National Elk Refuge has begun its winter feeding of elk-

By Ralph Maughan
Jan. 11, 2002.

Jackson, WY. The National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming began its annual elk feeding program yesterday. About 4000 elk and 500 bison are currently on the Refuge. 

During severe winters as many as 9000 elk are on the Refuge, although mild winters may see only 4-5000.  This winter has been about average so far. However, over 2 years of drought have depleted natural forage both on and off the Refuge. Without supplemental feeding this winter could be hard on the elk herd.

The Refuge reported that last summer only about 9000 tons of forage grew on the 24,700 acre Refuge, compared to the normal 17- 23,000 tons.

The elk (and rapidly increasing bison herd) are fed alfalfa pellets after the natural forage is gone, or becomes inaccessible due to snow or ice. In past decades the elk were fed hay, but hay-feeding operations were dropped because it concentrates elk to an even greater degree, thus increasing the transmission of disease. The hay also inadvertently includes the seeds of noxious weeds.

Wyoming Game and Fish also operates three elk-feedlots up the Gros Ventre River, east of Jackson Hole. These elk are fed hay, and have become prime predation sites for the 2 wolf packs in the area. Oddly, the wolves rarely frequent the National Elk Refuge. 

Many conservation groups are trying to phase out winter feeding of elk in the Jackson area due to the high rate of brucellosis transmission it fosters, and, potentially diseases much worse, such as "mad elk" disease and tuberculosis.  Other groups downplay the risk, or are willing to assume the risk to promote a higher elk population for hunting and tourist display.

Equally troubling is the growth of the Jackson Hole bison herd. Unlike the Yellowstone bison, whose numbers are limited by natural forage in wintertime, the Jackson bison get all they want during winter from the alfalfas pellets.  Their numbers can only be limited by the growth of summertime forage and/or hunting.

A plan to check bison numbers by hunting in Grand Teton National Park  has been stalled for several years by a lawsuit by the Fund for Animals.  A bison hunt does go forward on the adjacent Bridger-Teton National Forest, but few bison use the area. The result is only a token number of bison killed.