Calving grounds 



Elk in each herd or region tend to exhibit a 

 preference for calving in a kind of habitat 

 that is characteristic of that herd or region. 

 When sagebrush is not available, elk tend 

 to utilize small openings in the forest 

 (Marcum 1975). The primary management 

 objective for calving grounds is to provide 

 an undisturbed period on these grounds 

 during calving (mid-May to mid-June) and 

 shortly after (until about July 1). 



Winter range and thermal cover 



Winter range should provide ample forage 

 and thermal cover in areas that are rela- 

 tively free of disturbance. Disturbance 

 causes animals to move more and induces 

 stress, both of which sap energy reserves 

 that are needed to survive the long win- 

 ters. Elk and mule deer winter range 

 should have thermal cover (defined in the 

 next paragraph) in blocks of 20 acres or 

 more. One fourth or more of the area 

 should be covered with thermal cover; it is 

 best if these patches are connected and 

 include a diversity of aspects. 



Thermal cover for elk is defined as conifer- 

 ous cover that has at least 50% non-larch 

 canopy closure from trees roughly 40 feet 

 tall or taller. Thermal cover reduces 

 energy drain by intercepting snow (in- 

 creasing ease of elk movement) and creat- 

 ing a microclimate that reduces energy 

 loss. It is beneficial for hot and cold 

 weather. 



One problem that can be very difficult to 

 address is snowmobile access. Distur- 

 bance from free-ranging snowmobiles can 

 cause elk to lose energy through excessive 

 movement in deep snows and can reduce 

 opportunity for elk to utilize portions of 

 the winter range. Closure of roads for 

 snowmobiles by barrier or signs has 

 varying degrees of success and is very 

 dependent on local public support. 



• Security 



Elk are affected by a lack of security in at 

 least 3 ways: 



disturbance would limit the degree to 

 which elk utilize portions of their 

 habitat (habitat effectiveness), 

 disturbance in winter increases energy 

 requirements at a critical time, and 

 lack of security makes elk more vulner- 

 able to hunter harvest. 



When hiding cover constitutes 40% or 

 more of the landscape and the density of 

 open roads is less than 1 mile per square 

 mile, elk can utilize their habitat effectively 

 [outside of the hunting season] (Lyon 

 1983). This density of 1 mile per square 

 mile of open roads is considered to be an 

 important threshold. More recently, 

 habitat needs for security during the fall 

 hunting season have been more restric- 

 tively delineated and are discussed in the 

 "Bull Elk Vulnerability" section, beginning 

 on the next page. 



Hunting objectives 



One measure of the elk herd status is in rela- 

 tion to DFWP's hunting objectives. Although 

 individual land-management agencies control 

 the types and degrees of activities occurring 

 on the land (including access), DFWP manages 

 elk populations. Hunting District 110 encom- 

 passes the analysis area. 



DFWP would like to: 



maintain a late-winter population of 670, 

 maintain a minimum late-winter calf:cow 

 ratio of 30:100, 



maintain a harvest of 85 antlered and 85 

 antlerless, 



maintain a bull harvest of at least 40% 

 branch-antlered bulls (including 28% 6- 

 point bulls), 



provide 14,784 mandays of hunting recre- 

 ation for 1,800 hunters each year, and 

 encourage maintenance of security so that 

 no more than 40% of the bull harvest 

 occurs during the first week of the general 

 season (DFWP 1992). 



(ffl-22r 



Stillwater State Forest • Beaver Lake Timber Sale Project 



