2015 Herd Unit Classification and Management of Roosevelt Elk
Schmidt K and Bensen K. 2016. 2015 Herd Unit Classification and Management of Roosevelt Elk. Redwood National and State Parks. Orick, CA
Annual classification of elk herds within RNSP began in 1996 to document relative abundance and simple population characteristics, such as cow numbers, recruitment, and calf survival within known herds (Wallen 1997). These herd count/classifications have been conducted annually each fall since that time by parks staff and others. Also in 1996, a monitoring program of the elk population in the Prairie Creek drainage was established independent of the RNSP program (Weckerly 1996, Weckerly et al. 2004). The 2 independent monitoring programs in the same area provided a unique opportunity to compare data gathered unsystematically with data gathered using a science-based approach with a standardized protocol. Beginning in 2004, elk in the Bald Hills were counted by Dr. Floyd Weckerly using a method he developed (Weckerly and Francis 2004). Unlike the Prairie Creek herd counts, which tend to yield similar results using the parks’ and Weckerly’s survey methods, the Bald Hills herd counts tended to be quite dissimilar between parks staff and Weckerly, with staff counts consistently undercounting the number of animals. Due to the inaccuracy of the park staff counts, those counts in the Bald Hills were discontinued in 2008.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Schmidt, Kristin; Bensen, Keith
- Date of Issue
- 2016-06
- Publisher
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Units
- REDW
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Abundance, Abundance (Biodiversity), Animal Studies, Cervus elaphus roosevelti (Canadian Wapiti, Classification, Distribution (Biodiversity), herd composition, Mammals, Monitoring, Olympic elk, Population, Population Characteristics, Presence (Biodiversity), Progress Report, Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus), Roosevelt Wapiti), Taxa Links To References, Wildlife
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Mammals