1. Establishing Credibility Through Biological Professionalism
Presented by Rob Arnaud
Montana Hunting Company

2. Fall Surveys

3. Fall Surveys Continued

4. Why Women Drink…..

5. Hunting Season Data Collection
Boone and Crockett Score
Front Tooth for cementum analysis
A GOOD photo
Harvest Weight

6. Scoring and Incisor Teeth

7. Poor Photos
339 2/8 B&C
8.5 years
339 B&C
7.5 years

8. Good Photos
324 B&C
8.5 years
341 6/8 B&C
9.5 years

9. Cementum Ages

10. Age Classes of Elk
3.5 years
254 7/8 B&C
2.5 years
220 B&C

11. Age Classes of Elk
5.5 years
296 B&C
4.5 years
270 B&C

12. Age Classes of Elk
6.5 years
327B&C
7.5 years
358 B&C

13. Age Classes of Elk
9.5 years
362 7/8 B&C
8.5 years
346 3/8 B&C

14. Harvest Management Strategies
What does your data say?
How old are your elk? Mature bull elk = 7 years of age
What’s their gross Boone and Crockett scores?
Scores peak at 8.5 years of age
Are you harvesting the appropriate age of elk?
Are you over harvesting?
Would you be better off cutting back on numbers of hunters, increasing Boone and Crockett scores and charging more?
Meld this information with your ground and flight data
Do you have enough bulls/elk to achieve goals?
Do you have to many cows? – reducing cow elk can narrow bull/cow ratios and increase fecundity
Are you priced equitably with other outfitters in the West?
Are you selling a $5,000 hunt when it should be an $7,500 hunt?

15. Harvest Management Strategies

16. Habitat Management Strategies Continued
Balance your harvest management with your habitat management
Hunting needs to pay for the AUM’s used by elk
Land owner’s tolerance for game increases when they are paying their way
Convert elk to AUM’s multiply by numbers on ranch and convert to dollar amount
3 Elk = 1 AUM
1 AUM = $20-$35 per month
Example: 100 Elk = 33 AUM’s x 12 months = 396 AUM x $20 = $7,920
That is the forage consumed by elk herd and they should pay for their own feed.

17. Habitat Management Strategies Continued
Geographic Size and Location of Property (Limitations)
Ranch is too small to affect ages of harvested elk
Can you take more elk or should you take less?
Landowner and neighbor consideration of quality
Habitat Enhancement Strategies
Consider leaving second crop alfalfa for food source for elk
Consider leaving sanctuary areas on the ranch for elk security and/or road management
Work with landowner on cattle rotation
Work with silviculturalists on timber management

18. Winter Surveys

19. Estimated Population

20. Winter Surveys Continued
Best survey helicopter
Second best survey fixed wing
Third best ground census
You need to balance survey method with budget. On smaller properties, a ground census may be adequate. Get flight data from FWP.
Be consistent with methods and time and fashion.

21. Keeping accurate records and data will pay dividends!
Conclusions
Keeping accurate records and data will pay dividends!
Land owner appreciation – usually translates into long term leases
Scientific analysis helps make good decision
Helps educate guides on age class of animal to be targeted for hunting
Clients can make informed decisions = happy hunters

22. Conclusions