Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lowstone. Despite controversy, wolves were reintroduced to restore balance to the ecosystem in the Lamar Valley
in 1995 and thrived. Wolves have recently been delisted as an endangered species, making their future uncertain.
Yet, wolf reintroduction has been contentious. Since 1995 thousands of sheep and cattle have been reportedly
killed, with many of the ranchers compensated for their losses. At the same time 'wolf watching' now brings in
about $35 million a year to the local economy. Wolves have also proven key to keeping coyote populations under
control and assisting in the regrowth of key species like aspen and willow.
The return of the wolves has been shown to be key to providing balance to native ecosystems, though their res-
toration to the west remains precarious. In 2010 there were only around 100 wolves in Yellowstone - down from a
peak of 275 a decade earlier - and over 1600 in the surrounding area. Part of the problem is that states have vastly
different approaches to management.
Wolves remain protected in the national parks, but parks are unable to keep these populations from roaming
outside the park boundaries into unprotected areas. Both Montana and Idaho now allow the licensed seasonal
hunting of wolves. In Wyoming, elected officials have created a controversial wolf management plan that deems
88% of the state a predator zone, allowing for the unregulated killing of wolves in all but the northwest corner of
the state.
Critics of these plans decry the fact that politicians are deciding on animal management issues rather than wild-
life biologists. Regions where tourism is the primary focus, such as Teton County, Wyoming, are concerned about
the huge impact these policies may have on visitation. For additional info you might consult Douglas Smith and
Gary Ferguson's
Decade of the Wolf: Returning the Wild to Yellowstone
or Hank Fischer's
Wolf Wars
.
Elk
Greater Yellowstone's most abundant large mammal, elk (aka wapiti or red deer in
Europe) can weigh 700lb and stand up to 5ft tall at the shoulder. Their summer coats are
golden-brown, and the males (bulls) have a darker throat mane. Each year bulls grow im-
pressive multipoint antlers (up to 5ft long, weighing up to 30lb) for the fall rut (mating
season), when they round up harems of up to 60 females (hinds) and unleash resonant,
bugling calls to warn off other males. Although elk populations were decimated in the
19th century, their numbers have largely recovered - beyond sustainable levels say some.
Elk are cautious and elusive, and prized by trophy hunters who covet the massive rack of
antlers that male elk briefly carry each fall.
Elk graze along forest edges; the largest herd in Yellowstone National Park beds down
in the meadows west of Madison Campground. September to mid-October is the rutting
season. Irresistibly cute calves drop in May to late June. An estimated 10,000 to 20,000
elk from seven to eight different herds summer in Yellowstone National Park, and a fur-
ther 17,000 summer in Jackson Hole. In winter, large herds migrate south to the National
Elk Refuge (
Click here
)
in Jackson. Winter counts of elk have dropped 50% since
wolves were reintroduced, but scientists can't agree whether these declines are due to
wolves, several years of drought or intense pressure from hunters.
