The Wind Cave National Park Elk Herd: Home Ranges, Seasonal Movements, and Alternative Control Methods

• Main Author: Bauman, Peter
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange 1998
• Subjects: Natural Resources and Conservation; Boland; Beaver Creek
• Online Access: https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/286; https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/context/etd/article/1286/viewcontent/BaumanPeter1998.pdf

Elk (Cervus elaphus ne/soni) herd organization, movements, and home range size in Wind Cave National Park (WICA) were studied from May 1996 to August 1997. Twenty radiocollared elk ( 10 males, 10 females) were relocated by ground and aerial telemetry. Radiocollared elk were relocated two times/week, resulting in 1,595 relocations ( 410 ground, 1, 185 aerial). Coefficients of association (CA) for radiocollared cows averaged 0.005 during spring/summer 1996, 0.033 during spring/summer 1997, and 0.295 during falVwinter 1996. Coefficients of association for radiocollared bulls averaged 0.011 during spring/summer 1996, 0.015 during spring/summer 1997, and 0.075 during faIVwinter 1996. Three cow subherds (primary Beaver Creek, secondary Beaver Creek, and Gobbler Knob), and three bull groups (Beaver Creek, Boland Ridge, and Pleasant Valley) were observed. Fall/winter 1996 adaptive kernel 95 and 50% mean home range sizes were: primary Beaver Creek cow herd (41.6 ± 0.8 and 10.4 ± 0.6 km2), secondary Beaver Creek cow herd (41.4 ± 2.4 and 10.4 ± 1.4 km2), Gobbler Knob cow herd (22.9 ± 4.4 and 4.0 ± 0.6 km2), Beaver Creek bull group (21.7 ± 4.5 km2 and 4.0 ± 0.9 km2), Boland Ridge bull group (undetermined), and Pleasant Valley bull group (243 .1 and 24.8 range sizes were not significantly different for cows or bulls (P > 0.10), and data were pooled. Total summer adaptive kernel 95 and 50% home range sizes were: primary Beaver Creek cows (34.7 ± 2.8 and 8.6 ~2. 0 km2), secondary Beaver Creek cows (56.0 ± 3.0 and 9.0 ±_2.1 km2), Gobbler Knob cows (26.S ± 8.1 and 5.6 ± 2.6 km2), Beaver Creek bulls (40.0 ± 11.8 and 9.3 ± 4.8 km2), Boland Ridge bulls (undetermined), and Pleasant Valley bulls (185.9 and 42.8 km2). Radiocollared cows from the Gobbler Knob and secondary Beaver Creek herds moved out of the park during spring and summer and returned during fall and winter. Cows used open prairie habitat during all times of day during winter. In summer, cows used prairie habitat during morning and evening and timber during midday. ...