migrating elk

[.308cal]

I have some questions regarding elk behavior. Do they migrate very far? Do they move around much during rut?

[safarichris]

Yes, I do believe Elk will travel great distances possibly in search of ‘’New Habitat.’’
A story told to me by my boss Gary Powell. May years ago, between Blue lake and Goat Camp, a Trapper used to spend his winters trapping fur? He came to Gary and told him that he had heard very strange animal’s calling throughout the winter. The next year he heard the same calls. Gary then spotted an Elk in the area. No place back then, in those years, had Elk ever been seen in this section of Northern British Columbia. Gary knew that without ‘’suitable habitat’’ no amount of protection could benefit any animal. Gary gave them the ‘’suitable habitat,’’ where and when it was needed most. That transformed that small pocket of Elk first sighted by a Trapper into what we now know as the Muskwa River Herd.

[ufishifish2]

I currently work for a company which put collars on a number of Elk from the Princeton herd a number of years ago. At least one of those collared Elk now roams the hills with a small group between Salmon Arm and Westwold.

[CanuckShooter]

Like the moose, the bull elk is driven by raging hormones during the rut. Generally pre rut the bulls will be busy with rounding up cows and establishing dominance amongst the other bulls in the area. Once they have secured a harem of lovely cows they tend to hang within a smaller geographic area than most would expect, they have also been known to pack up and move in excess of 20km if pushed too hard.

[Moose Guide]

a cow elk colared at Meadow Creek traveled to Rose Berry in about 2 mnths. (50-75 miles)

[trapperRick]

A bull elk was colared in the Whale Back in Alberta and he wanderd all the way to to the Cranbrook area to Rut and then wandered back to Alberta

[.308cal]

Thanks
This answers some questions.

[peterrum3]

Does anyone know where we can get the information about the travel patterns of collared elk. I am assuming that these were provincial govt. studies. Those reports would probably be interesting reads.