Elk and Summertime Migration Question

[HarryToolips]

What's everyone's experience and knowledge regarding elk migrations to higher mountainous country in the summertime and into the September hunting season when there's farmland with food plots in the lowlands adjacent to the mountains? They will especially key in on alfalfa fields, high protein content, but will they leave those plots during the summer/early fall when those sources are available? In my limited observations on this subject only based off one specific area, some will hang out by the farms, while other small herds will migrate higher. What do you see in your areas?

[Walking Buffalo]

Sure.

Some may stay, some may go.
It's up to what their Mama taught 'em.
Over time, elk populations will change year round migration patters based off resource availability and other survival pressures such as predation.

Elk studies in the Yaha Tinda, Alberta showed a real great example example of the demise of a 4000+ head Migrating herd, alongside the creation of a few non-migratory herds. Mark Hebblewhite's thesis and associated studies.

[J_T]

Water is a factor, bugs are factor, mineral (licks) and quality of transitional range, summer range are all factors in elk movement. The presence of predators can change from year to year. The elk are in their classic summer range come August. Mid August, bulls disappear into dark, shadowed, wet holler with good vegetation. Reappearing in late August to find and spend time, near the cows.

In our area, after the BOS, (the BOS is the busiest hunting, traffic, camps, bikes etc) the rifle hunting tends to drive the bulls, and their cows by this point, down. An early movement into transitional range starts and while hunters are focused in the high basins where they think the elk are, the elk have moved down to timbered mid and low elevation.

After the season (November) a lot of bugling and rubbing is carried out. The increase in rubs in November gives some hunters misleading information about where elk are, during the hunt.

[HarryToolips]

OK good to know, thanks guys!