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Cows and bulls of a different species

W

Wyoming Wind

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Messages
270
Location
Merna, WY
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We just started feeding elk on a feed ground not too far from our home...filling in for the remainder of the season. The big bulls have lost their antlers already, younger guys not quite yet. Feeding about 8-9pounds per animal. My husbands family has fed elk for forever. Husbands great-grandpa fed the elk on the Jackson Hole national elk refuge back in the '30's and his father and uncle fed elk on this feed ground in the 70's and 80's. On snowmobile it's about 6 miles from home.
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Gonna make for a busy spring...feed cows, feed elk, and calving starting quickly!
 
A bunch of our neighbours are feeding elk too. Up to 300. Only problem is, their hay is supposed to feed their cattle and the elk are supposed to stay outside the fence, not in...
 
I hope you are getting paid to feed them. That is pretty hay to be wasting on an elk. Don't get me wrong I like elk even more when they are sitting in my frying pan but to many times I am seeing wildlife take a priority cover wildlife. Didn't mean to hijack your tread they are cool pictures
 
cure said:
I hope you are getting paid to feed them. That is pretty hay to be wasting on an elk. Don't get me wrong I like elk even more when they are sitting in my frying pan but to many times I am seeing wildlife take a priority cover wildlife. Didn't mean to hijack your tread they are cool pictures
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Yeah we get paid. These elk in our area migrate to the feed grounds to be fed so they stay off of cattle ranches. If they didn't get fed they'd break into all our stackyards and we all know what happens when cattle and elk mix---risk of brucellosis. A percentage of elk licenses in WY go towards this feeding program. A neighbor sells his hay to the game and fish...a win-win for all :-) I believe there are 22 feed grounds in western WY.
 
That's interesting, how much do they get per day? Do the wolves follow? We've got elk here but they usually leave the immediate area after the corn is harvested.
 
Big Swede said:
That's interesting, how much do they get per day? Do the wolves follow? We've got elk here but they usually leave the immediate area after the corn is harvested.
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The wolves do follow the elk...they've been quiet for a few years now as we can legally hunt them in our area. They are considered a predator. The elk will naturally leave the feed ground once they can travel in the springtime. They are literally snowed in at this feed ground till snow melts this year.
 
I had no idea the practice of feeding elk was so widespread. I knew about the ones around Jackson Hole but not the others. They re-introduced elk in Missouri recently, wonder if we will end up with a feeding program too?

Nice pics, would like to have seen one of your team, too.
 

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