Major Yellowstone elk herd continues steep decline
March 08, 2013 10:13 am •
Scientists from the park and the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks said the Northern Yellowstone elk herd is down 6 percent this winter, to 3,915 animals.
The herd peaked at about 20,000 animals in 1992. That was just a few years before gray wolves were reintroduced to the Yellowstone area from Canada after being absent from the region for decades.
Also taking a toll on the herd have been hunters, other predators including mountain lions and bears, and harsh winters.
Part 1
Ahhhh. Finally, as they say, "the cold hard facts." There's no ambiguity, no distortion, no justification, just the cold hard facts baby. And don't they just slap you in the face like a glass of cold water on an even colder day. And I underscore the previous paragraphs' numbers as in a ball game where there is no room to wiggle. The numbers are what they are. I repeat, those numbers don't lie. They are 20,000 to 3900 from 1992 to 2013. As in the numbers of elk that have decreased in the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd the past twenty years. Suck on that one for a while.
And in the meantime ask yourself that cold hard question; "how did it get this far?" And as Don Corleone replied to his own rhetorical question of the same five words regarding the war his family was in with the other families he answered philosophically but sadly "I don't know."
Unlike the Don's answer however, we do know how we got this far as that pertains to the crushing loss of one of this nations' greatest national resources, the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd. And before I proceed with my personal thoughts and opinions on the matter I also want to share with you, the reader, that I do recognize the wolf reintroduction and recovery issue is an emotional, volatile, and very divisive one that not many of us will agree upon, to say the very least. Frankly, that statement may be considered one of the great understatements of the century! That being said, I feel that I must set my record straight on the matter and win, lose, or draw, stand up and be counted. I have to. I owe it to myself and anyone who is interested in listening.
It's been years since I've thought as hard and I hope sincerely, about an issue as I have about the one at hand. And for the record, as a bit of backdrop for you and to get the following out of the way I have no professional axe to grind. I don't hunt or outfit hunters anymore. Those days are gone. I don't know why they're gone but they are. I don't even kill fish. Believe it or not, I have no desire to kill a wolf. None. If someone else wants of hunt or trap wolves, for whatever reason, have at it. Be my guest. Yes, we do run livestcock at our place here, horses for the most part, and yes again, there is that possibility that we could run into problems with wolves in the future. But so far, so good. Let's leave it at that.
I'd like to come at the matter from several perspectives that in my opinion, have not been given enough attention and credence these past years. Perhaps first and foremost, the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd is (was) a national resource, one of the continents true national treasures. To the national public and certainly the montana populace, the herd has given this country some of its' greatest natural experience and exposure as in the many decades long exposure in the park itself signified by hundreds of thousands of pictures of elk in the park disseminated in so many venues and becoming burned into the collective memories of so many Americans. And on a lesser but just as critical level to the overwhelming majority of Montana citizens those elk represent a state national treasure because they are just that. Yes, the joy that Montanans have exhibited because of the herd both as a source of pride due to its' size but also because of that presence the same joy and smile on the faces of Montana hunters in the fall. Say what you will about hunting in Montana but say it out of the hearing of Montanans and quite frankly mind your own business. Yes, hunting is a sacred rite of passage in the fall of each year. And by God, I hope it remains so in the years ahead.
Hunting is a Montana tradition participated in and enjoyed by Montanans. Elk hunting in the Northern Yellowstone country north of the park has been part of the states' DNA for most of the states' history. Following the North American model of modern game management the elk herd in and north of the park had grown for years in spite of the yearly hunting season. The late season hunts that were designed to manage those elk migrating out of the park into southern Montana not only were a successful management tool but also brought much needed revenue into the state coffers and local business but more importantly, great joy to the Montana hunting public. Those late season hunts are no more and quite clearly, the void that has been left in its place is a sad reminder of things so good that turned so bad.
I suspect that you've heard the argument I've just made in defence of elk, hunting, and tradition. Those thoughts need to be elucidated but they are only the thin crust of the greater discussion. There is so much more beneath the surface, beneath the crust of the debate that bores into the heart of the matter, deep into the soul of Montana and the most sacred western way of life. The heart of that matter is that Montana, in this case, stands on its' own two feet and in its' own identity. We can apply that axiom to any of the fifty states that pertains to their own specific and particular unique qualities that make them what they all are, separate and distinct entities. The unique qualities that make Montana what it is should not be abridged or "tread upon" by outside forces that can in fact slowly but surely erode the qualities that have made the state and its' citizenry so attractive throughout its' history.
Well, that last paragraph may sound a bit fancy so I'll try to get to the "heart of the matter" in a less sophisticated manner if I may. It's this; Montana is what it is because it is what it is! How's that? Montana, and the West, for that matter, separate themselves as a state, a region, and a way of life. As we're supposed to. Montana became the "last best place" because of what we've been and what we are. Not because of our affinity or similarity to New Jersey, New York, or North Dakota. And thank God for that! Montana is special and unique, for right or wrong, because we are what we are.
As those last two paragraphs pertain to the modern inclusion of wolves into the web of animal and human life in Montana one must always keep in mind that the people of Montana may not always adhere to and do what you think is ethically, morally, or politically correct. Why? Well, to cut to the chase the answser is the following; you don't live here. The wolf issue is not necesarily one that can be clearly debated as to its' right or wrong merits. It only matters that Montanans recognize what they feel is right or wrong as it applies to themselves. That is as it should be.
The future of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd lies "in the balance" so to speak. The last word hasn't been spoken quite yet. There's still time to save a national and state resource but time is getting short. As Bob Dylan also said in addition to the title of this piece, "it ain't dark but it's gettin' there."
