Clay Sondgeroth
Chance Marshall
Douglas Decker
www.saskschools.ca
Populations of big game animals in the United States are different in certain parts of the country.
Big game animals everywhere have had to
learn to adapt to three factors: interactions with the rising number of humans,
predators, and other competitive big game species trying to survive in our modern
world. In the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, most species have been
able to adapt and prosper through human management; on the other hand, some species are having
a tougher time and their populations are suffering.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, a big game animal
includes: mule
deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bison,
black bears, and cougars. In 1869, one of the first northwestern territorial
legislatures for big game management was passed in the Wyoming territory. It was called
the “Act for the Protection of Game and Fish in the territory of Wyoming.” This
act set dates for which upland birds could be hunted, illegalized the sale of
game meat, and stated that fish could only be caught “singly” using a hook and
line. This act put down some restrictions to help manage big game populations,
but it didn’t stop the rapid rise in taste for buffalo
hides. This caused a major depletion in the herds' numbers. In 1876, there were 80,000
buffalo hides shipped from the northwest, including the Wyoming territory. Eight
years later there were none. By 1889, the last wild buffalo was killed outside
of Yellowstone. Soon after this,
in the early 1900’s, other big game animals such as deer, elk, moose, and
antelope became hard to find.
After the Rocky Mountain territories were made states, laws were made; these
laws
were enforced by paid workers called wardens. Hunting licenses were created with
the idea of restricting a person to one animal of each big game species, except
those whose populations were too low to be hunted. The tags were bought also to
raise money for improving the wildlife environment. Then in 1973,
legislation passed the “Endangered Species Act,” which made it unlawful to take
any species that were considered either endangered or threatened of extinction. As the human population increases, land has been set
aside as habitat for big game animals. Nevertheless, as our population continues
to grow, their habitat continues to decrease. Wildlife management was what saved
big game populations in the northwest from the increasing population and
interactions with humans. Through the years since wildlife management started,
big game animals have made a tremendous comeback.
Wyoming Big Game Population Estimates
Animal 1923 2000
Pronghorn 13,330 457,146
Mule deer 20,330 544,875
Elk 22,572 105,868
Moose 3,725 14,400
Bighorn Sheep 2,585 6,483
“Bear” 1,492 ?????
Bison 24 2 – 4,000
Today, the number of some big game species in the northwest, such as elk and
white-tailed deer, continue to grow to record levels. These species are hearty
animals who can survive on a wide variety of foods.
Elk use there larger body size and numbers to be a lead competitor in available
food sources. They require less nutrients to survive and don’t have the usual
winter die-offs that mule deer have. White-tailed deer adapt well to interacting
in an environment with other species unlike mule deer.
Other species, like antelope and mule deer, have begun to decline in some places
of the northwest. These species rely more on seasonal conditions. Antelope numbers have slightly gone down in Wyoming in recent years,
mostly
because of the extreme draught that has occurred in most of the state, and the lack
of food produced from the draught. Mule deer suffered from the draught as well. Mule
deer also require a higher quality diet to survive than most big game species,
and when their time and energy is used to dig through snow for food, it can
deplete
their numbers. Also, mule deer do not interact well with other species; they are
often pushed away by elk (who are larger and more aggressive.). With the number of white-tails in the
northwest rising, the mule deer now also share their winter range with
another species. So due to the combination of the loss of natural habitat,
draught, and competition, the recent mule deer numbers are showing a slight declining
figure.
Another factor that might contribute to the decline of the mule deer population,
and possibly the decline in moose throughout the northwest, is the rising number of
predators. Mountain lion populations are the
healthiest that they have ever been according to many biologists across Wyoming
and Idaho. Also, the reintroduction of wolves in the United States has had an
effect on big game populations. Before the “Endangered Species Act” was put into
place, wolves were unmanaged and exterminated. After the act was set in place,
gray wolves from Canada were introduced in Glacier National Park, Yellowstone
National Park, and central Idaho. Today, the wolves are expanding rapidly and even
though they have not wandered into states outside of Idaho,
Wyoming, and Montana. They are now only listed as a threatened species. Since
the reintroduction, moose and mule deer numbers have gone down in these
areas.
http://www.dophotoshop.com/images/tutorials/red_wolf/red_wolf.jpg
http://images.smarter.com/blogs/grizzly.jpg
Another
big game animal, the black bear, is still abundant throughout Wyoming, and other areas surrounding
Yellowstone. According to the Wyoming Game and Fish, more and more hunters are
reporting encounters with black bears and grizzly bears when calling elk or
harvesting other big game animals. Grizzly bear populations around
Yellowstone area have had a huge increase; and due to this, they have been
removed from the threatened
species list, but are not yet able to be hunted.
Big game populations in the northwestern Rocky Mountains have recovered because
of wildlife management, but some species are now beginning to decline. Some big
game species adapt to interactions with other species better than others; and
the increasing number of predators can have more effect on one species compared
to another. Through the conservation of wildlife and their environment with the
management of predator control, hopefully we can continue to keep our big game
populations healthy and growing.
Works Cited:
Allen, David. “Antelope, Elk, and Bighorn
Sheep Populations on the Increase”. EbscoHost.com. Vol.69 Issue 9, November,
2003
Bangs, Ed. “Grey Wolf Restoration in the Northwestern United States.” Endangered
Species Update (Newsletter). July 1st, 2001
Gearno, Jeff. “Lion Plan Goes to Public”. Casper-Star Tribune. July 15th, 2005
Isberg,
Art. “What Has happened To Mule Deer?”. EbscoHost.com, Vol. 209 Issue 8, p.82,
November 2002
McCombie, Brian. “Moose Numbers Up and Down”. EbscoHost.com, Vol.214 Issue 8,
p.22.September, 2007
Zumbo, Jim. ”Go West For Big Game”. EbscoHost.com, Vol. 209 Issue 5, August 2002
http://gf.state.wy.us/services/university/educationexam/wildmgmt/
http://www.ndow.org/about/news/pr/030706_bgpop.shtm
http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/hunting/guides/biggame/BGelk.asp
http://dnr.state.co.us/newsapp/press.asp?pressid=4482
http://www.fws.gov/news/historic/1949/19490608.pdf
