RESEARCH COMPONENTS

Methodology for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Activities

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will monitor elk population size by continuing total aerial counts on winter ranges of the study sites during late winter/early spring. These flights will be conducted by helicopter in the Gallatin Canyon (GC) and for pre-migration surveys in the Yellowstone drainage. Fixed-wing aircraft (Piper SuperCub) counts will be conducted for the East Madison (EM) area.  Post-season composition surveys (sex and age ratios) will be conducted in early winter by helicopter in the GC area and from the ground in the EM area. Recruitment (calf:cow ratios) will be measured in late winter by classification from a helicopter on the GC area. Classifications from the ground for recruitment ratios will be conducted on the EM area. FWP will conduct aerial surveys during mid-late July, primarily to obtain calf:cow ratios, in the GC and EM areas. General elk distribution will be recorded during all the above-discussed surveys.

To obtain information comparable with Madison-Firehole (MF), GC, and EM areas, FWP will obtain fecal samples for hormone analysis of pregnancy rates following established protocols (Garrott et al. 1998). Similarly, FWP will collect snow-urine samples following established protocols (Pils et al. 1999) for determination of comparable nutritional status of elk populations. FWP will collect incisors/mandibles from hunter harvested elk at check stations throughout the GYA to establish age structure of hunted populations of big game. Ages will be estimated by eruption-wear for animals less than or equal to 2 years old and by incisor cementum for animals greater than or equal to 3 years old (Hamlin et al. 2000).

FWP will capture and mark with radio-transmitter collars samples of adult cow elk on the study sites as determined necessary to meet study objectives. Capture will be affected by net-gunning (Barrett et al. 1982), drive-netting (Beasom et al. 1980), or Clover trapping (Thompson et al. 1989) as determined by local conditions. Blood and fecal samples will be collected from all captured elk. FWP will assist in yearlong monitoring of these elk for distribution and mortality by conducting relocation flights twice per month during May and June and monthly during the remainder of the year. The students will make more frequent relocations of these elk during winter.

FWP will monitor annual hunter harvest of elk through it’s Statewide Harvest Survey. This annual survey will provide estimates of hunter harvest of elk and other species to the Hunting District level comparable to past estimates. FWP will also collect harvest information including ages of harvested animals at local check stations, including the Gallatin, Ennis, Gardiner, and Blacktail stations. Other stations may be established as appropriate or as personnel and money permits. In conjunction with FWP Responsive Management Unit, FWP will develop survey instruments to profile hunter/general public perceptions and attitudes relative to wolf colonization and elk population trends. These surveys will be conducted both early and late in the study period.

Both photos © John Winnie, Jr.