According to an Alberta researcher who studied “naive” elk (translocated elk) in Alberta, hunters and wolves could quickly solve the problem of the escaped elk because the elk don’t know how to live on their own in the area.
On the other hand, a few of the Alberta naive translocated elk did learn to adapt.
Read article.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
The article mentions they will find out soon if they are hybrids or diseased. If clear of these, I think the bulk of them will make it barring a harsh winter.
That saying “Slow Elk” may prove to be true in the coming months for some lucky wolves.
According to F&G estimated time for return on first tests, they should be in. AND since nothings’ been said, they must have been clear. We’d have heard LOUDLY if there were any disease or genetic impurity. It’ll be interesting if in a few years or longer someone harvests a tagged elk.
What would be MORE interesting is if someone took a 500 class elk and removed the tag!
8^O
Funny you should mention 500″ elk, after something like that recently showed up dead (from an arrow) in the Selway-Bitterroot and all…