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Hunting Elk in Rocky Mountain

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 20, 2007 - 7:02am

Ahhh, the joys of an elk hunt. Roughing it in the out-of-doors, stalking through rain or snow or biting cold in the woods to find a good spot to await your prey, perhaps building a tree stand or ground blind where you might spend long hours waiting for a shot.
But that's not how an elk hunt might play out in Rocky Mountain National Park, where an over-population of elk has officials wondering how best to cull the herds. The problem, of course, is that the park's elk are practically tame, they're so used to human presence and a lack of predators.
"If I was to go in and hunt, it'd be like taking a step down. It wouldn't be much of a hunt," said one hunter, referring to the docile nature of the animal while in the park.
His comment, recorded by the Loveland Reporter-Herald, was made the other day at a public meeting U.S. Rep. Mark Udall held in Estes Park, Colorado, to garner thoughts on his proposed legislation that would allow elk hunting in Rocky Mountain.

Comments

Submitted by Ranger X (not verified) on March 20, 2007 - 10:14am.
Has there been any discussion that you've heard or read about removing elk from the park and re-introducing them to places where they've been extirpated? Or have we re-filled the continent?
Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 20, 2007 - 10:20am.
The concern with transplanting elk is that the animals might be carriers of chronic wasting disease and so it's unfeasible at this point in time.
Submitted by Elizabeth (not verified) on March 20, 2007 - 10:48am.
Wolves. Rocky needs wolves.
Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on March 20, 2007 - 10:53am.
Wolves would be nice, though the folks in Estes Park, Loveland, Longmont and even Boulder might not think so....;-)
Submitted by Rachel (not verified) on March 20, 2007 - 4:25pm.
Hey lil hippie girl Elizbeth...why dontcha take some classes in wildlife management and/or wildlife biology from a GOOD university before shooting of your mouth...most places in America are too populated to "re-introduce" wolves...they're not just little puppy-dogs....
Submitted by Snowbird (not verified) on March 20, 2007 - 6:07pm.
Hey Rachel, about less dude peacock ranches were they raise a few cows and play fake cowboy. Let's give all wildlife a real fighting chance to survive in some real wide open spaces without being snuffed out by some East coast developer who values and cherishes the pocket book more then he does fur, fauna and fin...it's called land ethic's!
Submitted by Elizabeth (not verified) on March 21, 2007 - 11:27am.
Oh golly geewillickers Rachel, where could I have come up with such a stupid idea? Oh, yeah, both re-colonization and reintroduction of wolves were options discussed in the draft elk management plan/EIS written by folks who have taken a lot of classes in wildlife management and biology from good (and, even, GOOD) universities. Nonetheless, you and Kurt are right. Rocky isn't Yellowstone - it's smaller and closer to "civilization". I made my original post somewhat tongue in cheek - and, in part, because I couldn't resist stirring the pot a bit. Rocky does need wolves - and Rocky's elk herds need wolves. Unfortunately, the rest of Colorado might not be ready for wolves. Peace to you Rachel.