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Snapshot

HUGE...Winter range Elk herd.

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1 minute ago, Flatlander said:

The Madison is my favorite place on earth.

These elk were not far away from the runway of Big Sky airport. I have driven by there many times. The valley is almost all private property, with the exception of the easement along the river.

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4 minutes ago, buckshotaz said:

Where are they going?

Nowhere. They winter in the Valley where this photo was taken. They live up high in the Madison range in the summer, as well as the Gravelly range on the west side of the river.

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That's really encouraging. I thought the herds up there were getting decimated by wolves. Like they are in NM, for example.

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I've taken a couple cows from that herd.  They stay primarily on a ranch with leased hunting rights to an outfitter.  The herd does scatter at night and wander on to State land where they are legal to shoot.  Can turn into a wild shooting gallery with bullets flying in all directions.  A good way to fill the freezer though.

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8 minutes ago, Coach said:

That's really encouraging. I thought the herds up there were getting decimated by wolves. Like they are in NM, for example.

The herd on the Gardner side, north Yellowstone, is dramatically less, but on the west side, the herd has held strong.  The herd on the Jackson Side, south, has also seen a big decline I believe.  One population that isn't mentioned much is the Moose.  They are really hurting.  They winter in high country where they become easy target for wolves when the snow starts to pile up.

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I have heard that the Montana Wildlife Department tries to work with landowners to allow hunter access to help harvest more cow elk. They are(were) trying to thin the herd in the Madison range, because of the lack of carrying capacity of winter range areas, and other issues.

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I wouldn't be surprised if that ranch does allow a limited number on to the ranch to harvest cows.  They didn't back the last time I hunted there, but that's over 10 years ago now.  The Bulls on the ranch all have big dollar signs on them.   

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Pretty sure I’ve seen video of people dumping bales off flat beds to help feed this herd. Please correct me if I’m wrong. 

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