Northern Utah to trim Elk so Deer can Grow
Folks in Northern Utah are fed up with having no mule deer. Meanwhile, the growing elk herd is getting fed up with hay.
A local family, in Cache Valley, has been using personal resources as well as donated hay to feed a growing herd of elk for 20 plus years now. The local deer lovers have been planting bitterbrush for deer to eat and now the elk have to go.
The Utah DWR is willing to reduce elk numbers to a minimum which may include shipping some to nearby Hardware Ranch where elk are fed every winter. Not everyone is happy about this. The sad thing is, fewer elk and more bitterbrush will not necessarily mean more deer. The mule deer in that area have had 25 years to recover but can’t do so because they are being eaten as fast as they can reproduce.
Nonetheless, this is a precedent setting action. This is the first time I have heard of an agency “voluntarily” reducing elk numbers in order to help mule deer. I wonder what position they will take if it doesn’t help. Stay tuned.
