If you spot a helicopter cruising low near elk herds south of Helena in the next few weeks, don’t worry—it’s not a rescue mission or a movie shoot, according to FWP.
Wildlife biologists are doing an elk capture operation to learn how elk move across Interstate 15 between Montana City and Boulder, and how they travel over the Continental Divide and through the upper Boulder River drainage. Some elk will be briefly captured and fitted with GPS collars so researchers can track where—and how—they roam.
That movement data helps wildlife managers fine-tune Montana’s Elk Management Plan. In plain terms: it shows whether elk herds should be grouped differently or managed at different scales, making sure hunting harvest levels stay sustainable and fair.
Bonus benefit? The data will also pinpoint where elk most often cross I-15, giving transportation planners better info to design safer roads—for both drivers and wildlife.
Photo via FWP – Region 3
