MOOSE, Wyo. — To manage and conserve the Jackson Elk Herd, the elk reduction program began Saturday, Nov. 16, and continues through Sunday, Dec. 8, in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP).
The National Park Service (NPS) says elk that summer within GTNP and migrate to the National Elk Refuge (NER) in the winter are the largest elk herd in North America. In 1950, when Congress expanded the boundaries of GTNP, a provision was included to manage the elk population through an annual elk reduction program.
The 2007 Bison and Elk Management Plan calls for 5,000 elk to winter on the NER and a summer herd segment in GTNP of 1,600. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has set a target objective of 11,000 elk for the Jackson herd that includes the park herd segment.
According to the NPS, the only area open to the Elk Reduction Program is Area 75, located mostly east of U.S. Highway 89. Antelope Flats from Antelope Flats Road North to Lost Creek Road is closed to the program. The Snake River Bottom between Deadmans Bar and Ditch Creek is closed to the program.
Elk Reduction Area 79 is closed to the program this season to limit harvest pressure on northern migratory and resident elk.
Participants in the program must carry a state license for Elk Hunt Area 75, a park permit and a valid Wyoming elk hunting license. Additionally, participants must use non-lead ammunition, and are limited in the number of cartridges they are able to carry each day. Harvest is currently restricted to cows and calves. The use of archery, handguns or other non-center-fire ammunition rifles is not permitted, nor is the use of artificial elk calls. Hunters, regardless of age, are required to carry a hunter safety card, wear fluorescent orange or pink and carry bear spray.
With the detection of chronic wasting disease within GTNP since 2018, the NPS and Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) ask hunters to collect samples from elk heads for testing. The biological samples will be submitted to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, and participants can check their results online.
The NPS and WGFD staff will monitor and patrol elk reduction program areas to ensure compliance with rules and regulations, interpret the elk reduction program to visitors and provide participants with outreach regarding bear activity and safety. These areas remain open to park visitors, and wearing bright colors is highly encouraged during this time.
For those interested in the program, contact WGFD or call the elk reduction program information line at 307-739-3681.
