Elk Conservation and Management -- Part 4

Knowing the elk's habitat needs allows us to determine how to best manage for those needs. Two ways of managing elk habitat should be considered, range preservation, and range improvement. The idea behind range preservation is to keep land usable to the elk. This usually means leaving the area ungrazed by domestic livestock, or only grazing them for part of the year, and letting the vegetation grow back in time for winter use by elk.

Sometimes, grazing domestic livestock on public land is prohibited, or controlled, and in some cases on private land ranchers will voluntarily move livestock to areas away from where the elk graze. This helps the ranchers in that they don't have to worry as much about elk getting into their hay or competing with the livestock. To control grazing in any way benefits everyone, as it will prevent overgrazing. Overgrazing of an area can cause increased erosion, and lack of vegetation greatly decreases the land's value for domestic livestock, and elk alike.

Improving available range is a another way to help the elk through habitat. There are several methods that improve the habitat for elk, however impact on other species is always a concern. Any time an area is improved for one species, in this case elk, others will be impacted, either positively or negatively. The following examples are only for improving the area for elk, without taking in consideration the other species that may use the area.

One method is burning. Burning an area can increase the forage production. This method is especially useful in aspen stands. Burning old aspen stands causes them to "sucker" and put forth new growth. Burning is also useful in controlling conifers and sagebrush (Oneale 1993).

Another method to improve the range is by range pitting. This method involves scraping depressions into the ground to trap moisture, and encourage plant growth. In areas where the vegetation is densely matted, the area may be scraped up to remove this vegetation. Results for range pitting vary widely, depending on location, and the soil and plant types, but it does usually increase plant growth (Oneale 1993). Chaining and dozing are a third method, and can control areas overrun by sagebrush and other shrubs, allowing grasses and other desirable plants to grow. Chaining involves dragging a heavy chain between 2 bulldozers, to catch shrubs and pull them up. Dozing does basically the same thing, but with only one bulldozer to tromp down shrubs. Chaining is the more efficient of the two.

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