LAST EDITED ON Jul-18-09 AT 12:21PM (MST)[p]
Eric,
Thanks for another opening to present some historical perspective. The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote on AZ's elk in the 1980s.
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......The elk population in Arizona is currently at an all-time high since modern management began. The Arizona Game and Fish Department estimates the number to be between 20 and 30,000 right now. This is mostly due to a few years where the rainfall was above average, keeping the wapiti's home range in prime condition. Yet, the elk herd hasn't always been in such great shape. In fact, at the turn of the century, elk in Arizona were extinct.
The native elk that inhabited the state was known as the Merriam's elk. Large herds, often numbering in the hundreds, gathered in the cienega's to feed on lush grasses. In early fall the distinct, high-pitched bugle of the majestic wapiti pierced the quiet of frosty mornings, issuing a challenge to other bulls who dare trespass on his harem.
Unfortunately, a drastic change took place, and the Merriam's elk disappeared. Records indicate the last sightings occurred in the late 1890s and early 1900s.
No one has been able to pinpoint the exact reasons why the Merriam's became extinct. Yet historians have long held to the theory that indiscriminate hunting over many years might have been the major cause of the animal's demise. The historians readily point fingers at the miners, soldiers and settlers. In their quest for survival, they considered the elk as a bare necessity to provide food and clothing.
Naturally, the elk's size and superior meat made it a favorite target for the meat hunters. The soldiers at a few of the military outposts subsisted solely on elk for their fresh meat. The hides, frequently sold and traded, produced tough, long-lasting leather for shirts, jackets and britches. Although they were worthless for anything other than trinkets or curiosities, the canine teeth from bulls quickly became collector's items. The historians claim the canine teeth led to a fad that accounted for the slaughter of thousands of elk.
The resurgence of the elk herd in Arizona was not accidental, nor was it a natural occurrence. The slow, bountiful turn-around happened because of the concern of people who missed the shrill calls of big bulls on crisp mornings.
Members of the Winslow B.P.O.E (ELk) Club obtained 86 elk in 1913 from Yellowstone National Park, one of the few places in the country where the elk still flourished then. They transported the animals to Arizona by train, which at the time was probably not an easy chore. The Mogollon Rim had been the Merriam's elk prime habitat before its demise. Consequently, the area on the Rim near Chevelon Canyon became the site for the initial release.
More Yellowstone elk supplemented the original 86 on the Rim over the years. In addition, elk were planted in areas near Clifton, Cutter, Kingman, Williams and Alpine. Even Mt. Graham near Safford received a small number, but the animals never took hold there.
In 1913, moving big-game animals was not common practice but a novel and chancy undertaking. Today, this type of game management is very common and has become one of the key tools of wildlife managers throughout the country.
The first regulated elk hunt was held in 1935. By then the various herds in the state had found a niche and were multiplying at a respectable rate. Of the 276 who hunted that year, 145 killed elk. The annual hunts started in 1950. More than 4,000 hunters harvested 1,500 bulls and cows. Then came the 80s and the boomer years......
TONY MANDILE
How To Hunt Coues Deer
