OREGON’S ELK MANAGEMENT PLAN February 2003 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife P.O. Box 59 2501 S.W. First Avenue Portland, Oregon 97201 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................. 2 BACKGROUND AND HISTORY ........................................................................................ 2 History of Elk in Oregon ............................................................................................... 2 History of Hunting Regulations .................................................................................... 4 Hunting Pressure and Harvest ....................................................................................... 8 ELK BIOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 12 Nutrition and Reproduction.......................................................................................... 12 Antler Development ..................................................................................................... 16 Migration and Movements ........................................................................................... 16 Diseases and Parasites.................................................................................................. 17 HABITAT.............................................................................................................................. 19 Basic Elk Habitat.......................................................................................................... 19 Roles of Cover in Elk Management ............................................................................. 20 Forage........................................................................................................................... 20 Management Practices Affecting Elk Habitat.............................................................. 21 Forest Management................................................................................................. 21 Range Management ................................................................................................ 22 Recreational Practices............................................................................................. 23 MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS ............................................................................................. 23 Inventories and Harvest Surveys.................................................................................. 23 Point Regulations......................................................................................................... 25 Controlled Bull Hunting............................................................................................... 27 Antlerless Harvest ........................................................................................................ 28 Either-Sex Hunting....................................................................................................... 29 Travel Management...................................................................................................... 29 Supplemental Feeding.................................................................................................. 31 Predation....................................................................................................................... 32 Technology and Hunter Methods................................................................................. 33 Special Interest Hunting............................................................................................... 34 ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF OREGON’S ELK RESOURCES............................................ 36 Economic Concepts...................................................................................................... 36 Economic Impact of Elk Hunting in Oregon ............................................................... 36 Economic Value of Elk Hunting .................................................................................. 37 PUBLIC INPUT DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF OREGON’S ELK PLANS........... 38 Summary of Public Input Received ............................................................................. 39 TOPICS, ISSUES AND STRATEGIES................................................................................ 41 Habitat .......................................................................................................................... 41 1. Degradation and Loss ......................................................................................... 41 2. Improve Cooperation.......................................................................................... 42 3. Private Lands Conflict ........................................................................................ 43 4. Access to Manage Populations ........................................................................... 43 i Population Structure..................................................................................................... 44 1. Bull Ratios .......................................................................................................... 44 2. Population Management Objectives ................................................................... 45 3. Calf Survival ....................................................................................................... 45 Hunter Management..................................................................................................... 46 1. Method Equality.................................................................................................. 46 2. Special Interest Hunting...................................................................................... 47 3. Law Enforcement................................................................................................ 47 Management Considerations........................................................................................ 48 1. Budgets............................................................................................................... 48 2. Other Recreational Activities.............................................................................. 48 3. Cervid Ranching ................................................................................................. 49 4. Disease................................................................................................................ 50 5. Educational Outreach.......................................................................................... 50 6. Deer/Elk Competition ......................................................................................... 51 7. Coordination of Plans ......................................................................................... 52 LITERATURE CITED .......................................................................................................... 53 APPENDIX............................................................................................................................ 56 Table A. Membership and Affiliation of the Public Working Group .......................... 56 Table B. 2002 Elk Plan, II, Meeting Schedule ............................................................. 57 Table C. Adopted Elk Hunting Season Framework as of 2002.................................... 58 ii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... Page Fig. 1 .........Elk populations estimates in Oregon, 1979 - 2001 .............................................. 4 Fig. 2 .........Post-season bull ratios in Oregon, 1974 - 2001 ................................................... 7 Fig. 3 .........Elk damage in Oregon, 1980 - 1999..................................................................... 8 Fig. 4 .........Number of elk hunters in Oregon, 1940 - 2000 ................................................... 9 Fig. 5 .........Number of bulls harvested in Oregon, 1940 - 2000 .......................................... 10 Fig. 6 .........Antlerless elk harvest in Oregon, 1940 - 2000 .................................................. 11 Fig. 7 .........Elk hunter success in Oregon, 1940 - 2000 ....................................................... 11 Fig. 8 .........Calf ratios in Oregon, 1981 - 2000 .................................................................... 14 Fig. 9 .........Body condition of elk in Oregon, 1987 - 2000 .................................................. 15 Fig. 10 .......Pregnancy rates of elk in Oregon, 1987 - 2000 ................................................. 15 Fig. 11 .......Muzzleloader hunter numbers in Oregon, 1991 vs. 2000 .................................. 35 Fig. 12 .......Archery hunter numbers in Oregon, 1991 vs. 2000 ........................................... 35 Fig. 13 .......Disabled hunter permit holders in Oregon, 2000 - 2002 .................................... 35 iii INTRODUCTION The purpose of Oregon’s Elk Management Plan is to guide elk management in Oregon for the next 10 years, with an interim review at 5 years. This plan will be used by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to guide management decisions related to elk, and to identify ODFW elk management policies and strategies to the public,