WYLDLIFE FOR TOMORROW

Jackson Elk Project

Why?

The Jackson Elk Herd is one of the largest elk herds in North America, numbering 11,000 animals and is a vital component of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Elk are a primary prey species for grizzly bears and wolves, two animals that are highly sought after for wildlife-viewing and ecotourism in the Jackson area. Elk also provide hunters with a sustainable food source and outdoor experience, as well as support local hunting outfitters, hotels, and other businesses during the fall.
The majority of the herd spends the winter on the National Elk Refuge next to Jackson and in spring migrates and spreads out to various summer ranges from Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to the Teton WIlderness, Gros Ventre Mountain Range and private land along the Snake River.
Since the Jackson Elk Herd migrates over such a large area and contains so many animals, management and conservation can be challenging. In addition, elk have been changing their seasonal movement patterns and wintering in different areas in recent years.

Partners

Wyoming Game and Fish Department
National Elk Refuge
Grand Teton National Park
Bridger-Teton National Forest
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board
Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition

How?

Since the Jackson Elk Herd is so important, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, along with the National Elk Refuge, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service have prioritized gathering better data on elk to inform future decisions.
One of the primary ways that we gather data is using GPS satellite collars, which track elk movements. These collars collect a GPS location approximately every hour and automatically drop off the elk after 3 years.
Depending on need, we would also like this funding to be able to be applied for the Fall Creek Elk Herd, which lives on the southern end of Teton County and faces many of the same challenges as the Jackson Herd.
This project is fairly flexible in its budget, but we aim to collar 20-50 elk per year, depending on funding availability.

Budget

$47,000 – $117,500

Each elk GPS collar costs approximately $1,600.
Elk are typically captured using a net from a helicopter, which costs approximately $750 per elk.

A group of elk cows and calves in the Teton Wilderness on summer range.

A collared cow elk trots to rejoin her group after being collared.

A box of GPS collars ready to be deployed on elk.

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THE WYLDLIFE FUND
PO Box 890
Buffalo, WY 82834

The WYldlife Fund is a non-profit 501(c)3.
EIN: 83-2290091

Wildlife Crossings
Education
Habitat
Our Story
Contact

THE WYLDLIFE FUND
PO Box 890, Buffalo, WY 82834

The WYldlife Fund is a non-profit 501(c)3.
EIN: 83-2290091