If you thought you'd only see elk in The National Elk Refuge, think again! Forty-seven different types of mammals have been identified here and make their home in a variety of habitats. Here's What You’ll Find at the National Elk Refuge Animals It's full of recommendations for places to eat, drink, and play during your stay In Jackson Hole. Learn more about the National Elk Refuge when you download our free Vacation Guide. It's a great place to learn about the creatures that inhabited Jackson Hole long before we did! Here are some of the things you'll see there. At the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, you can do just that! This 24,000-acre refuge sits in an intermountain valley in Northwestern Wyoming, providing a home for elk, birds, and big game animals. JHVN.One of the best ways to experience the natural beauty of an area you're visiting is to observe local wildlife. Trumpeter Swans can be observed from a turnout along US Highway 26, north Goldeneye, bufflehead, green-winged and cinnamon teal and Canada geese. Pond and marsh areas include the mallard, pintail, gadwall, Barrow's Of birds have been observed on the Refuge, including eagles, and hawks. Porcupines, longtail weasels, and voles or meadow mice.Ĭan be observed on the refuge. Mule deer, coyotes, badgers, and Unita ground squirrels, muskrats, beaver, In addition to elk, other species such as moose, bighorn sheep, bison, The office is open year round Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. For information regarding hunting seasons and regulations,Ĭontact the refuge headquarters in the town of Jackson, Wyoming at 675 E. Hunting is a management tool to help regulate the number of elk on the The winter mortality rate on the refuge is about 1.5%. During the hard times of winter, the elk are supplemented with alfalfa hay pellets. The oldest elk was a 30 year old female and the oldest male was 18 years old. Most of the elk on the refuge are between 3 years and 10 years old. Elk are on the refuge from the middle of October through April. The elk refuge consists of meadows and marshes along the valley floor, and sagebrush and rock outcroppings along the foothills. The elk refuge consists of nearly 25,000 acres of land, having native grasses and other elk forage. Fish and Wildlife Service devoted primarily to elk management. The elk refuge provides a winter home for more than 7,500 elk, making it one of the largest wintering concentrations of elk that can be found anywhere. The National Elk Refuge is located just north east of the town of Jackson, Wyoming. And all these miles of hills, and plains are only 1/4 of what the elk used to call their winter home. Today the National Elk Refuge is nearly 25,000 acres. In 1912, Congress gave money to buy 2760 acres of land for The National Elk Refuge. One settler said that he could walk for a mile on elk bodies without ever stepping off.Īfter those terrible winters the people of Jackson went to the government for help. Nearly 3/4 of the elk calves never made it through their first winter. But that wasn't enough with the thousands of starving elk. Some of the ranchers and farmers tried to help by spreading out haystacks for the elk. It is reported that some tried to jump through the barn windows in order to eat with the cattle. As a result from their starving condition, the elk soon lost their fear of humans. Elk began to starve in horrifying numbers. In the years 1909,1910, and 1911 the winters were very cold, and the snow was so deep, and the valley filled with farmers and ranchers, that disaster was inevitable. These migrating elk found their journey blocked by fences and homesteads, and the grasses they used to eat were now harvested and put into haystacks for the farmers cattle.Įven before the homesteaders came, some elk would starve during a hard winter. Then just over 100 years ago the valley began to be settled. It's history and purpose.įor hundreds of years, nearly 25,000 elk migrated from the mountains to the valley in the winter, where they were still able to get through the snows to the grass underneath. The National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming.
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