Forest Service Proves Elk do not become "Acclimated" to Fat-Assed ATV Riders

[JoseCuervo]

Didn't we have somebody trying to convince Buzz that Elk become "acclimated" to Fat-Assed ATV Riders and other motorized traffic???? Was that you Ten Beers, making that hilarious claim...?

NEW FOREST SERVICE STUDY: EFFECTS OF OFF-ROAD RECREATION ON MULE DEER AND ELK

Dr. Michael J. Wisdom, Research Wildlife Biologist at the Forest Service's Starkey Experimental Forest and Range research area, recently announced a study he co-authored entitled, Effects of Off-Road Recreation on Mule Deer and Elk. According to the authors, no research has evaluated effects of off-road activities on vertebrate species in a comparative and experimental manner.

Among the study's preliminary findings:

> Elk began moving when ATVs were as far away as 2,000 yards but tolerated hikers to within 500, horseback riders within 800 and bicyclists within 1,300 yards. Elk run from ATVs but tend to walk away from hikers unless startled at close range.
> Mule deer move little when approached by all four types of recreational users but seem to leave foraging areas and move into deeper cover.
> Elk are far more disturbed by horseback riders than previously believed, and once they detect them are nearly as spooked by bikes as ATVs.

Objectives of the study were to (1) document cause-effect relations of ATV, horseback, mountain bike, and hiking activities on deer and elk; (2) measure effects with response variables that index changes in animal or population performance, such as movement rates, flight responses, resource selection, spatial distributions, and use of foraging versus security areas; (3) use these response variables to estimate the energetic and nutritional costs associated with each activity and the resultant effects on deer and elk survival; and (4) interpret results for recreation management.

While the study is not currently available online, check http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/starkey in the future for possible availability