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Bull elk in velvet
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It’s late December. Hunters are cleaning guns and anglers have turned their attention from open water to ice fishing. For many, the holiday season signals a slow down in outdoor activities.
I think it’s natural. Doesn’t everything move a little slower when the mercury falls? While this may be the case for actual outdoor activities, a host of outdoor-related issues continue to move forward.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park elk
Elk in Theodore Roosevelt National Park were the focus of a series of meetings across the state in December, during which the National Park Service gathered comments and input on the future of elk management within the boundaries of the park in southwestern North Dakota.
The issue, specifically, is how best to manage an elk population that is pushing beyond 600 animals in habitat suited for a little more than half that number. According to Park Service officials, problems associated with the current high population are starting to surface. And, depletion of natural food sources and habitat damage will begin to occur as the elk population is expected to double in the next three years.
Management within a relatively small national park proves difficult. Previously, the NPS relocated surplus elk to other parts of the country, but relocation is currently prohibited due to the potential threat of chronic wasting disease and other disease concerns.
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Elk running through the park
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As the process moves forward through the parameters set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act, all comments will be documented and potential responses will be scrutinized locally and on a national level. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, and many state hunters, told the NPS they would like to see some type of management action that would involve trained volunteers helping to harvest park elk.
It’s a complicated issue, however, and it will be many months before the NPS makes a final decision.
Advisory Board
Another round of Game and Fish Department Advisory Board meetings wrapped up mid-December. Eight meetings across the state provided hunters, anglers, trappers, landowners and concerned citizens the opportunity to weigh in with opinions and suggestions. These meetings are also a forum for Department personnel to address statewide and local issues.
Much discussion at this fall’s meetings revolved around the supplemental deer season and general deer management questions.
The topic of outdoors commercialization was addressed. Of particular note in North Dakota is the lawsuit filed by Minnesota that basically contends that North Dakota regulations on nonresident hunting obstruct interstate commerce. Game and Fish Director Dean Hildebrand cautioned everyone to not discount the fallout should this action eventually lead to hunting being categorized as commerce, instead of recreation as is currently the case.
Private Land Open to Sportsmen questions abound. With the small amount of public land in North Dakota, PLOTS has become a staple across the state. Hildebrand related that the 740,000 acres available this fall has provided many hunters with a place to go, but the cost is substantial and leases are short-term.
The continuing struggle with low water levels in the Missouri River System has challenged fisheries division personnel on two fronts. First, the loss of potential coldwater habitat threatens the primary forage fish in Lake Sakakawea, rainbow smelt. Cool temperatures this past summer probably saved the smelt population from a major die-off, but with even lower water level projections for next summer, smelt will again be stressed. The saving grace for cold water habitat this summer was the cool temperatures.
Low water levels also make angling and recreation access an ongoing challenge. Last year, 22 ramps were available at Sakakawea, and only a couple of boat ramps were useable on the Missouri River/Lake Oahe below the Hazelton landing.
Mountain snow pack and run off will determine if maintaining these boat access points is possible for 2005. Although it’s early, snow pack above Garrison Dam is below average. Based on current forecasts, Game and Fish and other agencies and groups will likely have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars more in 2005 just to keep access where it was this year. I never thought of hoping for excessive snow, but this winter it’s needed.
This is just a sample of topics from the meetings held twice each year across the state.
The elk process is ongoing and the advisory board circuit will kick back into gear next spring with another round coming to a community near you. If you missed these sessions, plan on attending in the future. It’s a great opportunity to hear first hand from the Department officials making decisions about hunting, angling, trapping and other North Dakota outdoor recreation.
Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Dept. He can be reached via email: dleier@state.nd.us
Photo credits to the ND Game and Fish Department and Greg "bobbers and worms" Gullickson
