Elk food habits, range use and movements, Gravelly Mountains, Montana by Ralph A Rouse A THESIS Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Fish and Wildlife Management Montana State University © Copyright by Ralph A Rouse (1957) Abstract: An elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni) food habits, range use and movements study was conducted in the southern portion of the Gravelly Mountains, southeast of Dillon, Montana. Field work was conducted in the summer of 1956 and the winter of 1956-57. Food habits were determined by analyses of 14 elk rumen samples with at least one sample occurring in each month of the year and by feeding site examinations totaling 14,578 instances of plant use. Six vegetative types were described. The number of elk, the time of year observed and the vegetative type they were using at the time of observation indicated range use. Fifteen elk calves were tagged with plastic ribbons during the period, May 28 to June 12. Ten relocations of six marked calves were obtained during the summer. Overlap of area use by elk and livestock was determined by observations. ELK FOOD HABITS, . RANGE USE AND MOVEMENTS/. GRAVELLY MOUNTAINS, MONTANA . by : - ■. RALPH A. ROUSE A THESIS .Submitted to the Graduate Faculty ■ L ; ■ partial fulfillment of the requirements ' for the degree of Master .of Science in Fish and Wildlife Management ■' ' ' ' at ■■ Montana State College • ' •. ■ : ■ Approved: Major {Department ~ Chain :amining Committee •' Bozeman, Montana J t H ^ b r - ? -2- TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .................... 3 Introduction ................ h Description of the area .... $ Vegetative types ...... I Range use and movements .... 9 Food habits ................. Hi Summer ................. 18 Fall ................... 19 "Winter ................. 20 Spring ................. 21 Year long trends ...... 22 Area use of livestock and elk 2b Summary ..................... 26 Literature cited ............ 28 123691 -3- ABSTRACT An elk (Cervus canadensis nelson!) food habits, range use and move­ ments; study was conducted in the southern portion of the Gravelly Mountains, southeast of Dillon, Montana. Field work was conducted in the summer of 195)6'and the winter of 195>6-£>7 • Food habits were, determined, by analyses of llj.; .elk rumen samples with at least one sample occurring in each month 3X1(1 C e ding site examinations totaling' lli,978‘ instances. • 'jof '-pla^tnise. Six vegetative types were described.. The number of elk, ■0the .^l^;Sof. year observed and the vegetative type they were using at the iAb'.jdfobservation indicated range use;. Fifteen elk calves were tagged w!&-plastic ribbons during the period. May 28 to June 12. Ten re-. IocStrSn1S- of six marked calves were obtained during the summer. Overlap ' of :tirea::"-use by elk and livestock was determined by observations. ,-"TTare- ■ INTRODUCTION in increase in Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis neisoni) in the " Gravelly and Snowcrest Mountain ranges, Madison and Beaverhead counties, Montana, has occurred in recent years. Records of the Montana Fish and ' Game Department and Yellowstone National Park indicate that elk.from Yellowstone National Park were released in this area during the late. 1930’s, but ttie exact number is not available. local ranchers state that ■ W- some native elk were present in the area at the time of the transplants, In spite of recent limited hunting seasons, the herd has apparently, in- = creased.. At present, it is considered one of the more important herds in the state. The build-up of numbers reportedly caused conflicts with other land uses in the area, such as depredations oh haystacks and range con­ flict with livestock. Little reliable information-was. available to evalu­ ■ -V- Vn- ate the status of the elk in this area. An investigation was initiated by the Montana Fish and Game Department, of which this study of food habits, , ' ' .V-W/.. range use and movements is one phase. Studies were conducted o n 'a full time basis in the summer and winter and on a part time basis in the spring and fall, from May 28, 19^6 to May l6 , 195>7. The writer extends grateful thanks to the following: Dr. Don C. Quimby, Montana State College who directed the study and gave valuable aid. in preparing the manuscript; employees of the Montana Fish and Game Depart­ ment, especially J-. E. Townsend, Jack W. Ientfer and Paul E, Duke for help during project planning and field work; the Staudenmeyer ranch for their hospitality; Walter Sperry, rancher, for information and aid in the field; Dr. W. E. Booth, Montana State College, for verification of plant identi­ fication; my wife, Barbara, for encouragement and aid in preparing the manuscript. The writer was employed during the study by the Montana Fish and Game Department, under Federal Aid Project W-73-R2. DESCRiPTIOM OF THE AREA The Gravelly and Snpwcrest Mountains are moderately rough, parallel ranges located.in southwestern Montana, approximately IiO airline miles southeast of the town of Dillon. The study area consisted of about four townships in the southern portion of the Gravelly Mountains (Fig, l). Dais area is drained by the West Fork of the Madison River, the Ruby River and the Red Rock River. Elevations in the study - area range from 6,^00 to 10,^00 feet. Areas over 9,500 feet are rare. Weather records for 1952 to 1956 inclusive, were obtained from Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, 10 miles south of the study area and 1,500 feet lower in elevation. These records show an annual mean temperature of 35.08°F., with extremes of 8?°, and -IiIi0F.., and an annual mean rainfall, of 19 inches and snowfall of 170 - inches. z Six vegetative types were recognized on.the study area (Fig. l). Scientific and common names of plants used in the following sections follow those of Booth (1950) and Wright and Booth (1956). In cases where these authors did not cite common names, those given by the American Joint Committees on Horticultural Nomenclature (l9li2) are used. -6- L b g -F m o LEG- E N D T " 9 ) «N$ S»Tgs VEGCT A T I v E Typff (§) TVi Rougk (E) AIpiMa Sm- Re Locnrio ns Em ^c I Mx n m M 1S SyMVCB (HW) = IST ReU c RTtoN 3 = 3— RbIO^wT io N c#l4 (B> Povj I *S Si* SommB n-RFa ------ RvsU v) v M r t « ARe-A — • — N w * S*]f UatViU K i E i E v Fm eve - IvWT MT J MAiS ''••••••’ >-.\ Hspc u % Fig. I. A map of the study area. I -7- Alpine Fir-Engelmanh1s Spruce This type occurs at elevations of 8,000 to 9,5)00 feet and consists of either alpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and/or Engelmann1s spruce (Picea engelrnanni), with some small, scattered stands of limber pine (Finns flexilis) and lodgepole pine (Finns contorta) (Fig. 2). Where the timber stand is sparse, an understory occurs. Bluebunch fescue (Festuca ida- hoensis) and lupine (Lupinus spp.) ahe the most prevalent species. Mountain brome (Bromus marginatus), wheatgrasses (Agropyron spp.), Arnica (Arnica spp.), and alpine timothy (Fhleum alpinum) occur less frequently. Douglas Fir At elevations of 7,000 to 8,^00 feet, Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxi.- . v-<: ' folia) occurs with some lodgepole pine being present (Fig. 3). The under- story, where present, consists most frequently of bluebunch fescue an<i lupine. Bluegrasses (Foa spp.) and reed grasses (Calamagrostis spp.) occur here to a lesser degree. Sedge - Rush This type occurs at elevations of 6,^00 to 9,^00 feet in areas kept moist by creeks, springs and seeps (Figs. 3, U). Sedges (Carex spp.) and rushes (Juncus spp.) occur most frequently. Willow (Salix spp.) and shrubby cinquefoil (Fotentilia fruiticosa) are present in lesser amounts. Sagebrush The drier areas, usually south or west facing slopes, at elevations of 6 ,$00 to 8,800 feet, has this type (Fig. h). Big sagebrush (Artemisia) —8— Fig. 3. Typical elk summer rangej background, Douglas fir type; foreground, fescue-wheatgrass type; center along creek, sedge-rush type. -9- ' tridentata) and three-tip sage (Artemisia tripartita) are the major ■ species present with blnebunch fescue} Wheatgrasses5 sedges, mountain brome, mule's ear (Wyethia spp.) occurring to a lesser degree along with various forbs. Fescue - Mieatgrass This grassland occurs in dry open, areas from 6,^00 to 10,500 feet elevation (Figs. 2, 3 ). Bluebunch fescue and the wheatgrasses are the important species• Sedges, needle and thread grass (Stipa comata) and rough fescue (Festuca scabrella) are of lesser importance along with a large variety of forbs of which the lupines, cinquefoils (Potentilla spp.) and geraniums (Geranium spp.) are the most important. Big sagebrush occurs in this type. vj Aspen The aspen (Populus tremuloides) occurs in groves at elevations of 7,000 to 8,5>00 feet (Fig. 5) • Mountain brome and the reed grasses compose most of the understory along with meadow rues (Thalictrum spp.) and a few other forbs. EfflGE USE M D MOVEMENTS Occurrence of elk on the various vegetative types was recorded during the study. Observations were made on the study area with 7 x 50 binoculars from horseback, and vehicle during IljJ days, distributed as follows: Summer 68 , fdll 26, winter 29, and spring 20 days. Eleven observation aerial flights were made over the study area as follows: July 5, July 18, Aug. 2, i L —10— Fig. U. Typical elk winter range; sagebrush type; center along creek, sedge-rush type. Fig. S>. Aspen type. -11- Augo 13, Sept, lii, Oct. 2, Oct, 12, Dec. 19, Jan. 6 , Feb. 18 , and Feb. 2£. Approximately 3^00 elk in 162 groups ranging from 1-221 (av. 2l) were seen from June through October. Less than one percent (7 elk; 2 obser­ vations ) were seen on the alpine fir-Engelmann1s spruce type; 36 percent (1238 elk; lj.5 observations) on the Douglas fir type; two percent (70 elk; 16 observations) on the sedge-rush type; 17 percent (^82 elk; 38 ob­ servations) on the sagebrush type; 32 percent (1063 elk; 1*2 observations) on the fescue-wheatgrass type and 12 percent (I|.l8 elk; 19 observations) on the aspen type.