# Elk in the Turtle Mountains



## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

Good or Bad?

there is a group attempting to convince the game and fish to introduce elk (free roaming) to the Turtle's. (apparantly there are already a couple or a few, i've never seen them however) I think they would come from teddy roosevelt park. don't quote me though. I'll try to get more specifics.

What are everyone's thoughts. I see both good and bad in this.


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## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

No-one has a single thought on this.....good or bad?


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I would like to see it.I know there are several small herds up around the Peace Garden,but they don't seem to spread out like the moose do.


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## Tator (Dec 10, 2005)

i wouldn't mind it, open up another area to some elk hunting possibly??? in the future.

I'd like to see more moose too though, although I know the farmers in some areas would disagree!!!!! what do ya do, it's a win/lose situation


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## ac700wildcat (Oct 30, 2006)

I'm in belcourt a lot for work and have been told they have basically no game laws. So if one wandered onto the reservation it would be fair game right? Maybe what I've been told is wrong but it comes from one of the officers on Belcourts PD. I've even been invited to go find some woodducks this spring and been told it was legal to shot them then on the reservation.


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## Rick Davis (Oct 7, 2002)

Mmmmm Elk steaks! :beer: Wildcat: someone is pulling your leg, migrating birds are federally protected, reservation or not.


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## ac700wildcat (Oct 30, 2006)

I had no intentions of going after them this spring anyways. I'll be way too busy I'm sure, but if they are still around this fall I might take the guys invite and go find em.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Rick Davis said:


> Mmmmm Elk steaks! :beer: Wildcat: someone is pulling your leg, migrating birds are federally protected, reservation or not.


As sovereign nations I thought they could do pretty much as they pleased. If not I should have called the federal wardens. On the Spirit Lake Nation I once observed (April) two fellows sitting on the front fenders of a car with a case of beer between them. They were driving down a road that split a large wetland and shooting canvasback. When I went by two hours later there was at least 20 birds that had not been retrieved. I don't think they attempted to retrieve any. I didn't think there was anything I could do about it.


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## ac700wildcat (Oct 30, 2006)

I am also on the Spirit Lake Reservation for work once a week and I know of a guy there who got three or four bucks and some does this last fall. Some before the ND opener and some after. I know he did have reservations tags for them tho. I might have to look into this a little more and find out for sure.


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## Trapper62 (Mar 3, 2003)

On the Turtle Mtn. Reservation - enrolled members can purchase tags to harvest animals within the Reservation boundaries. They can purchase more than one tag and it is basically good for one animal, regardless of species.

I inquired into purhcasing a tag to hunt moose within he boundaries and was told that the tags were only for enrolled members. The tribe is also considering opening tags for non-members in the future but as of now they do not.

The tribe has season dates and I believe thier own wardens, so violations should be turned in.

Wildcat, if you are not an enrolled member of the tribe you cannot LEGALLY harvest an animal within the Reservation boundaries without a ND state tag. I do believe that this will change in the near future though.

Contact Jaycee Graber at the Natural Resources Office if you have questions.


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## strand (Sep 29, 2004)

There are elk there already (coming in from canada and lateral movement from the Pembina hills), but which organization is prompting this? I haven't heard a thing...


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## Trapper62 (Mar 3, 2003)

The local wildlife clubs are pushing to get elk transplanted here. The parks told them that they would have to foot the bill if this was done.

The question is why can the NPS spend millions to shoot them but will not spend a dime to relocate them?

The list going around is asking for signatures of people in the area, specifically landowners, that would support this idea. If so, how many acres do they own/rent in the Turtle Mts. that they would be willing to allow elk to be released on.

So far, I have heard acrage numbers in the 10's of thousands of acres that have signed on!


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