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55430-1779
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North Dakota Conservation Projects

SECURING PRIME HABITAT FOR MANITOBAN ELK

Manitoban elk once wandered all of North Dakota, with vast herds of elk roaming the plains and tributaries of the state. However, increasing settlement devastated the great elk herds, and the last recorded elk hunt took place in 1883 in the Pembina Hills. Now, Manitoban elk are returning, with migrations from Canada to the Pembina River Gorge beginning in the late 1970s. With the desire to support the return of elk to North Dakota, Wildlife Forever stepped to the plate and helped acquire 200 acres of elk wintering grounds and calving areas in the Pembina River Gorge in northeastern North Dakota. “The area is crucial to the survival and future of Manitoban elk in Pembina Gorge,” stated Wildlife Forever’s President Doug Grann. “This area supports one of the largest winter concentrations of Manitoban elk in the U.S.”

EXPANSIVE PROJECT PROTECTS NESTING BIRDS

A wildlife management research project on North Dakota prairies is benefiting nesting upland birds and waterfowl species, thanks to support from Wildlife Forever. The project focused on the effect that predator population control has on the number of new birds recruited into existing populations. Involving 36 square-miles of nesting area, the project involved removing skunks, red foxes, and raccoons from areas where waterfowl and songbird nests are located. The numbers of successful nests were compared against areas with normal predator populations normal. More than 1,800 waterfowl nests were monitored. Early results indicated that nest success had doubled in the areas where predators were reduced -- great news for struggling songbird and waterfowl species.