Temporospatial distribution of a northcentral New Mexico elk herd in relation to spring vegetation greenness values, vulnerability to harvest, and public land grazin

Elk that winter near San Antonio Mountain, New Mexico provide important recreational and economic benefits to New Mexico citizens while creating management challenges for natural resource managers, private landowners, and public stakeholders. Objectives of this study were to examine elk migration distribution patterns between seasonal ranges and in relation to herbaceous green up in the spring, determine the extent temporospatial distribution of elk affects elk vulnerability to harvest, and investigate the relationship between public land livestock grazing and stocking rates and elk distribution. Elk distributions differed among years during spring (P < 0.001) and fall ( P < 0.001). Colorado migratory elk distributions did not differ among or between years during spring migrations but differed among ( P < 0.001) and between (P < 0.001) years during fall migrations. New Mexico migratory elk distributions differed among ( P < 0.001) and between 2 of 3 years during spring migrations and among (P < 0.001) and between years (P < 0.001) during fall migrations. Male and female migration patterns differed during spring migrations (P = 0.002) but not fall migrations. Timing of migrations differed among and between years during spring ( P < 0.001) and fall (P < 0.001). Spring spatial distributions of elk were closely associated with photosynthetic activity of spring vegetation in 2 of 3 years likely resulting from vegetation and elk response to climatic conditions. Elk spatial distribution differed ( P < 0.001) in 2 of 3 years during November and December hunts. Cow elk harvest mortality rate in 1999 was greater than 2000 (P = 0.002) and 2001 (P = 0.030) rates. Bull elk harvest mortality rates did not differ in 1999 and 2000; no estimates were made for 2001. Elk tended to use higher stocking rate pastures before and after livestock use and avoided pastures while livestock were present regardless of stocking rates. Rested pastures were used by elk in proportion to their occurrence during late-September through early November but used less, although consistently, the rest of the year. Pastures not grazed by livestock were used less frequently by elk than their areal representation on the landscape.