| Tule elk | |
|---|---|
| Female tule elk | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Suborder: | Ruminantia |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Cervinae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | C. canadensis |
| Subspecies: | C. c. nannodes |
| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus canadensis nannodes |
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The tule elk (Cervus canadensis ssp. nannodes) is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast.[1] The subspecies name derives from the tule that it feeds on, which grows in the marshlands. It is the smallest subspecies of all American elks, with the average weight of adult males only 450 to 550 pounds (200 to 250 kg). The females average 375 to 425 pounds (170 to 193 kg). The calves are similar to deer fawns, with brown coat and white spots. When the Europeans first arrived, an estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed these regions. But by 1895, habitat loss and hunting had reduced the elk population to only 28.[2] Conservation measures were taken to protect the species in the 1970s.[3] Today the wild population exceeds 4,000.[2] Tule elk can reliably be found in Carrizo Plain National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, and portions of the Owens Valley from Lone Pine to Bishop.
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The smallest of the wapiti in North America, the tule (too-lee) elk were the dominant large ungulate in California prior to the arrival of the Spanish. Half the size of the Roosevelt elk, the tule elk is also known as the dwarf elk.
Vizcaíno described seeing elk on his 1602 exploration of the Monterey area, "Among the animals there are large, fierce bears, and other animals called elks, from which they make elk leather jackets." [4]
The arrival of the Spanish in the late 18th century caused the release of cattle and horses on the grasslands of the Central Valley. In the 1830's, Americans attracted by the abundance of Spanish cattle, sent ships to California to land men who went ashore to kill the cattle for the hide and tallow trade. In a short time, this trade removed much of the cattle from California so when the first emigrants arrived from the United States they hunted the abundant elk and other species in the absence of a livestock industry.
The gold rush of 1849 brought in musket hunters, trappers and cattle barons. Twenty-four years later, in 1873 the once great herds were reduced to a single tiny band.
Henry Miller, a California rancher, discovered a tiny remnant in his tule marshes and ordered his men to protect them. After his death the huge Miller-Lux ranch was subdivided and the hunting of the elk resumed. The population was reduced to 72 head. In the years that followed, the elk were transplanted 21 times with each attempt failing.
In 1933, a rancher named Walter Dow took a small group of penned elk to his ranch in Owens Valley, east of the Sierra. Although not native habitat for the elk, they thrived. In this same year, the state put a small herd at Cache Creek. This herd has not fared well due to poor range conditions. It is also believed by some that this herd may have interbred with the introduced Rocky Mountain Elk which were introduced near Mount Shasta.
In 1960, the state held a hearing in Owens Valley to determine how many elk should be allowed to live there. It was decided that the elk should be hunted to limit their numbers to under 500 animals.
Through efforts of the California Department of Fish and Game, three permanent elk herds were established in California. By 1969 The Tupman State Reserve (32), Cache Creek (80) and Owens Valley, Inyo County (300 elk) were in place.
A private person from Los Angeles, Beula Edmiston, formed a group to attempt a preservation program for the Elk.
After more than ten years of lobbying both on the federal and state levels, in 1971 California passed legislation (the Behr bill, ref) requiring that the elk may not be hunted until their numbers surpass 2,000 head statewide or until it could be determined that suitable elk habitat no longer existed in the state, and mandated the California Department of Resources to reintroduce the elk into former habitat wherever possible.
In 1976, the US Congress passed a resolution which stated that 2000 tule elk is an appropriate national goal and directed federal agencies to make federal lands available for preservation of tule elk" (ref bureau of land management 1980).
An Interagency Task Force was formed composed of representatives form the National Park Service, US Forest Service, the Armed Forces, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG 1978). Several potential sites for the reintroduction of tule elk within the state were selected.
A herd was established at the San Luis Wildlife Refuge in 1974, and elk were released at the Concord Naval Weapons Station in 1977. In 1978, herds were established at Mt. Hamilton in Santa Clara County, Lake Pillsbury in Lake County, and Jawbone Canyon in Kern County, Point Reyes NWR, Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation, and Camp Roberts. (CDFG 1979).
The Environmental Science Department at DeAnza College, Cupertino, California, USA, offers a twice yearly course that focuses on field observation of the Tule Elk found in Santa Clara County, California. This class provides an overview on the history of tule elk reintroduction, habitat utilization, home range characteristics, behaviors and other natural history insights. It also discusses the underlying social, economic and political issues associated with the near extinction and restoration of this subspecies of North American elk. It involves Off-campus field trips to visit existing tule elk herds.