Elk in Texas - Why hasn't TPWD Made them a game animal or protected?

[Etxbuckman]

How many of us have an actual stake in whether or not the Texas elk herd gets a game animal classification or not?

[Slick8]

How many of us have an actual stake in whether or not the Texas elk herd gets a game animal classification or not?

We all do.

Wales makes a great argument as to why regulation would help to increase numbers and expansion of their range in Texas.

Texans42 shows the other side of the page. If regulation limits the number of available tags or deems it harassment if he drives them from his land there's a downside for him.

Sakett, great topic and discussion.

Although I typically advocate little government regulation, I'm all for elk being regulated as game animals by TPWD. I understand that the population of free ranging elk in west Texas is growing due to the managment practices of private landowners. However, for the population to continue growing to the east (the Hill Country and beyond), I believe there is going to have to be a period of time when hunting elk in the counties east of a certain line is prohibited until the population is established in those counties.

I have been going to the Sacramento Mountains (Mayhill/Cloudcroft area) of New Mexico all of my life, and my family for years before that. Elk were reintroduced to that area about 40 years ago (I'm not sure on the exact date). About 35 years ago, we saw the first group of elk my family had ever seen there. Now, it is one of the best elk areas in New Mexico...but hunting was strictly regulated for years to get it to this point.

Without the regulation, I'm afraid every elk spotted in the counties that don't currently have an established population will be shot on sight.

Unit 34 has over a million acres of public land.

So basically we would want to force ALL land owners’ hands in management, not just in west Texas but panhandle, hill country and even stx, etc.

I personally can tell you what a herd of cow elk can do +-$160k corn circle, not including what a bull will do to the 70k sprinkler.

As it is now a farmer/landowner can choose to sell a few Hunts to cover cost or thin or chase them out immediately. You start regulating on an expansion model and it will cost the state massive litigation money that will be settled with extreme crop depredation tags, because any tolerance will be gone. As a game animal pushing/driving them out of your corn would be considered harassment also.


Elk populations are expanding where they should as it stands, the system is working

[Farmdog]

I fed a small herd for years, Im always suspicious of farmed elk being sold as wild ones, you could buy them for 500 and then they got cheaper, they can multiply easily with feed in Texas heat, they just shed hair. There is a “wild herd in Mex too” They trailer easily just occasional refuse to unload. I just thought they were escapees, it would be cool to know where the wild ones are

[sotx]

I am in McMullen County and from time to time we see cow elk and bull elk. The last bull I saw was three years ago. Rolled up on him in my top drive. 300" 6 x 6. I was so caught up in the moment that raising my rifle never crossed my mind until after the sucker gave me the slip. Had a friend with me, we both looked at each other like *** did we just see

[LWC]

Managing native critters isn't always about increasing hunting opportunities. Sometimes it has to be about restricting them, even if temporarily

I agree completely. Just because it isn't convenient for us doesn't mean we should wash our hands. Same goes for bison too. Probably the most iconic American animal and they don't get close to the same kind of restoration effort that elk get in the west. It is a shame really.

[Texans42]

I agree completely. Just because it isn't convenient for us doesn't mean we should wash our hands. Same goes for bison too. Probably the most iconic American animal and they don't get close to the same kind of restoration effort that elk get in the west. It is a shame really.

Land scape has changed to much both ecologically and agricultural for wide free range bison.


I’d love to see buffalo habitat to come back but doubt many on this forum are truly ready for what that means to land scapes they hunt. Not as simple as just releasing them in historical ranges..... that are no longer historical habitat.

[LWC]

Land scape has changed to much both ecologically and agricultural for wide free range bison.


I’d love to see buffalo habitat to come back but doubt many on this forum are truly ready for what that means to land scapes they hunt. Not as simple as just releasing them in historical ranges..... that are no longer historical habitat.

I agree. There won't ever be 50 million buffalo roaming the plains. But there are plenty of places in the west where buffalo could be released and would thrive. Cattle lobbyist are against them. Don't want them competing with their cheap grazing leases on public land. Wish there was a rocky mountain bison foundation or something of the sort.

[150class]

I agree. There won't ever be 50 million buffalo roaming the plains. But there are plenty of places in the west where buffalo could be released and would thrive. Cattle lobbyist are against them. Don't want them competing with their cheap grazing leases on public land. Wish there was a rocky mountain bison foundation or something of the sort.

Big factor. Farming in general halts any chance of that happening

[J Wales]

Unit 34 has over a million acres of public land.

So basically we would want to force ALL land owners’ hands in management, not just in west Texas but panhandle, hill country and even stx, etc.

I personally can tell you what a herd of cow elk can do +-$160k corn circle, not including what a bull will do to the 70k sprinkler.

As it is now a farmer/landowner can choose to sell a few Hunts to cover cost or thin or chase them out immediately. You start regulating on an expansion model and it will cost the state massive litigation money that will be settled with extreme crop depredation tags, because any tolerance will be gone. As a game animal pushing/driving them out of your corn would be considered harassment also.


Elk populations are expanding where they should as it stands, the system is working

I believe there is a happy medium. For example, mule deer seasons are only open in certain counties now. There are other counties where mule deer reside, but there is no open season on them. I'm all for that until there is a sustainable population in those counties.

I also believe all of your other concerns could be addressed by TPWD. Every other state in the west deals with elk and crop/improvement depredation...I'm sure Texas can as well.

Mostly, I'd just love to have a huntable population of elk across more of Texas, without having to accomplish it with high fences.

[Texans42]

I agree. There won't ever be 50 million buffalo roaming the plains. But there are plenty of places in the west where buffalo could be released and would thrive. Cattle lobbyist are against them. Don't want them competing with their cheap grazing leases on public land. Wish there was a rocky mountain bison foundation or something of the sort.

Cheap is a relative topic. I wouldn’t call most BLM, NF, and or state school grazing leases cheap. I’d say market rate. But that’s a different topic. Bison arent real fence or property friendly, especially wild.

I hope I draw the AZ or Utah tag some day

[Texans42]

I believe there is a happy medium. For example, mule deer seasons are only open in certain counties now. There are other counties where mule deer reside, but there is no open season on them. I'm all for that until there is a sustainable population in those counties.

I also believe all of your other concerns could be addressed by TPWD. Every other state in the west deals with elk and crop/improvement depredation...I'm sure Texas can as well.

Mostly, I'd just love to have a huntable population of elk across more of Texas, without having to accomplish it with high fences.

This fight already played out in Oklahoma. I watched it front row and center. Went from protected w/a few landowner crop depredation permits and expanding herd to a large quota system specifically high enough to keep population nocked down and highly limited.

Land owners will win, you don’t want them fighting for a resolution with a sour taste, because they will win the extreme in almost every case. Held in public trust while destroying private land and livelyhoods is a concept few legislating body will up hold.

[Texans42]

For the record, if I could only hunt one animal for rest of my life... it would be sept elk only. Bugling bulls live in my soul.

Now if you told me I could only have one animal on my farm. It would be the invasive pheasants, they don’t eat much and have a flatter lined recruitment

[El General]

Recovery of deer and turkeys were certainly aided by the fact that they don't really screw anything up.

[Jspradley]

Recovery of deer and turkeys were certainly aided by the fact that they don't really screw anything up.

Deer screw a lot up. They are a serious ag pest in a lot of eastern states and they screw up a lot of cars and cause a fair number of deaths.

Auto insurance companies are a big lobby against pretty much all wild ungulates.

[dannorocks]

https://pitchstonewaters.com/are-elk...-to-texas-yes/

Pretty good article and explanation on why Merriam's elk as a subspecies and the only species in Texas is not sound science.

Thanks for the link, its a great read.

I've seen a small heard of elk the Guadalupe Mtns on the TX side and hear of steady populations elsewhere in the Transpecos region. I guess if they recognize them in areas where they are well populated would be a good thing.