A Better Path Than What’s Being Sold on Elk Management

The Backstory

In 2007, Montana adopted an Elk Management Plan. Now in 2021, that plan is  outdated and fails to reflect the current issues on the ground relative to elk distribution, public access, habitat quality, hunting pressure, and some who harbor elk to monetize them and control who gets to hunt them. Additionally, the number of wolves, bears, and mountain lions has changed, creating additional elk distribution and calf survival issues. Sprinkle in two decades of political shenanigans on top of all of that; you can see why Montana ranks low in terms of hunter success compared to other Western states even with six months of hunting pressure. 

Currently, with shoulder seasons running from August through February 15th, six weeks of archery hunting, five weeks of rifle hunting, late-season hunts, damage hunts, and a host of other opportunities, landowner incentives, and other programs, Montanan’s struggle with a 26% harvest rate on elk. For comparison, that’s almost half of the success rate Wyoming residents enjoy, with a harvest rate of roughly 48% in a bordering state. 

And when you look at bull elk harvest on public land, that number for Montana drops down to a low 13-15%. That’s a low success rate on public lands, and it doesn’t meet the needs of sustainably managing our elk in terms of abundance or, most importantly, distribution.

Montana has a storied history when it comes to leading on wildlife management. But that reputation is in decline as of late. Hunters want more elk and more hunting opportunities. Landowners want fewer elk where they cause problems, and outfitters want guarantees to sell their services. 

It’s a “damned if you, damned if you don’t” position we’ve put our managers in. That predicament is exacerbated by politicians who - without any scientific backing - continue to wade into wildlife management waters with the sole aim of winning the next election, regardless of the outcomes on the land and what that means for the general hunter in Montana. Meanwhile, our state pays lip service to the loss of habitat through fire, drought, invasive weeds, and subdivision of winter range. The outlook is bleak. Something needs to be done.