The Wyoming Game and Fish Department released a report that says that wolves are having an effect on elk numbers. Media will try to cover up this fact by saying that elk numbers in Wyoming remain relatively unchanged. What they are not telling us is what it means when cow-calf ratios drop.
Cow-calf ratio is the number of calves that survive spring birth to become adult elk. This is also referred to as recruitment. Ideally, the higher the ratio the higher the number of elk overall. A good indication of the overall health of the herd. There are many things that contribute to the changing cow-calf ratio – weather, habitat, including food, disease, stress, predation, etc.
Officials state that the cut-off point, meaning a point when officials consider ending any hunting opportunities, for cow-calf ratios is 25 calves per 100 cows. Generally a number less than that will result in a reduction of overall elk numbers without hunting. What should also be pointed out is that a reduction in cow-calf ratio this year will not be reflected in the overall population until at least the following year.
In an article in the Jackson Hole News and Guide, officials state very clearly that in four out of eight elk herds in Wyoming, cow-calf ratios have dropped significantly where wolves are present.
“We have seen a downward trend [in cow-calf ratios] in many of Wyoming’s elk herds over this 26-year period,†Jay Lawson of the Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Division said in a news release. “That trend is likely due to long-term drought and other habitat-related factors. But in half of the herds occupied by wolves, we saw a significantly greater rate of decline after wolves were established compared to herds without wolves. We can’t attribute that increased rate of decline to any factor other than wolves.â€
In that same article it states that cow-calf ratios have dropped below 20 – 100 in some areas. This is very bad news for hunters.
Game and Fish biologists have set a minimum ratio of 25 calves per 100 cows in order to maintain hunting opportunities and have said there is “little opportunity for hunting†when the ratio falls below 20 calves per 100 cows.
The four elk herds in Wyoming that have wolves present and are experiencing declines have dropped below 25 calves per 100 cows, and two of those herds have fewer than 20 calves per 100 cows.
If wolves continue to be managed in a way that allows them to grow unchecked, claims by many groups who have said wolves are decimating the elk herd, can no longer be denied. This report clearly states that wolves are reducing elk numbers in areas where wolves are present. That reduction appears to be at a rate that may force fish and game officials to seriously reduce or eliminate elk hunting opportunities.
The function of the fish and game department is to manage wild game in order to provide hunting opportunities for licensed hunters. The state of Wyoming is now in a position where that ability is being severely handicapped by the feds’ refusal to delist the wolf and let the state manage the wolf in reasonable numbers.
Tom Remington
