Moose Droppings

In my earlier posts I talked about the calving season in Cataloochee as well as the impact of Chronic Wasting Disease on the small herd. This week I want to talk about a group of dedicated volunteers who make a difference.

A small group of volunteers assist Park Rangers in the Cataloochee Valley in managing the visitors to the small valley. The 100 + elk that now reside in this area are certainly a draw pulling in lots of visitors that will brave the mountainous road that leads into the valley.
Like a few other national parks The Great Smokey National Park depends on the volunteers to educate the visitors on elk as well as how to safely observe them, as well as assist with the management of the crowds the elk can tend to draw.

Since 2001, when the Park began an experimental re-introduction program to restore the long-absent elk, visitation to the Cataloochee area of the Park has nearly doubled. This visitation increase was driven entirely by the popularity of seeing elk. With it came a need to manage the high visitation in this remote mountain valley on the eastern edge of the Park, which is surrounded by picturesque natural beauty and holds remnants of an early European settlement.

NPS

The Bugle Corp program was started in 2007 my first encounter with them was this July when I visited. They were set up on the side of the road with their earth friendly electric truck with a mini exhibit about elk. They had a set of antlers from one of the bulls ( elk bulls shed their antlers each winter growing a new set back in the spring and summer) some samples of deer hide and elk hide, some of the collars the biologists put on the elk to study them, as well as a lot of other things. The volunteers did a good job of engaging both young and old in talking about the elk and educating them on the history of the elk as well as the behavior of the elk.

Latter in the evening I was glad to see the volunteers working to keep traffic moving so people could get through as well as reminding people to keep their distance from the elk.

“The Park’s goal is to recruit and train a new cadre of volunteers who can commit to volunteering on a regular, recurring basis,” said Babette Collavo, Volunteer in Parks Coordinator.
Each volunteer is being asked to work at least two evenings per month for approximately 3 hours prior to sunset, during the period May 23-November 2. This target period is during high visitor use from late spring during the calving season through the end of fall color season after the elk mating period.

If I lived a bit closer I’d certainly consider being a volunteer but maybe you would like to help out.

Interested persons should contact the Park’s Volunteer Coordinator Babette Collavo, at 865/436-1265

Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

I got side track this week but wanted to get back to the story about the experiment to reintroduce elk to the mountains of North Carolina. As I reported in the earlier story this is the eighth and likely final year in the experimental reintroduction. At the end of this study a decision will be made whether to continue with reintroducing the elk or to abandon the project. My hope is they’ll continue it.

Early on the plan was to bring additional elk in for a number of years to assist the herd in growing in the area however Chronic Wasting Disease brought these plans to a halt.

CWD has been around for a good number of years being discovered in Colorado in mule deer. At first it was thought that it might be limited to that particular specie but it has sense spread to whitetail deer, elk, and moose. There is no evidence that this disease can be transferred to humans. In 2001 when the elk experiment was in its infancy much of the outdoor world was in the frenzy of following the discovery of CWD in parts of Canada and the United States. 2001-2002 was when it was discovered in Wisconsin and a panic was set off with portions of the state under orders to completely eradicate the deer herd to stop CWD. Many dire warnings at that time were being made about CWD and false rumors of its transmission into humans was made. While this is a serious disease and we need to do all we can to prevent its spread the early dire predictions have just not proven to be true.

In response to CWD most states have outright banned the transportation of live deer, elk & moose and have specific regulations on the transporting of dead animals especially from states with outbreaks of CWD. For the most part you can’t transport spine or brain from these animals because of the concentration of CWD in those tissues and fluids. Hunters who wear gloves and debone the meat without cutting into the bones will have safe meat to eat. Additional and more detailed information for hunters is available.

Transportation bans have prevented additional elk being brought in even though there are herds that are disease free. CWD was though to be only west of the Mississippi River until New York discovered a deer with it in 2005. Since then West Virginia has discovered CWD as well.

At this time CWD is not known to be present in North Carolina samples of deer are tested every year. Additionally as part of the Elk Experiment all elk that die are given an autopsy at the University of Tennessee to determine the cause of death as well as the overall health of the animal prior to its death.

Despite the lack of brining in the number of elk they wanted to it would appear the herd is growing slowly and steadily. There was 51 elk stocked in and now the herd is over a hundred even with the deaths of some of the original 51 and some of the elk born in North Carolina. I hope the population continues to grow there is something special about traveling into the valley and seeing these majestic creatures. To improve the experience of the visitors as well as to help educate people there is a special group of volunteers in the valley. Next up I’ll tell you who these folks are and what exactly they do.

Story & Photos by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

Right now in the Cataloochee Valley of The Great Smokey National Park it is calving season for the experimental elk herd. I traveled into this remote valley this weekend to see this small herd and to experience a part of nature that you can only find here.
We are in the 8th year of the experiment to reintroduce elk back into North Carolina. The project had a bumpy road over the years but it would appear that the project has turned a corner with over 100 elk now roaming the mountains of North Carolina.

In the initial years the survival rate of the new born calves was low mostly because of the bears finding and eating the calves. Since then the park staff have begun capturing the bears in the area and moving them to another part of the park during the prime calving season. The bears will return to the Cataloochee Valley in about 2 weeks but hopefully the time has given the calves a chance to get adjusted to the world they live in. The cows have also learned to not hide the calves out in the open meadows where the bears are searching for berries this time of the year.

This has the potential to be a big year in the population cycle of the herd with already 16 elk born this season and more cows waiting to deliver. Biologists carefully track the cows through the telemetry collars they wear and once they give birth they find the new born calf and collar it so they can track it.

The bit of bad news so far into this year is that the ratio of males to females in the calves is predominately more males then females with only 6 females so far this year. Hopefully this number will balance out with additional births the next few weeks. If this herd is to succeed it will have to grow from the population that is already there because of Chronic Wasting Disease. In the next part we’ll look at CWD and its impact on this experiment.

Photos & Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

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New born elk calf with mother

I shot about 1500 photographs this holiday weekend and a few came out. Here is a sampling I’ll post more and some stories from my weekend in the very near future. For now enjoy the photos and I’m off to bed.

Photo & Story by Dan McLaughlin AKA Moose

The debate over property rights and hunting continues as many western states scramble to regulate an industry being attacked by both those who support hunting and those who are opposed to hunting. Tom over at the Black Bear Blog has been following this attack on the elk farming industry for a while now.

A bill has been introduced in Colorado that is so badly written and vague that any hunting on property with a fence would be outlawed. Animals behind any enclosure no matter the size of the enclosure will be off limits to hunting.

When it comes to record book submission I have no issue with disallowing them but telling property owners that they can’t raise elk or other game animals I think that steps over the line. Issues with disease can be addressed and really the private rancher has more incentive and ability to keep his ranch disease free then the state and the wild population.

Is a “can hunt” really hunting or not? I think it is up to the individual hunter to make that decision based on their own views of fair chase. Fair Chase is really such an individual definition that it’s nearly impossible to get two hunters to agree on what it is, I may see no issue with using bait whereas another hunter sees this as unsporting.

No matter which side of the issue you come down on as an outdoorsman you certainly can’t support this bill as written.

For an Elk, Kentucky is certainly a great state to live because the herd is booming since they were reintroduced in 1997. It’s amazing to see what Kentucky Wildlife, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Conservationist, Sportsmen, and I’m sure others have been able to do to help restore the elk. The Kentucky habitat is ideal for the elk, not many predators, plenty of food, and mild winters have really been key to rapid growth.

Hunting is a vital tool in wildlife management and Kentucky conducted the first elk hunt in 2001 and has had one every year sense. The number of tags issued is limited and controlled to maintain the balance of this growing herd. Kentucky officials just met this month and if all goes as planned they plan to increase the number of elk tags to 400 representing a 33% increase over this years tags.

Kentucky is certainly a success story in restoration of the elk and other states have followed their lead. Here in North Carolina we have a small herd inside of Great Smoky National Park but the results of this restoration project are not as good as Kentucky. Harsher winters and heavy predator pressure on the newborns has stymied the growth along with the inability to bring in additional elk because of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).

Hopefully we’ll see the majestic elk restored to many of the lands they once roamed.

Tom over at Black Bear Blog has been running a series of stories on Washington State’s plan to allow a limited elk hunt in the Mount St Helen’s National Monument with the use of hunters who have completed the state’s Master Hunter Program. Tom’s opposition to the program was mainly the cost, the time commitment and the special hunting privileges graduates receive that is not available to all licensed hunters. I disagreed and here is why;

Advance Hunting training and certification whether offered by the state or an organization I think is a great idea. Teaching advance skills or verifying that individuals know these skills on a voluntary basis I think should be encouraged. I realize that many of the skills taught in this type of class may already be ones known and practiced by the individuals taking the class but it’s the only way you can know everyone knows the same thing is by training everyone the same way. Very much like hunter safety class I doubt I learned much in it but I now can prove I was trained to a standard. Will it make you a better hunter? Maybe maybe not? But as with the Hunter Safety there is an overall improvement in hunter safety with those who have completed a class as opposed to those who haven’t so I don’t think you could argue that it won’t help.

I also strongly believe that the cost of such a program should be paid for by those who choose to participate in it. Wildlife agency budgets are on the brink of disaster as it is so requiring them to fund additional programs could push the budget over the edge.

Special Hunts in sensitive or populated areas I think is a trend we are seeing across the country. When wildlife gets over populated something has to be done. Many places have and will shut hunters out and opt to use pricey sharpshooters to take care of the problem. The biggest argument used when deciding who to use to hunt in one of these areas is safety. By having an established program that has proficiency as part of its requirements this opposition can be defused. I think it’s a good thing and can help put hunters in a better light.

Now specifically the hunt in Washington State will be held on a National Monument where traditionally hunting is seldom allowed. There will be a lot of public scrutiny and I think it’s prudent that you have knowledgeable hunters. Using an established program that has shooting proficiency as part of the certification process will hopefully make it so the hunt gets off the ground and approved. If proof of proficiency is as important as the news stories make it out to be then you either use what you currently have or you set up a program specifically for the hunters that get drawn.

I do agree with Tom over the “class system” for hunting and if you think that makes a hunter more ethical then your wrong. I don’t think there are degrees of ethically so the forest service spokesman is bogus either you are or your not.

Kevin over at Hunting Life Blog is helping a young man sell a tag of a lifetime with the promise the young man will donate 10% of the proceeds to conservation. A very interesting story and incase you’ve never visited Paul’s site you should check it out. Also if your interested in a New Mexico Elk tag this might be your opportunity to buy one and go on a hunt of a lifetime. In New Mexico it is legal to sell this tag and in the past this tag has fetched $35,000+. The hunter who posses this tag can hunt any zone in the state and use any legal weapon no matter the season, ie. this person can use a rifle during the bow season and this tag is good for 4 1/2 months. This will be a great story to follow.

Tom over the Black Bear Blog has an interesting story today about elk ranching and the steps some folks maybe willing to go to end this industry in Idaho. I certainly have some mixed feelings on the topic and I bet many of you do as well. I will not debate the merits of either idea but I’ll remind you there is a variety of these types of topics that are just waiting to tear the hunting community apart;

• Hunting deer with dogs
• Hunting bears with dogs
• Hunting mountain lions with dogs
• Baiting deer
• Baiting bears
• Trapping bears
• Trapping in general
• Crossbows
• Scopes on muzzleloaders
• Radios & Cell Phone Use while hunting

And the list could go on and on.

Go to any hunting camp in the country and pick the right topic off that list and just step back and watch the fireworks fly. If nothing else we all feel passionate about our sport and often to the determent of the big picture will fight each other tooth & nail.

Now if you haven’t read Tom’s post please do and then come back and see what my thoughts are on this.

Well welcome back. Elk farming or ranching has been a hot topic for a while in the west. Many sportsmen groups including the Rocky Mountain Elk foundation are opposed to it so it should not be surprising that a group of sportsmen were speaking disparagingly of the practice. Even if what is being reported is exactly right as how it was said that day I don’t see a call for “domestic terrorism” as some of my fellow bloggers are suggesting.

Kent Marlor & Don Clower from my reading have been actively involved for a number of years in the politics of wildlife management in the state of Idaho. The battle between who should have a say in wildlife management, how should it be funded, along with rules around protecting wildlife vs. domestic animals from diseases has put many ranchers and hunting organizations at odds.

According to John, he heard Kent Marlor say that it would be hard to pass an initiative without positive tests for chronic wasting disease. John said he was unable to hear the resulting conversations and could only clearly state hearing, “one year” and “Montana” and “Wyoming”.

From my reading on the subject it would appear that many of the day to day hunters have tired on the topic but the few vocal ones in the Sportsmen Organizations like Mr. Marlor and Mr. Clower want to keep this alive. Sportsmen Organizations need to fire up their base if they want to defeat the elk breeders and there is no doubt that a positive test for CWD would certainly pour gasoline on this smoldering topic.

I talked to Kent Marlor, president of the Idaho Wildlife Federation today, and he said, “We’re disappointed that the legislature is not taking any effective action concerning canned hunts, but we are not surprised. We expected this to be the case. Sportsman are alarmed over the current situation with game farms, and they will move ahead to correct it.”
Marlor said that he wasn’t ready to give out details, but that correction will involve a ballot initiative for the November 2008 general election, probably patterned after Montana’s successful campaign. “I get calls every day wanting to help. The challenge is to get organized.”
He said sportsman will organize on a county-by-county basis to gather 46,000 signatures. “This effort will be broad-based and involve a lot of groups.”

New West

I don’t see in what is being reported enough to suggest that there is an attempt to create some type of incident that would rise to a domestic terrorism incident. I do find it troubling that it sounds like they are considering partnering with groups that are opposed to everything we hold deer. I believe that type of partnership will do nothing to push forward a pro hunting agenda.

Elk of Cataloochee is a favorite trip of mine and if you get the chance you should take a trip up to see them. I stumbled across a very informative article in the Hendersonville News about the elk.

The scenery inside the Cataloochee Valley can take your breath away, not to mention the gravel road that winds past steep drop-offs as you enter the valley. But the trees, the streams and the ridges are no longer the main draw for Hanna and 250,000 other sightseers who visit the valley each year.
It’s the elk.

Will we ever have a hunt able population? Hard to say but it’s great to see them wandering the mountains of North Carolina and I hope they increase. Check out the rest of the article it has some great info and go ahead start planning your trip. A weekend of trout fishing and elk watching is a great weekend get away.

As one who travels up to see the elk a few times a year I’ve witnessed some folks pulling some real bone headed moves. These are wild animals and should be treated like that and respected. The draw for these animals is huge and traffic jams in the middle of the woods are common. I’ve seen lots of folks attempting to get way to close to an elk and other wildlife. Well the National Parks is going to introduce the “Elk Bugle Corps”.

The park is putting together a team called the Elk Bugle Corps that will work with park rangers in the valley, located north of Waynesville, from spring to late fall.

The program is similar to one in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The Elk Bugle Corps there has been directing traffic and answering questions about the animals for 17 years. The team is named for the bugling sound of male elk.
“It is really important to get the message out to visitors about elk behavior and how to behave while viewing elk in Cataloochee,” said Ranger Nancy Gray.

Wish I was a bit closer sounds like a good program.

Volunteers would work from 5:45 to 8:45 p.m. during the week. Help is especially needed on the weekends. The park would prefer volunteers to sign up for a particular day each week or commit to a week at a time.
Volunteers would need to be good with people and have an interest in the elk and the park. In addition to traffic control and teaching ethical wildlife viewing, the volunteers would provide general information about the park and expert information on the elk project.

Citizens Times

If you’re a bear in Cataloochee Valley better start packing your bags for a trip to Tennessee. Again this year the National Park plans to capture the bears in the valley and move them out of the area to help the small elk heard and protect the new born calves. The elk population is still small but any plans to bring in additional elk from other parts of the country is still on hold because of CWD.
If you’re a bear fan don’t worry it will take a little bit of time but the bears will find their way home.

Interesting article about how the biologists capture and collar& tag the elk so they can track them for research.

When the collarless calf stopped to graze in a grassy field, Yarkovich took aim with a tranquilizer gun and darted it in the hind leg from 45 yards. After three minutes, the calf collapsed on the frost-covered ground.

“She’s not completely under,” DeLozier said. “We’ll take her temperature, pulse and respiration. The main thing is to keep her head up so the discharge from her mouth doesn’t drain into her lungs.”

It has been almost six years since elk were reintroduced in Cataloochee Valley, on the North Carolina side of the Smokies near Waynesville. From those 52 elk released in 2001 and 2002, the park’s herd has grown to approximately 75 animals.

Biologists say at least 100 elk are needed before the park’s herd can withstand such setbacks as disease and poaching and be self-sustaining.