Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation funds projects to protect herds

ELKO — The Elko area has undergone several elk habitat improvements as well as scientific research that is ongoing, all thanks to a $1.6 million grant fund from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners, which provided awards to 12 projects across the state.

"These awards are grants that we distribute to partners after we've had a chance to review all the applications and work with them to make sure that the projects are implemented in the most successful way," Karie Decker, the foundation's director of wildlife and habitat, explained.

"The projects are implemented by folks right there in Nevada and we serve as the granting entity."

Most fundraising happens through Nevada volunteers, she added.

The foundation is supporting two conservation projects in Elko County.

"Both of them are in partnership. One is in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management. It was near the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge and also nearby land managed by the BLM. So we awarded funds to those entities to replace some old fencing and make them more wildlife-friendly. We worked with the BLM to build a water guzzler for wildlife on that property," Decker said.

The other major project, in partnership with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, involves removing weeds on burn scars in the Pequop Mountains outside Wells and planting new growth there, which will benefit the areas mule deer use in the winter and elk use year-round.

"Within the landscape of the 2022 Wildcat wildfire, that's kind of one of our focuses lately. This is really helping restore those landscapes that have been impacted by wildfire across the west," Decker said. "This piece is looking to plant antelope bitterbrush, which is a really important forage species for mule deer."

She said that project is in conjunction with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and Bureau of Land Management.

"They're hoping to restore up to 10,000 acres of that crucial mule deer range," Decker said. "Within that landscape, there are probably several different wildfire burn scars from the past several years, so seeding that will apply an herbicide to treat those annual invasive grasses, like cheatgrass and some of those others that come in right after a fire. Then, they'll be reseeding with more native grasses and shrubs."

Seeding new growth Matt Nease, fuels tech for the Ruby Mountains Forest Service Ranger District, explained the process for growing plants back over a burn scar.

"The soil itself has probably lost a lot of its organic matter from the burn and is easily disturbed, so you'd want to limit the amount of travel to maintain what soil composition is still there," Nease said. "They go with a native seed source, limiting the amount of invasive weeds coming into the burn area. As far as special treatments, depending on the species that they're planting, like mountain bitterbrush, antelope bitterbrush and the mahoganies, they're started in a greenhouse and then they're planted. They're not from seed."

He said different plants are used, depending on the location.

"In the Pequops, you probably have a better recruitment of those forage-friendly grasses because of slightly higher rainfall amounts at that elevation, as opposed to the valley floor here in Elko. Restoration would be a little bit easier," Nease said.

"We're thankful for all the volunteers who worked really hard to fundraise for this money," Decker said.

Elk mortality The foundation also is partially funding a study on a challenging and, as of yet, not fully understood issue known as Seasonal Elk Mortality Syndrome, which is responsible for the deaths of 31% of radio-collared elk in a small sub-herd residing in western Elko County.

"It's important to highlight that elk populations in Nevada continue to perform exceptionally well, especially following the last two years of average to above-average precipitation and the resulting improvements to range conditions where elk reside," the Nevada Department of Wildlife said of the situation.

However, "over the years, various factors limiting elk populations have been identified throughout the western U.S. These factors can include predation, disease and nutritional limitations potentially caused by drought or changes in vegetation communities. When NDOW first received reports of elk carcasses during uncommon times of the year, as well as detection of elk mortalities during routine radio-collar monitoring, the previously identified and more common culprits were investigated and quickly ruled out."

"We continue to examine available information to find similar instances of uncommon elk deaths and evaluate our findings to determine possible connections. These investigative efforts have shaped our leading hypothesis that seasonal mineral deficiencies increase susceptibility of elk to otherwise common ailments. To be clear, several previous hypotheses were not supported by our findings. There is a possibility a new theory could emerge during the next phase of the study," NDOW stated.

Along with foundation, the study is also partially funded by the Nevada Wildlife Heritage Trust Program. "This project continues to be greatly aided by the cooperation and collaboration with landowners in western Elko County and several agencies within and outside of Nevada," NDOW said.

NDOW said the aim to use the project to "understand if mineral deficiencies contribute to elk mortalities in western Elko County, to investigate potential limiting factors for two additional underperforming elk herds in Humboldt and Nye Counties" and to monitor neighboring elk herds in order to establish biological reference points.

The study will cover a specific niche of Elko County elk habitat: the Southern Owyhee Desert, primarily the Tuscarora Mountains.

NDOW noted, though, "while we continue to document local effects in a sub-herd of elk in western Elko County, the overall elk population in surrounding areas and Elko County, at-large, continues to meet NDOW objectives with no evidence of seasonal mortality that could limit population growth."

"In response to persistent Seasonal Elk Mortality Syndrome and declining elk abundance in the southern Owyhee Desert," NDOW said they decided to investigate methodically.

"Early efforts involved broad organ collection and analyses, evaluation of movement patterns and dietary analysis. Monitoring efforts have evolved to incorporate targeted sample collection, new monitoring technologies and rapid response to mortality notification," the department said.

"Resulting from these necropsy and sampling efforts, specifically trace mineral analysis of the liver, was an indication that copper levels in [elk killed by SEMS] were well below the reference ranges for Rocky Mountain elk in the western United States."

"It is important to note that while this has drawn attention for targeted research, trace minerals can be difficult to interpret when the reference ranges are not created for the local nutritional conditions. Our hypothesis that mineral deficiencies are contributing to elk mortalities," exists because minerals are important to certain physiological processes in an elk's body, NDOW noted.

"Copper plays an important role in immune system health and cardiac function. Based on necropsy investigations, both appear to be impaired. Additionally, copper is vital to bone development and milk production which are in particularly high demand during the time of year that peak mortality occurs — when cows are lactating and antlers are in development."

To research the connection between mineral deficiencies and elk mortality, NDOW said "in-depth trace mineral analyses are being conducted to increase both the sample size and our confidence that a true mineral imbalance exists when compared to west-wide reference range."

The department said collecting blood can work for finding trace mineral profiles — but they will also be exploring alternate testing methods such as hair collection and liver biopsy.

"Next, since we are comparing this sub-herd's mineral profile to a west-wide reference range for elk, we need samples from elk in neighboring, unaffected herds, for appropriate comparison. We ultimately need to determine if our findings are unique to the region where [the mortality syndrome] has been found or if all elk in Nevada have similar mineral profiles."

"We also need to collect these data from both the affected area and the unaffected area at the same time of year to account for seasonal differences in mineral requirements," they added.

"These efforts may illustrate that there are mineral deficiencies but it still doesn't explain why those deficiencies exist," NDOW noted. "The Department plans to investigate whether this imbalance is related to environmental conditions. Specifically, does soil chemistry, water or plant communities in this area explain the mineral limitations? We have piloted a soil and vegetation sampling effort which occurred concurrent with the SEMS timeframe, following collared elk in both the affected herd and a neighboring unaffected herd as a reference area."

"The analyses of that sampling effort are pending and partnerships are forming to investigate further, should we find a relationship."

Still 'a theory' NDOW explained how researchers have not yet arrived at a conclusive result.

"Trace mineral imbalances are still only a theory, which we arrived at through a methodical approach of eliminating alternative explanations. Ultimately, mineral deficiencies may play a large role in SEMS, be only a contributing factor of a more complex issue or may play no role at all," the department said.

Researchers shared what technologies or tools are important to the study.

"Radio collars are, of course, the primary technology being utilized. However, in 2018, monitoring efforts were improved significantly with the incorporation of Mortality Implant Transmitters, which communicate and transmit information through the radio collar," NDOW said.

"These MIT devices are ChapStick-sized stainless steel tubes, like bolus units used in the livestock industry, and are inserted through the esophagus, eventually settling in the stomach of the elk," they explained. "The MIT allows for the immediate notification of a mortality event through highly sensitive movement sensors, which detect both heartbeat and digestion, while also recording internal body temperature."

"This information is then relayed through the radio-collar for satellite transmission, and a mortality notification is communicated to Department personnel via email and text message."

"In some instances, a helicopter was utilized to transport staff into remote locations, allowing for necropsy within as little as 2 hours of death," NDOW noted.

"In addition to improved response time, temperature recordings from the MIT devices provided a better understanding of the various physiological processes occurring at the time of death," they explained. "Evaluation of temperature readings determined that preceding a SEMS death, internal body temperature spikes above 105 F and almost always result in death within 2 days, usually less than 24 hours."

The department said it plans to see what it can do to stop the syndrome from affecting more elk.

"We anticipate the study will be a three-year commitment, with Year 1 representing the primary data collection effort through capture, monitoring and mortality investigations in several regions of the state, while Years 2 and 3 will be focused on data analysis and reporting," NDOW explained. "The goal is to understand the cause of SEMS and identify possible management actions. We hope these efforts will also inform why other small elk herds in Humboldt and Nye County have not grown as expected. In spring 2025, the Department plans to capture, sample, and collar elk from several herds across the state."

"The SEMS-affected herd will be included, but we will also target herds that show no evidence of SEMS. Conducting captures during the critical seasonal time frame of mortality will provide the opportunity to sample live elk" instead of conducting necropsy on dead elk, "compare productive herds vs the SEMS herd and deploy monitoring devices that will relay data to personnel when elk deaths occur," they said.

"Since 2015, when SEMS specific investigations began, a large amount of data has been collected and the Department is working on an academic partnership for an advanced synthesis of ongoing data streams and opportunities to utilize additional resources and expertise for this study," NDOW explained.

Researchers said the elk that winter on the southern Owyhee Desert, "the SEMS-impacted herd, is a sub-herd of the larger 'Big 6' elk herd" and is one of five elk management planning units noted in the 2003 Western Elko County Elk Management Plan, NDOW said.

"We are committed to meeting multiple objectives when undertaking these types of large projects. In addition to the highlighted objectives, this monitoring effort will also provide vital information about habitat selection, body condition, adult survival, mineral uptake and other parameters influencing elk demographics from across the state," they explained. "In some instances, these datasets will augment and improve existing information but in others, they will fill knowledge gaps to improve our overall understanding of Nevada's elk."