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Time out for a pregnant pause Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A herd of about 150 Roosevelt elk graze on a pasture off North Valley View Road near Ashland recently. The elk may be a beautiful sight for passersby, but they can create expensive headaches for local land owners. In late March, the elk will head to May calving grounds and then to their usual mountain retreats for the summer. On the outskirts of Ashland, a herd of elk, many in their maternity cycle, are a tourist attraction - and a nuisance By MARK FREEMAN A drive toward the old dump now is providing a picturesque peek into the one of Southern Oregon's best wildlife treasures. About 150 Roosevelt elk from across southeast Jackson County have once again headed to a series of fields east of Ashland to spend the winter in the outskirts of the Bard but away from the aroma of Lithia water. The elk, most of which are pregnant female cows, are the big-game equivalent of snowbirds, migrating from the Cascades to pastures off North Valley View Road, where they can be seen at times by passersby. Here, these biggest of all Southern Oregon forest creatures will wait out the seasonal snows until they hoof off to their mountain haunts next spring, completing their annual migration cycle. "That area is typical winter range, and the elk come from all over the Dead Indian Plateau to be here," says biologist John Thiebes of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Most of them are cows, and they all should be pregnant," Thiebes says. "They aren't going to get any more pregnant than they are now." This festival of fur is born, however, from the graciousness of area landowners who find providing seasonal refuge to big-game can evolve into a big headache and even bigger expense. The seasonal herd first headed to Loren Winters' 226-acre cattle ranch three years ago, bringing oohs, aahs and popping flashbulbs from him and his neighbors. But now they are like an unemployed brother-in-law camped on the sofa, hogging the remote and clearing out the fridge. "In the beginning it was all right, but they've gotten to be a pain in the butt," Winters says. "I've had to fix my fences three times this month, and I'm out $600 that could have gone toward my fire insurance or taxes." And Winters isn't the only one, says Thiebes, whose office regularly fields calls from frustrated landowners suffering from eaten feed, trampled fields and fallen fences thanks to wintering elk. The ODFW first encourages landowners to fire a few shotgun blasts to scare away the elk, then consider having licensed hunters with valid tags come and shoot one or two of them, he says. The agency also will provide seed and fertilizer to some landowners willing to plant a winter buffet for the elk. "As much as the landowners can tolerate," Thiebes says, "we appreciate." The toleration, appreciation and frustration usually carry on into late March, when the elk spring into action and head to May calving grounds and then cool mountain retreats for the summer. As for the Ashland elk, their days at these numbers may soon be history. Wintering herds rarely eclipse 150 animals, Thiebes says. At that size, the elk sense a need for some elbow room and usually splinter into a few factions, often following the old matriarch elk toward new pastures she deems as suitable digs. "That should sound familiar," Thiebes says. "Most of the guys in the valley will recognize that." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Looking inside the elk files NAME : Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti). Named for Theodore Roosevelt. APPEARANCE : The largest of the cervids, they have narrow faces, small and pointed ears, dark brown mains, brown coats and a cream-colored rump patch. RANGE : Oregon west of the Cascades. Elk east of the Cascade Crest are considered Rocky Mountain elk, a close cousin. DIET : They eat as many as 100 different plants, often favoring blackberries, vine maples, huckleberries and selected forbs. HABITS : Male elk are very solitary, except during fall mating season. They grow antlers each spring, then shed them in late winter. A 2-year-old male typically has antlers with two to five tines, or points, and prime adults sport antlers of six to eight tines each. Females will cluster in small herds, but head off to give birth alone. They will take turns baby-sitting each others' calves while the freed-up cow feeds. - Source: Land Mammals of Oregon Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.