Cowboy State Daily By Mark Heinz 2/23/2023
As multi-generation Wyoming rancher Joe Nield sees it, Star Valley just isn’t good winter elk habitat to begin with.
He should know. His family has been there since 1889.
“My ancestors didn’t write in their journals about living on elk meat during the winters. They dang near starved,” he told Cowboy State Daily.
And indeed, it’s said that the moniker “Star Valley” is short for the name pioneers originally gave it: “Starvation Valley.”
Even during his own lifetime, Nield said he’s watched elk in Star Valley grow from a seldom-spotted novelty to massive herds that will flood the valley during hard winters, often wreaking havoc for ranches.
This has been one such winter, he said.
“We’ve got more winter than we’ve had in a few years. So, we’ve gotten more elk than we’ve had in a few years. And that’s caused some problems,” he said. “This (Star Valley) isn’t winter country for elk, and we’re trying to winter elk in this country.”
Deep Snow Prompts Emergency FeedingDeep snow in several areas of the state has cut elk off from winter forage, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
In some places, that’s prompted the agency to implement “emergency” feeding of elk, Game and Fish spokeswoman Breanna Ball told Cowboy State Daily. That’s because the hungry ungulates have been moving onto ranches, raiding haystacks, damaging fences and causing other problems.
Game and Fish is feeding elk in Star Valley, as well as in the Cokeville and Kemmerer areas.
It’s not clear how many elk are partaking of the bounty, she said.
“Most elk are coming into feeding sites during the night and we don’t have a complete census of how many are on feed at this time,” Ball said.
More:
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/02/23/emergency-feeding-underway-for-starving-wyoming-elk-herds/
