Feedgrounds Are Failing Elk

Wyoming Wildlife Advocates & Jackson Hole Bear Solutions

ELK FEEDGROUNDS: A LEGACY OF DISEASE AND ECOLOGICAL DISTRUPTION

For over a century, winter feeding of elk in Wyoming has aimed to reduce mortality, enhance hunting, and protect agriculture. But science now shows these feedgrounds pose serious risks: they accelerate the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), brucellosis, and other infectious diseases while undermining elk health and the ecosystems they inhabit.

The Disease Threat

CWD spreads through saliva, urine, feces, and decomposing carcasses, persisting in the environment for years. Feedgrounds intensify this by forcing elk into dense aggregations during peak transmission, leading to prevalence rates far higher than in unfed populations. Brucellosis, which can infect elk, bison, cattle, and humans, spreads similarly, causing reproductive losses and economic impacts. Hoof rot is nearly non-existent in wild populations of elk but kills up to 50% of elk calves and adult elk some winters on feedgrounds.

Behavioral and Ecological Impacts

Feeding disrupts natural migration. GPS studies show fed elk migrate shorter distances, linger longer on transitional ranges, and arrive later to summer range. Artificial feeding also skews social hierarchies, giving dominant animals disproportionate access to feed while leaving vulnerable calves and subordinates undernourished. Predators are drawn to feeding sites, increasing human-wildlife conflicts and altering predator-prey dynamics.

Economic and Social Costs

The elk feedground program cost Wyoming $1.6 million in 2020 alone. Beyond direct costs, disease outbreaks threaten tourism, hunting, and public trust in wildlife agencies. Fear of CWD or brucellosis could drive hunters and wildlife watchers elsewhere, jeopardizing local economies.

A Path Forward

Experts agree: phasing out feedgrounds is the most effective way to reduce disease and restore natural behavior. The easiest way to do this is to close the feedgrounds and let elk naturally migrate back to their historical wintering grounds. Ending livestock grazing on public lands and helping ranchers fence in cattle would further reduce elk-livestock interactions and facilitate closure of feedgrounds.

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Wildlife are adapted to survive winter without supplemental feeding. Continuing feedgrounds perpetuates disease, ecological disruption, and economic risk. Ending winter feeding now will protect elk, restore ecosystems, and safeguard human and livestock health. The evidence is clear: the time to act is now.

READ OUR REPORT: HEALTHY ELK MANAGEMENT IN THE WEST

ELK DESERVE A WILD FUTURE

For more than a century, elk across western Wyoming survived winters on their natural ranges, spreading out across valleys like the Gros Ventre where abundant native plants sustained them. Today, thousands of elk are instead crowded onto state-run feedgrounds, where diseases like chronic wasting disease and hoof rot are spreading rapidly.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest has the habitat to support healthy, free-ranging elk. Decades of conservation investments, including buyouts of livestock allotments, habitat restoration, and protections for wilderness and rivers, mean the land is ready. Yet agencies are clinging to outdated feedground operations, even as they prepare for dumpsters and incinerators to deal with infected carcasses.

A better future is possible. By phasing out feedgrounds and allowing elk to return to natural winter ranges, Wyoming can ensure healthier herds for generations to come.

READ LLOYD DORSEY’S OP ED HERE

HERE’S OUR TAKE ON THE DELL CREEK AND FOREST PARK ELK FEEDGROUNDS

We object to the U.S. Forest Service’s Final EIS and Draft Record of Decision proposing 20-year permits for the Dell Creek and Forest Park elk feedgrounds on the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

We believe that continuing artificial feeding violates NEPA, NFMA, and the BTNF Forest Plan, while ignoring viable alternatives, scientific evidence, and cumulative impacts.

Feedgrounds:

Exacerbate chronic wasting disease (CWD), brucellosis, hoof rot, and other illnesses by unnaturally concentrating elk.
Create irreversible disease reservoirs in soil and water that threaten elk, deer, other wildlife, and potentially humans.
Undermine elk migration, displace natural herds, and damage vegetation, soil, and ecosystems.
Fail to align with federal mandates for healthy ecosystems and viable wildlife populations.
Produce negative socioeconomic impacts by threatening hunting, tourism, and wildlife watching industries, while benefitting only a few livestock operations.

We support the No Special Use Authorization Alternative (immediate closure and rehabilitation) and the Phase-Out Alternative (ending feeding within 3 years), both of which would reduce disease risk and restore natural elk behavior. We oppose the Emergency Feeding Only Alternative, which is vague, overly deferential to state preferences, and likely to continue harmful feeding practices.

We further urge USFS to:

Recognize the role of wolves and scavengers in naturally limiting disease spread.
Consider Forest-wide cessation of all feedgrounds, not just Dell Creek and Forest Park.
Learn from successful feedground closures in Wyoming and neighboring states.

Here’s the takeaway: Artificial elk feeding is outdated, harmful, and inconsistent with federal obligations. Ending the practice will improve elk and ecosystem health, reduce disease spread, and benefit the broader public over time.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR WYOMING ELK?

The Bridger-Teton National Forest has approved a three-year extension for the Dell Creek and Forest Park elk feedgrounds, even as chronic wasting disease (CWD) spreads through the Hoback Basin. These feedgrounds, where hundreds of elk crowd together each winter, are now ground zero for a documented CWD outbreak. Six elk tested positive at Dell Creek this past season alone, raising alarms among biologists who warn that prevalence will only rise as animals remain packed into small areas.

Although the Wyoming Game and Fish Department requested a 20-year permit, the Forest Service stopped short of such a long-term commitment. Instead, Supervisor Chad Hudson called his decision “difficult” and “complicated,” acknowledging that every option carries consequences for wildlife and people. Yet, by allowing continued feeding, the Forest Service has chosen to delay real solutions until at least 2028.

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey have already predicted that continued feeding will result in the worst outcomes for elk health and hunting opportunities. Despite that, feedgrounds persist, justified as protection against hard winters and livestock conflict. Critics argue this outdated practice only fuels disease, disrupts migration, and undermines decades of conservation work.

For opponents of feedgrounds, Hudson’s decision is seen as a small step toward acknowledging the crisis, but far from the bold action needed. Conservation groups continue to call for phasing out artificial feeding and restoring natural winter ranges before Wyoming’s elk herds face irreversible losses.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE