{"id":63363,"date":"2019-03-31T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-31T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/tough-winter-increases-chance-of-elk-calf-die-off\/"},"modified":"2019-03-31T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-03-31T11:00:00","slug":"tough-winter-increases-chance-of-elk-calf-die-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/tough-winter-increases-chance-of-elk-calf-die-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Tough winter increases chance of elk calf die-off"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Elk
Elk near Shalona Hill north of Durango make their way through deep snow. Heavy snow years, like this one, can be particularly stressful for late-born calves, which may not have been able to put on adequate body fat to survive their first winter.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Heavy snow is tough going for wildlife in the winter months, and as a consequence this year, wildlife officials fear there will be a higher than normal die-off of elk calves this spring.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nature,\u201d said Brad Weinmeister, a terrestrial biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife\u2019s Durango office. \u201cBut the snow does stress animals out, and we do see higher mortality during high snow years like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elk spend the summer months fattening up in the high country of the San Juan Mountains. Around November, forage starts to disappear, and the animals must rely on and conserve their stored energy to survive the harsh winter months.<\/p>\n

Most elk in the region, about 75 percent, tend to migrate down to lower elevations where there is less snow and it\u2019s easier to move around, Weinmeister said.<\/p>\n

A tracking study found that elk in the mountains around Pagosa Springs head south toward Navajo Reservoir or areas around the Jicarilla Apache Nation reservation near Dulce, New Mexico. Herds in the high country around Durango were found south of U.S. Highway 160, between Bayfield and Durango.<\/p>\n

But even these lower elevation areas received a good deal of snow this winter, which means elk burn more calories moving around and trying to survive.<\/p>\n

The herds can burn up so much energy, Weinmeister said, that they can\u2019t recover even when food sources start greening up. It\u2019s around this time that the \u201cgas tank dries out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

And most at risk are elk calves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, we\u2019re expecting a little more than normal (die-off),\u201d Weinmeister said. \u201cBut we\u2019re not expecting anything catastrophic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elk populations have been in decline in Southwest Colorado<\/a> for the past couple of years.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an issue that experts say likely involves a number of factors, including complications from habitat loss, drought or perhaps some unforeseen disease.<\/p>\n

\"Elk
Elk near Shalona Hill north of Durango make their way through deep snow. Heavy snow years, like this one, can be particularly stressful for late-born calves, which may not have been able to put on adequate body fat to survive their first winter.<\/span>David Holub\/Special to the Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

But one issue \u2013 hunting pressure \u2013 is a hot topic of debate as Colorado is in the middle of restructuring its big-game hunting seasons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Every fall, hundreds of hunters come to Southwest Colorado to scour the San Juan Mountains for big game. But this annual ritual happens to coincide with one of the most important times of the year for elk: mating season, known as the rut.<\/p>\n

The rut, where elk compete for the right to breed, typically starts in mid-August. Breeding usually starts during the last week of September or first week of October.<\/p>\n

This timing is important, allowing calves to be born in late May and early June, which gives the newborns enough time to bulk up before the winter.<\/p>\n

David Petersen, who has been hunting in the mountains outside Durango since 1981 and studied elk under some of North America\u2019s top experts, said the high number of hunters in the forest in September, as well as increased use of motorized vehicles and technology, have disrupted this process.<\/p>\n

As a result, many calves are being born three to six weeks late, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA late-born calf doesn\u2019t have time to put on body fat, gain strength and learn social skills, everything that\u2019s necessary to survive their first winter,\u201d Petersen said.<\/p>\n

Petersen said he spends one to two months observing elk almost daily in the forest every fall, and he\u2019s concerned about elk calf survival.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fear high calf mortality this year,\u201d he said. \u201cThe late-borns don\u2019t have a chance. We have to do something to take the pressure off the rut so that these calves are born on schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, this comes at a time when Colorado Parks and Wildlife<\/a> is restructuring its hunting seasons. Many in the hunting community believe this is a crucial time when CPW can make changes that would relieve the elk of these pressures, not just in Southwest Colorado but statewide.<\/p>\n

Danielle Isenhart, regulations manager for CPW, said the agency has conducted a robust public outreach over the past few months to hear hunters\u2019 concerns and preferred solutions.<\/p>\n

By far, the biggest topic brought up was the pressures of the hunting season in September, she said.<\/p>\n

CPW will release in May a report that summarizes the public comment period. It will show what people were most concerned about, and what they\u2019d like to see done about it. Such measures include limiting hunting licenses or spreading out the different types of hunting seasons.<\/p>\n

Then, CPW staff will present in June its recommendations for the new hunting seasons to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, the board that will ultimately approve the restructured seasons, which would take effect in 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s lots of different options still on the table,\u201d Isenhart said. \u201cWe\u2019re still trying to figure out what\u2019s best.\u201d<\/p>\n

CPW has a bit of a tight-rope act: The agency is tasked with providing hunting opportunities to the public, and hunting is a big economic driver for the state. A 2017 study estimated<\/a> that big-game hunting seasons bring in more than $840 million to the Colorado economy.<\/p>\n

But CPW must also protect animal populations, not just for hunters but for the sake of the environment and the species.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big issue is (late-born) calves, which is due to human disruption of the rut in September,\u201d Petersen said. \u201cThat\u2019s the drum I\u2019m beating on, and I\u2019m hoping CPW will finally do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

jromeo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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