A Marking Technique for Elk
Craighead JJ, Hornocker MG, Shoesmith MW, Ellis RI. 1969. A Marking Technique for Elk. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 33(4):906-909
A durable, low-priced collar which permits individual recognition of up to 9,000 animals was field-tested over a period of 5 years on 1,507 elk (Cervus canadensis) in Yellowstone National Park. The collars were constructed of 38-inch lengths of ½-inch braided polyethylene rope through which seven 3- × 9-inch flags of colored Saflag material (available from the Safety Flag Company of America, Pawtucket, Rhode Island) were strung and secured with No. 3 hog rings. Saflag material remained in readable condition during 5 years of observation in which 4,738 individual identifications of 1,206 different elk were made on winter ranges, and 442 individual identifications on the summer ranges represented 292 different elk. Area flags were observed 344 times; 46 percent of these observations were from aircraft. Loss of collars, as determined by recaptures, averaged 7.3 percent per year. Individual collars could be identified at distances of approximately 4 miles in good light with a 60× spotting scope.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Craighead, John; Hornocker, Maurice; Shoesmith, Merlin; Ellis, Richard
- Units
- YELL
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Elk (Cervus elaphus), Mammals, Management, Marking, Radio Telemetry