latter half of pregnancy
• There are vaccines that are used on ranched
elk, but capturing wild free ranging elk and
vaccinating them for it is unrealistic
Diseases…
• Chronic Wasting Disease
• Causing much controversy in Elk Ranching
• This disease attacks the CNS and the brain of
cervids
• Route of transmission not known
• Believed to be caused by prions
• Becomes cavities and holes in the brain
• Current method for testing is through exam of
brain of deceased animal
Diseases…
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Bovine Tuberculosis
It affects the respiratory system
Much more common in domesticated elk
TB has occurred in 31 herds of captive elk
and deer in 15 states
• Transmitted by breath vapor
ELK
RANCHING
Elk Ranching
Advantages to raising elk
• High fertility rate and long
reproductive life
• Calve easily
• Calm disposition
• Tolerant of cold winters
and hot summers
• Yield high quality velvet
antler, meat and byproducts
• Elk are very efficient, so
they can be raised on a
marginal amt of land
Things Elk are used for…
• Velvet antler
• Breeding Stock
• Shooter bulls
• Nutritional value of
meat
Velvet antler
• Bulls produce antlers
every year and prior to the
antlers becoming hard, it
is known as the velvet
stage. This is the stage in
which the antlers are
removed
• A mature bull may
produce anywhere from
20-40lbs of velvet
Velvet Antler…
• The price of velvet is
at around $20/lb
• The Velvet antler is
the main aspect of elk
ranching at this point
What’s in the velvet antler?
COMPONENT
BENEFIT
Amino acids: glycine, alanine, proline, and glutamic
acid
Protein synthesis
Phospholipids
Promote cell repair
Alkaline Phosphatase
Promotes tissue healing and cell repair
Chondroitin sulfate
Relieves arthritis symptoms and is potent antiinflammatory
Collagen
Promotes healthy skin and hair
Essential fatty acids: C18:3-Omega-6
Reduces cholesterol
Monoamine-oxadase inhibitors
Antidepressant
Polysaccharides
Anti-ulcer effects also reduces bloods tendency to clot,
reducing stroke risk
Pantocrine
Increases muscle performance, reduce fatigue
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)
Increase structural integrity of cartilage
Prostaglandins
Anti-inflammatory
Erythropoietin
Stimulates red blood cell production
Hormones IGF-1 and IGF-2
Anti-tumor and anti-viral effects
Minerals: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron,
zinc and potassium, other trace minerals
Necessary for various bodily functions
Velvet antler encourages…
• Arthritis relief
• Muscle development,
increased strength and
increased endurance for
athletes
• Enhanced Immune
Activity
• blood pressure
stabilization and improves
blood circulation
Breeding Stock
Many ranchers also make a significant amount of money on
raising and selling the elk to other ranchers for breeding
purposes
This also leads to the start of new elk ranches
Shooter bulls
• Many elk ranchers are
now getting into fee
hunting as well
• People will pay around to
$25,000 to come and
shoot one of these bulls
• Often times, ranchers will
take a bull that doesn’t
produce a large amt of
velvet but has a large rack
and sell it for a shooter
bull
Shooter Bulls…
• Some ranches guarantee a
kill, some a shot and
others have no guarantees
• No state license is needed
since the herd is privately
owned
• Many hunters like to take
advantage of these
opportunities because they
think it may be easier than
hunting in the wilderness
Shooter Bulls…
• As the human
population increases
and the quality of wild
trophy elk decreases,
hunting ranches are
starting to flourish
Nutrient Content- Elk meat
Protein %
Fat %
Cholesterol
(mg/100g*)
Beef (USDA
choice)
Beef (USDA
standard)
Lamb
22.0
6.5
72
Calories
(Kcal/100g*
)
180
22.7
2.0
69
152
20.8
5.7
66
167
Pork
22.3
4.9
71
165
Wild Boar**
28.3
4.38
109
160
Buffalo
21.7
1.9
62
138
Whitetail Deer
23.6
1.4
116
149
Mule Deer
23.7
1.3
107
145
Elk
22.8
.9
67
137
Species
Elk meat
• Eventually the elk being raised on ranches around
the North American Continent will gain enough
numbers that the animals will support the
consumer demand
• Farm-raised elk meat is in high demand right now,
and can be found at restaurants and through
specialty shops, but once the number of ranchers
increase, it is expected to be found in grocery
stores everywhere
Population Management
• Keys to controlling population
– Population size and trend
•K
• Predation rates
– Population distribution
• Public vs. private lands
– Sex ratio and age structure
• Goal of elk managers is to increase the ratio of
mature males: 100 females and the ratio of calves:
100 females
Population Size and Trend
• Three major factors:
– K as influenced by the
forage conditions,
security conditions, and
severe weather.
– Hunter harvest, harvest of
adult females
– Predation rates and
predator densities
Population Distribution
Maintain populations on public lands
- This will increase hunting and viewing opportunities
for the general public
- Do this by increasing forage by burning, seeding, or
feeding
-Increasing security from human presence and
activities
Shift populations away from private lands
- This will decrease crop depredation
- Do this by allowing special hunts on private lands
Sex Ratio and Age Structure
-Two common goals:
1. Increase the ratio of males: 100 females
2. Increase the ratio of calves: 100 females
-Historically, male:female ratios were probably
about 25 mature males: 100 females
-Presently, there are about 5-10 mature males: 100
females
Sex Ratio and Age Structure
(Cont’d)
• Ratio of mature males : females
• Mature males for public viewing and photos
• High ratios of mature males : females may benefit
population performance through early conception and birth
dates
Management of Habitat
Components
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Food
Winter range
Transitional range
Security cover
Interspersion and minimum habitat
size
Management of Food
• Maintain pasture and open field areas
• Preserve and plant native species
• Eliminate or reduce human disturbance in pastures and
woodlands
Management of Ranges
• Winter range
– Preserve and maintain wooded
lowlands
– Reduce human disturbance
• Transitional range
– Conduct fall prescribed burns in
aspen stands
• Make available public and private land
• Reduce grazing by cattle in good elk
ranges if possible
Open Field Management
• Burning
– Returns nutrients to the soil
– Maintains grasslands and open woodlands as open
habitat
– Promotes new growth of grasses, forbs, and shrubs
• Grazing
– Maintaining grazing areas
– Rotationally resting pastures and fencing livestock
Open Field Management
(Cont’d)
• Plantings
– Seeding pasture and open areas with native grasses,
forbs, and legumes
– Grasses: redtop, needlegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass,
meadow brome, wildrye, etc
– Forbs and legumes: fireweed, Oregon oxalis, yellow
sweet clover, alfalfa, clovers, daisies, etc
Woodland Management
• Burning
– Controlled burning of aspen and pine stands
– Underburn burning can reduce forest litter that could
hinder movement
• Selective and even-aged timber harvest
– Can open forest canopies
– Forest roads should be closed to human use to minimize
human disturbance
Wildlife and Habitat
Management on NER
• Habitat management
– Seeding
– Irrigation
– Prescribed burns
– Open migration
routes
– Grazing of cattle
– Supplemental
feeding
• During winter
National Elk Refuge
Supplemental Feeding on NER
• Elk are fed 2-3 inch pelletized alfalfa
– Higher in nutrition
• Fed 7 to 8 pounds per day
• Usually fed about 2.5 months during
average winter
• Winter supplemental feeding not good
for herds
– Elk congregate and increase the
spread of diseases
– Eventually want to end winter
supplemental feeding programs
– Winter feeding is expensive
NER Population Management
• Wyoming Game and Fish Dept. Determined that a
maximum of 7,500 elk is optimum for the refuge
• Herds numbers are maintained through late fall controlled
hunts on the refuge and adjacent public lands
Future
• The future of elk depends of cooperation between wildlife
authorities, land managers, forest industries, oil and mining
companies, park managers, Indian bands, and ranchers